2022 BOARD MEMBERS
Christian Oh
President
Christian Oh loves production of all types of events and projects and has lots of experiences with expos, conventions, galas, and large-scale events. Prior to his return to DC APA Film, he was the co-founder and Executive Director of Kollaboration DC, an Asian American Talent competition here in the DC metro area. He has been a panelist, moderator, and a professional emcee for many different events pertaining to Asian American Media and Arts. Christian was also a former adjunct professor for the Asian American Studies program at University of Maryland.
Christian has produced and directed many award-winning shorts, music videos, commercials, and public service announcements. He received his film background education from George Washington University Documentary Center, internships with Adobe at both the Cannes and Venice Film Festivals and on-hands experience with Sundance and Tribeca.
Amando Carigo
Board Member
Amando is passionate about storytelling and filmmaking. He has worked previously in Washington DC, as an in-demand film projectionist for the Film Neu/German FilmFestival, monthly film screenings for the Director's Guild of America, DC Reel Affirmations Film Festival, National Museum Women of the Art’s Film Festival, and the DC Asian Pacific American Film Festival. While working as a WildCam technician for the National Geographic Society, he met famous visual storytellers and filmmakers around the world that has tempered his affection for filmmakers and filmmaking. Amando now supports his passions by working for a government agency as a photographer and videographer. In his leisure, he enjoys traveling, photography, flying his drone, and creating visual art.
YI CHEN
Board Member
Yi Chen is an award-winning documentary filmmaker based in Washington, D.C. Her feature debut “First Vote” qualified for 2021 Academy Awards Best Picture and Best Documentary Feature, and won the Special Jury Award for Art & Craft of Documentary Form at the 2020 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival.
Yi’s work has been supported by Ford Foundation JustFilms, Open Society Foundations, ITVS, Kartemquin Films, Southern Documentary Fund, Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, and DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities.
Yi’s work has been featured in publications including The Washington Post, NBC News, Salon, Documentary Magazine, NPR, and many more. She holds an MFA in Film and Media Arts from American University and has worked at the United Nations Foundation, National Geographic Studios, Voice of America, and George Mason University. Yi has been a recipient of the Soros Equality Fellowship, DC Filmmaker of the Month, and DC Arts and Humanities Fellowship. She serves on Docs In Progress Board of Directors and is a member of Asian American Documentary Network, Asian American Journalism Association, Brown Girls Doc Mafia, ARRAY Crew, and Documentary Producers Alliance.
WAYNE HUANG
Board Member
Wayne Huang is a cinéaste who has watched narrative and documentary films from around the world. Wayne previously volunteered at DC APA Film as a photographer. Wayne is a computer programmer by day and his current role at DC APA Film, in addition to serving on the Board, is being a part of the Programming Committee to select films for the festival. In his spare time, Wayne enjoys learning new words and languages and hopes someday to watch as many foreign films as possible without subtitles.
Jerry Kim
Volunteer Coordinator
Jerry is the Volunteer Coordinator of DC APA Film. He has volunteered at various DC APA Film events since 2014 and recently became a Board Member. Aside from his passion for Asian representation in media, he is a foodie who loves rich flavors and an avid fan of San Francisco 49ers.
Jina Lee
Board Communications/Administration Coordinator
Jina Lee is currently with the Smithsonian National Museum of History and Culture, and has been working for the Smithsonian Institution for the past 13 years. She is also the current Chair of the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Alliance. Jina holds a M.A. in Museum Studies from Johns Hopkins University, as well as a B.A. in Music from Rice University. She is passionate about history and popular culture, especially film and television, and loves to watch and write film critiques. She is excited to be joining the DC APA Film Board as a new member!
Marlan Maralit
Co-Treasurer
Marlan joins the APA Film Festival Board as co-Treasurer. Having lived in the area since the early 1980s, it turns out having long term residency is cool, but not the norm for a city in constant transition. As a cultural worker and activist, he shares the notion that the arts and cinema create deeper pathways for understanding race and power. His favorite social distancing hobby is chasing native brook trout throughout most of Virginia. When he’s not fly fishing, Marlan works as a senior program officer for the American Association of University Professors, seeking to build a stronger voice for faculty on campuses throughout the country. He also serves as a proud board member for the DC Chapter of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance.
NEEL SAXENA
Board Member
Neel is passionate about supporting and advocating for overlooked communities so that they have access to the same opportunities as others. For the past 20 years, he’s been a leader in the DMV’s Asian American community from a youth worker to funder to an Executive Director. He has been a keynote, panelist, and facilitator at places from the Urban Institute to Middle Schools on the Asian American community.
He believes cultural and art organizations like DC APA Film, are critical to providing an escape and educating communities on social issues to help change narratives. “Better Luck Tomorrow” was the first Asian American film that he saw and hopes films continue to break down barriers.
Renée Tsao
Board Member
Renée is Vice President of PR Collaborative and oversees publicity and marketing campaigns for independent films and documentaries, and specializes in films with social and political themes. Renée marries her deep background in the news media with her film savvy to position films for cineastes and thought-leaders in politics, policy and social justice alike. Renée has worked on some of the most successful and influential documentaries of the last decade including AMERICAN FACTORY, RBG, I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO, CITIZENFOUR, BLACKFISH, THE ACT OF KILLING, THE LOOK OF SILENCE, ABACUS: SMALL ENOUGH TO JAIL, among many others; and collaborated with an array of celebrated filmmakers such as Spike Lee, Werner Herzog, Alex Gibney, Julia Reichert and Steve Bognar, Matthew Heineman, Raoul Peck, Joshua Oppenheimer, Steve James, Sebastian Junger, Dawn Porter, Joe Berlinger, Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady.