The Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment and Janet Yang Productions have awarded four filmmakers $25,000 each to produce their short films as part of the Julia S. Gouw Short Film Challenge.
The recipients are Keshni Kashyap Nilsson for “The Shoe Burglars,” Nayon Cho for “Stigma,” Patricia Lee for “Wasted Resources” and Tiffany Lin for “Hunger.” The jury includes Auli‘i Cravalho, Samantha Quan, Liz Sargent, Yerin Ha and Chris Quintos Cathcart.
Janet Yang said the program has grown over five years with evidence of success in discovering new filmmakers and supporting their work at festivals. Rhian Moore of CAPE noted the importance of uplifting stories from API women and non-binary filmmakers.
The initiative is in its fifth year. It previously supported Liz Sargent’s short film that became the 2026 feature “Take Me Home,” which won a Sundance screenwriting honor earlier this year. The program will conclude with a screening showcase in November.
