Bela Bajaria, Lee Byung-Hun, Destin Daniel Cretton Among Honorees at the 12th Annual U.S.-Asia Entertainment Summit

Julia Gouw, Destin Cretton and Bela Bajaria

From left: Julia S. Gouw, Destin Daniel Cretton, and Bela Bajaria at the 2021 U.S.-Asia Entertainment Summit and Game Changer Awards on November 1, 2021 at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. (Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging)

From left: Yvonne Kim, Anjali Sharan, Kathy Le Backes, Julia Gouw, Katie Soo, Janet Yang, Destin Daniel Cretton, Bela Bajaria, Brian Treiger, Tisno Onggara, Thomas McLain, Charles Coker and Jade Alex at the 2021 U.S.-Asia Entertainment Summit and Game Changer Awards on November 1, 2021 at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. (Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging)

From left: Destin Daniel Cretton and Melvin Mar at the 2021 U.S.-Asia Entertainment Summit and Game Changer Awards on November 1, 2021 at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. (Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging)

Lilly Singh at the 2021 U.S.-Asia Entertainment Summit and Game Changer Awards on November 1, 2021 at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. (Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging)

Bela Bajaria at the 2021 U.S.-Asia Entertainment Summit and Game Changer Awards on November 1, 2021 at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. (Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging)

Yvonne Kim at the 2021 U.S.-Asia Entertainment Summit and Game Changer Awards on November 1, 2021 at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. (Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging)

Julia Gouw at the 2021 U.S.-Asia Entertainment Summit and Game Changer Awards on November 1, 2021 at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. (Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging)

From left: Chun-Yen Chen, Julia Gouw, Janet Yang, and Michelle Sugihara at the 2021 U.S.-Asia Entertainment Summit and Game Changer Awards on November 1, 2021 at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. (Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging)

Mark Amin at the 2021 U.S.-Asia Entertainment Summit and Game Changer Awards on November 1, 2021 at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. (Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging)

Ashok Amritraj at the 2021 U.S.-Asia Entertainment Summit and Game Changer Awards on November 1, 2021 at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. (Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging)

From left: Maki Hsieh and Bill Kramer at the 2021 U.S.-Asia Entertainment Summit and Game Changer Awards on November 1, 2021 at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. (Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging)

George Takei at the 2021 U.S.-Asia Entertainment Summit and Game Changer Awards on November 1, 2021 at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. (Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging)

Mark Amin and George Takei at the 2021 U.S.-Asia Entertainment Summit and Game Changer Awards on November 1, 2021 at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. (Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging)

The 2021 U.S.-Asia Entertainment Summit and Game Changer Awards on November 1, 2021 at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. (Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging)

The Dolby Terrace at the 2021 U.S.-Asia Entertainment Summit and Game Changer Awards on November 1, 2021 at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. (Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging)

From left: Janet Yang and George Takei at the 2021 U.S.-Asia Entertainment Summit and Game Changer Awards on November 1, 2021 at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. (Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging)

From left: Destin Daniel Cretton and Bela Bajaria at the 2021 U.S.-Asia Entertainment Summit and Game Changer Awards on November 1, 2021 at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. (Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging)

Katie Soo Janet Yang Bela Bajaria Lilly Singh

From left: Katie Soo, Janet Yang, Bela Bajaria, and Lilly Singh at the 2021 U.S.-Asia Entertainment Summit and Game Changer Awards on November 1, 2021 at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. (Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging)

From left: Heidi Chung, Janet Yang, Jennifer Yuh Nelson, and Laura Kim at the 2021 U.S.-Asia Entertainment Summit and Game Changer Awards on November 1, 2021 at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. (Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging)

Piya Sinha-Roy, Jeniffer Kim, Emily Furutani, Gloria Fan

From left: Piya Sinha-Roy, Jeniffer Kim, Emily Furutani, and Gloria Fan at the 2021 U.S.-Asia Entertainment Summit and Game Changer Awards on November 1, 2021 at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. (Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging)

From left: Janet Yang and Destin Daniel Cretton at the 2021 U.S.-Asia Entertainment Summit and Game Changer Awards on November 1, 2021 at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. (Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging)

From left: Michelle Sugihara, Jeff Yang, Phil Yu, and Philip Wang at the 2021 U.S.-Asia Entertainment Summit and Game Changer Awards on November 1, 2021 at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. (Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging)

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View more photos from the Summit here.

Set against the backdrop of the newly opened Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, the 12th annual U.S.-Asia Entertainment Summit and Game Changer Awards celebrated Asian and Asian American contributions to film and television, both on-screen and off. The ethos of the Academy Museum, a site not only of Hollywood history but the history of the global cinematic tradition, was reflected throughout the day’s program, which centered on discussions of inclusivity, perspective, and the ability of storytelling to transcend national borders.

2021 Summit Program

With that theme in mind, the afternoon’s programming began with “Rewriting the Narrative,” a panel discussion between Michelle Sugihara, Executive Director of the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE), and the authors of the forthcoming Rise: A Pop History of Asian America from the Nineties to Now: Jeff Yang, Phil Yu, and Philip Wang. They shared their insights into the importance of Asian writers asserting authorship over how the story of Asian actors, writers, directors, and producers in Hollywood is told.

The lineup also featured a fireside chat between producer and U.S.-Asia Entertainment Summit Chair Janet Yang and director Destin Daniel Cretton, a 2021 Asia Entertainment Game Changer honoree who began his career in independent film and now finds himself at the helm of the biggest film of the year so far: Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Their conversation was followed by the second event in Asia Society Southern California’s newest initiative, Asian Women Empowered (AWE). In “AWE: Entertainment Decision Makers,” executives Gloria Fan (Disney Branded Television), Emily Furutani (Universal Television), and Jeniffer Kim (HBO Max) spoke with journalist Piya Sinha-Roy on how they lead the way for more diverse programming.

The audience was also treated to sneak peeks of “Update on China,” a panel discussion on the post-2020 business climate for entertainment in China, and a fireside chat between Shannon Lee and Bao Nguyen on the legacy of Bruce Lee, whose films and artifacts form a focal point of the Academy Museum’s “Stories of Cinema” exhibit. The full-length versions of the programs will premiere on the Asia Society YouTube channel.

Variety’s Heidi Chung moderated the final panel, in which three of the four Asian American women governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (the largest contingent ever) took the audience behind the scenes of the inclusion efforts by the Academy not only for the museum but in its own governance as well. Jennifer Yuh Nelson, joined by fellow governors Janet Yang and Laura Kim, reflected upon the Academy’s recent shift: “It’s been an amazing transformation, because the will was there, but perhaps the voices weren’t there before.”

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2021 Asia Entertainment Game Changer Awards Reception

The program then transitioned to an evening reception on the museum’s Dolby Terrace, complete with stunning views of the glittering city lights below. Actors Kara Wang and Hayden Szeto emceed the presentation of the 2021 Asia Entertainment Game Changer Awards, beginning with the recognition of the major Asian and Asian American donors to the Academy Museum. The honorees, Mark Amin, Ashok and Chitra Amritraj, Julia Gouw, Peter Lam, George Takei, and Karen Wong of the Robert Chinn Foundation, were introduced by museum president Bill Kramer, who elaborated on the role their generosity played in establishing this new cultural landmark. Julia Gouw, the final philanthropist to be honored, then announced her endowment of a new short film challenge for Asian women and non-binary filmmakers.

The following three honorees, a group of storytellers from both the creative and business ends of the industry, represented the recent, seismic shift in the global perception of Asian content and creators. From Asian superstars making their mark in Hollywood, to hit Asian series breaking out from their region of origin to become worldwide phenomena, to major studios investing in blockbusters led by Asian talent, there has been a veritable tidal wave of Asian and AAPI visibility in the entertainment space.

First was the presentation of an Asia Entertainment Game Changer award to trailblazing Netflix Head of Global TV Bela Bajaria, which began with a video tribute from Master of None co-creator and Tigertail director Alan Yang. Actress, producer, and creator Lilly Singh presented the honor, recounting how she called Bajaria upon her being named Head of Global TV to impart how important her success was: “I have never felt more safe and optimistic and proud of someone like Bela in this industry because kids growing up might not have seen a head of global TV that looked like them, and now they will.” Upon accepting the award, Bajaria remarked, “I’m proud to be a part of the change that’s opening the door for new voices and talent…To be a game changer, you need to change the game. And when it comes to American audiences embracing Asian storytelling, I’m here to tell you, the game has changed.”

The next honoree was a familiar face to adoring audiences around the world, renowned South Korean actor Lee Byung-Hun. Lee was introduced by Yvonne Kim, Executive Director of Asia Society Korea, who praised him as, “One of the most humble, hardworking, and well-mannered individuals I have ever met, who also happens to be one of the greatest actors from my homeland of Korea.” Echoing the night’s theme of universality, Lee remarked in his acceptance speech that, “The success of Parasite and Squid Game proves that Asian content travels throughout the world.”

Closing out the night was the final honoree, Destin Daniel Cretton, the visionary director of Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings. Following surprise congratulatory video messages from Shang-Chi actors Simu Liu, Meng’er Zhang, and Fala Chen, producer Melvin Mar presented the award, introducing Cretton as straightforward and true to his word as they developed their new project together, American Born Chinese for Disney+. Cretton accepted his award with a personal story about his grandmother’s influence on him: “She did teach me how to be curious about the world around me. She taught me to love and cherish and respect cultures that are not my own. And she really taught me this love and need to explore and to learn. I am standing here because of her.”

Throughout its program and Game Changer awards, the 2021 U.S.-Asia Entertainment Summit invoked the core values of Asia Society Southern California and the greater, global Asia Society network, looking to entertainment as a way to build bridges between cultures. As the U.S. and Asia navigate their shared futures, the Summit will continue to be a hub for content creators, executives, and thought leaders in the entertainment industry to meet, share insights, and collaborate.

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