OUR MISSION

CAPE champions diversity by educating, connecting, and empowering Asian American and Pacific Islander artists and leaders in entertainment and media.

CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment) advances representation for Asian American and Pacific Islander creators and executives in Hollywood in three ways:

(1) nurturing and engaging creative talent and executive leadership
(2) providing cultural content consulting and talent referrals
(3) championing projects for critical box office and streaming success

Through our industry-renowned programs such as the CAPE New Writers Fellowship and the CAPE Leaders Fellowship, our consulting and talent referral services, the CAPE Database, and #GoldOpen, CAPE is breaking barriers to representation from the writers’ room to the boardroom to the living room.

OUR HISTORY

CAPE was founded in 1991 by three Asian American executives working in Hollywood: publicist Fritz Friedman, television producer and creative executive Wenda Fong, and film producer and executive Chris Lee. They saw a need in the industry for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to regularly connect and support each other.

In October of 1991, a handful of friends and colleagues met in the private room of The Mandarin in Beverly Hills and determined that there was interest, support, and the desire to create a new organization with the common goal of advancing Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the entertainment industry. It was a time when pioneers like Wayne Wang (JOY LUCK CLUB), Ang Lee (WEDDING BANQUET), and Steven Okazaki (Oscar-winning DAYS OF WAITING) were punching through decades of media stereotypes. Hollywood had yet to grasp that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders were about to become a significant force in the world´s most influential cultural industry.

On November 5, 1991, CAPE launched its first official mixer with 90 Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders film and television executives, producers, directors, writers, and actors. CAPE has grown tremendously from its humble beginnings in 1991 to an outreach of thousands of supporters. CAPE has become a mighty force in Hollywood. Many Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have fostered and advanced their careers in entertainment by attending our numerous educational programs and opportunities that offer the tools and connections to excel in a highly competitive industry. CAPE gives voice and a forum to emerging and established actors, writers, directors, producers, agents, and executives, and has helped improve the landscape, relevance, and empowerment of AAPIs in the entertainment industry.