Derek Ting, AAFilmLab President (2003-2005)

Friends, fellow filmmakers and actors, welcome to the Asian American Film Lab.  Come here to relax and unwind and find out about the latest activities going on with the Asian American Film Lab.  If you need a resource:  Actor, director, producer, crew member, take a look at our database.  Full Functionality is coming soon.

The Asian American Film Lab is an offshoot of the Asian American Film Collaborative-The workshop, of which I am still the President.  For those who don’t know, the workshop is a organization where filmmakers and actors meet frequently to work on their craft.  It was formed by talented and committed filmmakers in 1998:  Stephen Bai, the first president, Greg Pak, Donna Tsufura, Rea Tajiri, Michael Kang, to to name a few.  Many past members and leaders have gone on to do great work and be recognized in the industry.

Being President gave me the opportunity to be inventive and try new ideas to invoke our art.  I noticed that organized activities are a great way to motivate filmmakers to tell their stories.  For example, with a screenplay contest, writers are forced to meet a deadline and goal.  The Film Shootout, currently our largest endeavor, pushes our community to make Asian American films.  Now, while having these activities are encouraging, the organizing of these activities takes away from the workshop mission: Sharing work, doing work, honing skills.  Thus, I realized that, the workshop could not effectively do both:  Manage activities and work on their art.

Consequently, I founded the Asian American Film Lab along with an energetic team:  Matte Chi, Mayur Khandewal, Justin Wan, Joyce Yung, Nelson Wang, and Tana Sarntinoranont and other hard working individuals to manage and facilitate activities that foster Asian American Filmmaking.

Together, we will help pursue the dream of getting Asian American Stories prominently told in main stream America.  We will help expose Asian American filmmakers and actors to industry execs, promote their stories, and develop their talents.  To do this, the AAFilmlab will endeavor to run thrilling competitions, seminars, and other related programs.

Further, it wil be a central place where these story tellers can find the necessary resources to complete their projects.  Members will be able to find cast, crew, Directors, producers, DPs, equipment rental discounts, knowledge, and more(All of this is coming very soon to our website).

All are welcome to join the AAfilmlab.  The more help, the better, Asian, Non-Asian, Green, Purple, Whatever.  We are an organization bent on helping our community, as such, we need our community’s support.

My biggest wish is that we come together as a community and take initiative to get our stories told and our faces seen.  May this organization be a vessel to conquer that challenge.

To this I say, again, welcome.  Please enjoy.