FILIPINO-AMERICAN CREATIVE ORGANIZATION LOOKS TO EXPAND BIPOC
VISIBILITY AND REPRESENTATION IN HOLLYWOOD
“A rising tide raises all ships” is Fil-Am Creative’s guiding light post for 2023. A saying that gently pushes the community to come together to correct the lack of representation that, by
recent studies continue to permeate Hollywood today.
Fil-Am Creative (FAC) is a 13-year nonprofit that supports Filipino American and AAPI artists.
In 2023, the premiere Filipino-American creative organization is back in full force after it was
forced to take a break during the pandemic. It swore in an Executive Board on the first week of January. The new leaders consist of Emmy, Grammy, and other major award winners, producers on
network television, and CEOs. They will focus on leading and elevating the Filipino and AAPI
communities in the United States. It serves to fight for recognition and representation for the
more than 4.2 million Filipinos in the United States. According to two reports, Hollywood’s underrepresented communities fell in representation across the board. The USC Annenberg study showed a 7% decline in movies by persons of color in the top 100 films.
Mark Nazal, a multi-nominated, primetime Emmy-Award Winning Visual Effects Artist and
The supervisor highlights the importance of creating a community, “A few years ago, I was in a creative crisis, and it was through this organization that I found a renewed sense of voice and purpose,” said Mark, who now serves as the VP of Creative Development and Visual Effects. Supervising producer and screenwriter on CBS’ SWAT, Michael Gemballa, joins Fil-Am Creative for the first time this year, “There is a representational battle that I fight constantly, but there is also a misrepresentational battle that is a part of that. It’s hard, and it can be exhausting at
times, but if we’re not going to do it, who will?” said Gemballa.
“We are the second largest AAPI population in the United States. We don’t even have Filipino
doctors or nurses on medical shows, and much fewer TV shows that highlight Filipinos as part of
American daily life” notes 2023 Executive Director Mark Labella. He remarks, “I grew up
without someone to watch on TV that didn’t look like me. This is servant leadership for all those
young AAPI-Americans who, like me, didn’t have anyone to look to.”
According to MJ Racadio CEO of Social Dragon PR and award-winning podcaster/entertainment segment producer/reporter of Net25, “Amazing to be part of creative and talented individuals. I joined this organization to serve and we need to be seen. Unity is important in our community to bring everyone together and make this Film industry meaningful and our voice to be heard.”
Filipino-American Casting Director Christian Bustamante and, Chinese-American Grammy
winner Dale Edward Chung, two well-established Filipino-American managers also join the
team, including Altamero Management CEO, Walter Tabayoyong and Kyle Dean at AFA Prime
Talent Management. Kyle notes, “I am passionate about representation, and there aren’t very
many Asian managers in the business, and a very small number of us focus on Asian and BIPOC talent. I want to embrace that.”
Producer/Actress Anthea Best also serves as a first-time officer at Fil-Am Creative this year. She exclaimed, “we’re trying to fight this so large and in-depth system, so I want to encourage us; to create new voices– not to break down the current path, butto create a new path and shine a light on new talent and raise voices… I am in a such great company with [2023’s Executive Board.] I am fangirling over here!”
Returning officers from Fil-Am Creative have retained their passion for raising the flag for the
AAPI community. Leo Partible returns this year as the Director of Education, Edwin Santos as
the Social Media Director, and Arlyn Dela Pena as VP of Membership and Planning. Arlyn, an
Army Veteran supervisor, and producer
“Well, the question really for me is ‘why did you return to FilAm Creative?’ In the five years I was away (I was a FAC VP, Social Media Director, Online Press & , “I observed FilAm Creative’s continuing growth, and especially its perseverance during the unpredictable two years of the pandemic. With the last FAC executive board led by a team of millennial/Gen Z Filipina American women, their use of social media not only promoted FAC events but also engaged, challenged and provoked the social issues people faced at that time. And, because of how impressed I was by that is the reason why I returned to FilAm Creative. To not only make a difference of Filipino representation in Hollywood today but also as a society as a whole” ~ Edwin Santos, Social Media Director, FilAm Creative
FAC’s mission expands to be more inclusive this year. The Director for east expansion is
Angelo Reyes. Moreover, the nonprofit aims to work with other less represented AAPI
organizations, thus appointing Thai -Cambodian TV host, singer, and songwriter with his tv
show on the only Cambodian Channel in the United States, Soup Pha, as the Director of East
Asian Partnerships. Lorraine Wheat, an African American director, and writer is the New
Director of Outreach and Partnership. Her work will focus on creating partnerships with other
BIPOC organizations and/or communities, and working together to increase the representation in Hollywood.
BIPOC stands for Black, Indigenous, and people of color. Pronounced “bye-pock,” this is a term specific to the United States, intended to center the experiences of Black and Indigenous groups and demonstrate solidarity between communities of color.
Source: YMCA works
The complete list is as follows:
2023 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR- MARK LABELLA
VP OF MEMBERSHIP + PLANNING- ARLYN DELA PENA
VP OF CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT AND VISUAL EFFECTS – MARK NAZAL
SECRETARY – DIDI CANEDA
TREASURER – ANGEL QUINSAY
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING- CHRISTIAN REASONDA
DIRECTOR OF MEDIA AND PRESS- MJ RACADIO
SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR – EDWIN SANTOS
DIRECTOR OF LIVE EVENTS + PERFORMANCES – LYNDON APOSTOL
DIRECTOR OF METAVERSE – CRAIG WILSON
DIRECTOR OF CAREER DEVELOPMENT (DIRECTING) – RANDAL KAMRADT
DIRECTOR OF CAREER DEVELOPMENT (PRODUCING) – ANGEL MENDOZA
DIRECTOR OF FILIPINO COMMUNITY RELATIONS – ASHLEIGH COFFELT
DIRECTOR OF OUTREACH AND PARTNERSHIPS – LORRAINE WHEAT
CAREER DEVELOPMENT ADVISOR (SCREENWRITING) – MICHAEL GEMBELLA
DIRECTOR OF DANCE ARTS – YOYOITSJOJO
DIRECTOR OF MUSIC – DALE EDWARD CHUNG
DIRECTOR OF CULINARY ARTS – CHEF MARVIN ARITRANGCO
DIRECTOR OF CASTING AND TALENT RECRUITMENT – CHRISTIAN BUSTAMANTE
DIRECTOR OF CAREER DEVELOPMENT (ACTING) – KYLE DEAN
DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION – LEO PARTIBLE
HISTORIAN – WALTER TABAYOYONG
ADMINISTRATOR – JENNIFER GALLARDO
AUDITOR – KARINA CORNEJO
DIRECTOR OF EAST ASIAN PARTNERSHIPS – SOPHANA PHA
DIRECTOR OF FILMS AND FESTIVALS – ANTHEA NERI BEST
DIRECTOR OF CHARITY PARTNERSHIPS – JUCEVI VIRTUDES
DIRECTOR OF FUNDRAISING – ROVYN BAUTISTA
DIRECTOR OF SPONSORSHIPS – BERNADETTE ALESSANDRI
DIRECTOR FOR FAC EAST COAST EXPANSION – ANGELO REYES
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