Programmers
Our intrepid team of Festival Programmers reassembled to put together a nimble and diverse slate of programs that celebrate the communities that we serve. Meet our Festival Programmers below!
Alfred Bordallo is a CHamoru visual artist from Guåhan currently based in Los Angeles. His work focuses on recollecting and honoring the fragmented and, more importantly, repurposed facets of CHamoru identity through the analog mediums of photography and video. Bordallo’s self-taught practice began in 2018 while attending the University of Southern California, and has since grown into editorial shoots for fashion and music, live-visual (VJ) sets accompanied with lo-fi hip-hop, and to video art installations that interrogate CHamoru identity within the context of indigineity, diaspora, and imperialism.
Libby Haein (해인) Chun is a Korean American artist born and raised in Texas and South Korea. She is a graduate of Dodge College of Film and Media Arts. She is interested in all gray areas and the marriage of challenge and catharsis. Her work consists of narrative film and multimedia art. Currently, she is an Artist in Residence and Armed With A Camera Fellow with Visual Communications Media. Her first film, CROSSROADS, has screened at several festivals across the country. She likes words a lot but isn’t always good at them.
Francis Cullado (he/him) is the Executive Director for VC. He has worked with VC since 2002 in various capacities including the Volunteer Coordinator and Operations Manager of the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, Development Director, and Operations Director. He is an alumnus of California State University, Long Beach and holds a B.A. and M.A. in Asian American Studies with a focus on cultural arts and performances, history, and human geography.
Ryan Fukuda is a film + event producer and an emerging director/writer. He maintains a teaching and consulting practice that incorporates intuitive, meditative, and energy healing methodologies to support creators on their artistic path. 2025 will be his 7th year working with Visual Communications on LAAPFF.
Emma Fukunaga is the Programs and Development Associate for VC, and she joined the team in 2024 after graduating from Scripps College, where she earned her degree in Asian American Studies. During her time with VC, Emma has taken the opportunity to pursue her academic and personal passions for the Asian American movement by becoming involved in the Little Tokyo community in various capacities, including as a member of the 2025 Nisei Week Court. Outside of work, she continues her lifelong journey as a dancer in multiple disciplines and enjoys creative hobbies such as baking, writing, and visual art.
Eric Hsiao is a Film Creative, Arts Advocate, and Industry Educator, most notably through his work with The Gotham Film & Media Institute and LMU School of Film and Television. Eric also serves on the Board of Directors for Slant’d, the nonprofit publishing house and creative home for Asian Americans. Eric was previously a creative executive at Perfect Storm Entertainment, the Film & TV company of LAAPFF alum Justin Lin (Better Luck Tomorrow). Now in his third year programming for LAAPFF, Eric got his start in the film industry as an agent trainee at United Talent Agency after graduating from NYU’s MBA/MFA program.
Jeff Man is a writer/director and longtime friend of Visual Communications. His debut feature film PAPER MARRIAGE world premiered at the 2024 edition of the VC Film Festival. Jeff first started working at VC as part of the 2011 festival staff. Since then he has proudly served the organization as an Armed with a Camera Fellow, Digital Histories instructor, AWC mentor and, now, a programmer.
Angela Park is a Korean American producer and filmmaker based in Los Angeles. She is an alumna and mentor of the Armed With a Camera Fellowship at Visual Communications.She co-produced LIQUOR STORE DREAMS, which premiered at the Tribeca Festival and screened at BFI London, Palm Springs International, and Busan International Film Festivals. The film later broadcast nationally on PBS’s POV. Her recent producing project, PAPER MARRIAGE, a narrative feature with Duplass Brothers Productions, premiered at the VC Film Fest, where it won the Community Award, and has since sold out screenings at festivals nationwide. Park is currently producing the hybrid documentary NON-ALIEN with 2025 Guggenheim Fellow Rea Tajiri. The project has received support from Chicken & Egg Pictures and the North Star Fellowship.
Kirby Peñafiel is a longtime friend of Visual Communications, with a tenure defined by vocal advocacy, deep community roots, and a signature willingness to roll up his sleeves. Having worn nearly every hat the festival offers, Kirby serves as a Programmer for LAAPFF and the lead instructor for Digital Histories where he recently guided a record-breaking cohort of 16 AAHPI senior citizens through the technical, theoretical, and emotional rigors of documentary filmmaking. A steadfast media archivist, Kirby maintains a vast library of digitized footage and a personal portfolio of “works-in-progress” approached with diligent patience. When he isn’t standing on the shoulders of the giants who paved his way, he can be found with his dogs, likely mid-conversation about the transformative power of film.
Jason Tiangco (he/him) is a Filipino-American creative from Harbor City, CA. As caretaker of the VC Archives, he works towards the preservation and access of Asian Pacific American materials at Visual Communications. Jason aspires to create safe spaces for underrepresented communities including individuals with disabilities, deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals, and those dealing with mental illness. A 2021 graduate of CSU Long Beach with a BA in Film and Electronic Arts, Jason brings a deep-rooted passion for cinema and dreams of changing the world through the arts. He hopes to inspire generations of all ages to channel their personal stories and internal struggles into healthy, artistic outlets. For rest and renewal, he enjoys shows, traveling the world, and getting lost in new spaces with a camera.
