API Community Lend Voices to “Two Minutes to Save Lives” to Help Prevent Gay Teen Suicides and Anti-Asian Violence

Ken Choy and Kelvin Han Yee Bring Together the Asian Pacific Community to Film PSA Announcements at MAPID Studios in Los Angeles, CA on October 31, 2010

The API (Asian Pacific Islander) community came together on October 31, 2010 from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM to give “Two Minutes to Save Lives” at MAPID Studio at 4789 Vineland Ave #110 in North Hollywood, CA. Spurred on by the recent tragic loss of gay teens due to bullying, as well as the rash of anti-Asian violence in Philadelphia and the history of low voter turnout by APIs, Pan Asian Community Together was formed. The API community came to the MAPID Studio to film Public Service Announcements (PSA) on:

·         Preventing gay teen suicide

·         Preventing Anti-Asian violence

·         Get out the API Vote                                      

Working in less than a week to organize the event, Ken Choy of MAPID and actor/community leader Kelvin Han Yee contacted directors to helm the PSAs.  The PSAs featured recognizable faces of the API community, as well as all those who wished to lend their voices to these campaigns.  Participants prepared a two minute statement to be videotaped for the issue they wanted to focus on in their “two minutes to save lives”.

MAPID was founded by Ken Choy in August 2009. Ken Choy is a screenwriter and actor.  He writes for Hyphen Magazine, 8asians.com, and aarisings.com.  He consistently works and/or volunteers with Visual Communications, Outfest, Chinese American Museum, CAPE, and other community and charitable groups.  He was senior artist with Asian American Renaissance in Minnesota where he created AARGH, the Asian American cabaret with David Mura. He has received numerous fellowships and grants including the two Jerome Foundation fellowships. He also has won awards for his screenplays.

The first annual Breaking the Bow Independent Asian Pacific Islander Performing Artists and Writers Festival premiered in October 2009. There were seven events in four days including play readings, an API cabaret, and the first ever Battle of the Pitches, a screenwriting pitch competition. The Breaking the Bow Festival was sponsored by EastWest Magazine, Asiance magazine, 8asaians.com, Brian Raimondi photography, JBC Images, RIP media, FOX Diversity, and Visual Communications.   Community supporters included Japanese American National Museum, Thai Community and Cultural Center, Asian American Theatre Company, TeAda Productions, Asian Arts Initiative, and Asian Pacific Health Care Venture.

In March 2010, MAPID signed on to co-present the ID Film Fest at the Japanese American National Museum with Quentin Lee, Koji Sakai, Jessica Sanders, Japan Film Society, and Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE).  MAPID is dedicated to the development and promotion of Asian Pacific Islander artists.  MAPID also focuses on assisting collaboration and communication between artists and between organizations within the API community.  For more information, contact ken@mapid.us or 424-558-0997.

To see the EOE interview, please go to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRaFgI59-EY

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