New American Perspectives
Presented by
Celebrating Immigrant and Foreign-born Artists and Filmmakers
The New American Perspectives program shines a spotlight on immigrant and foreign-born artists, celebrating the powerful impact that diversity has on contemporary cinema and media in the United States. The program centers the voices of immigrant artists through film screenings, filmmaker Q&As, a master class, and a panel discussion.
We are delighted to introduce this year’s cohort, which includes Roger J. Deakins (b. United Kingdom), Sasha Rainbow (b. New Zealand), Van Tran Nguyen (b. Vietnam), Kenji Tsukamoto (b. Japan), Ramona Diaz (b. Philipines).
A number of this year’s New American Perspectives filmmakers will also participate in HIFF’s Guest Filmmaker Program, which brings filmmakers from around the globe into K–12 classrooms in Hawai’i to speak with students about their careers in filmmaking.
The Vilcek Foundation raises awareness of immigrant contributions in the United States and fosters appreciation of the arts and sciences. We accomplish our mission through our prizes program and through partnerships like the New American Perspectives program at HIFF. The innovation and perspective of foreign-born artists have made an indelible impact on filmmaking in the United States—expanding the boundaries of the medium as an art form and inspiring the next generation of artists and storytellers.
Shih-Ching Tsou
NAP FEATURED FILMMAKER
Shih-Ching Tsou is a Taiwan-born, New York-based independent film producer, director, and writer, co-known for co-directing TAKE OUT (2004) and producing Sean Baker’s acclaimed films TANGERINE (2015), THE FLORIDA PROJECT (2017), and RED ROCKET (2021), all of which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. She made her solo directorial debut with the film LEFT-HANDED GIRL, which premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival and was acquired by Netflix. The film was also selected by Taiwan as the country’s official entry to the Academy Awards Best International Feature category.
AMY WANG
Amy Wang is a Chinese-Australian writer/director whose directorial debut SLANTED, which she also wrote and produced, won the 2025 Narrative Feature Grand Jury Prize at SXSW. Shortly after graduating from AFI, Amy’s short UNNATURAL was awarded gold at the Young Director Awards at Cannes Lions 2018, and her feature script WENDI made the Black List. From there, Amy wrote on many features including CRAZY RICH ASIANS 2 for Warner Bros. On the TV side, Amy was most recently a writer/producer on THE BROTHERS SUN for Netflix, starring Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh and the limited series FROM SCRATCH for Netflix, starring Oscar winner Zoe Saldaña.
LEON LE
Leon Le is a multidisciplinary artist whose career spans Broadway, international tours, and film. With a foundation in dance, singing, and acting, he transitioned into filmmaking with the short films DAWN (2012) and TALKING TO MY MOTHER (2015), which explored themes of race and sexuality through Asian perspectives and screened at over 100 festivals worldwide. His feature debut, SONG LANG (2018), received widespread critical acclaim and won more than 50 international awards. The Hollywood Reporter called it “visually stunning,” while NPR praised it as “a showcase of rising talent.” His latest feature, KY NAM INN, continues his exploration of identity and Vietnamese culture. Le currently divides his time between New York and Vietnam.
LLOYD LEE CHOI
Lloyd Lee Choi is a Korean-Canadian writer/director based in Brooklyn. His debut feature, LUCKY LU, recently premiered at Cannes Directors’ Fortnight and TIFF, starring Chang Chen and produced by Hisako Films and Significant Productions. The film is based on his 2022 short film SAME OLD, which premiered at Cannes and NYFF and won honors at TIFF and Raindance. His recent short CLOSING DYNASTY won the Crystal Bear at Berlinale, Audience Award at SXSW, Grand Jury Prize at AFI Fest, and additional honors at Palm Springs and Hawaii International Film Festival. It’s currently streaming on Netflix. Lloyd has also received Sundance NHK, TIFF/CBC Screenwriters, and TIFF/CJ ENM K-Story Awards for his writing.
NANI SAHRA WALKER
Nani Sahra Walker is an Academy Award-winning executive producer and independent writer, director, and producer. A native of Kathmandu now based in Los Angeles, she executive produced the acclaimed shorts KYLIE (Sundance 2023), MERMAN (Tribeca 2023), and THE LAST REPAIR SHOP (Telluride 2023), winner of the 2024 Oscar for Best Documentary Short. Her feature OTHER NATURE (2012) screened at BFI Flare, Frameline, Outfest, and festivals worldwide. She teaches at UC Berkeley’s documentary program and mentors filmmakers at American Film Showcase, an initiative of the U.S. Department of State and USC School of Cinematic Arts. SHAKTI (2025) is her narrative directorial debut.
NEW PERSPECTIVES IN FILMMAKING
OCT 19, 12:00 PM | Consolidated Kahala Theatres
New American Perspectives (NAP) presented by the Vilcek Foundation shines a spotlight on immigrant and foreign-born artists, celebrating the powerful impact that diversity has on contemporary cinema and media in the United States.
The program centers the voices of immigrant artists through film screenings, filmmaker Q&As and masterclasses. Attend this moderated conversation with HIFF45’s NAP cohort — Amy Wang (b. Australia), Leon Le (b. Vietnam); Lloyd Lee Choi (b. Canada), Nani Sahra Walker (b. Nepal), as they discuss their careers, and their experiences as cultural workers adding to the creative lexicon of the United States.