In celebration of Asian American Pacific Islander heritage month, HBO Max is launching a special collection dedicated to AAPI stories.
Starting May 1, HBO Max will spotlight its Asian American and Pacific Islander Voices Collection, with hours of curated programming including its Max Originals like “The Sex Lives of College Girls,” “Tokyo Vice,” “Take Out With Lisa Ling” and “House of Ho.” The collection also boasts hit movies including “In the Mood for Love,” “Crazy Rich Asians,” “Aquaman” and “Bend It Like Beckham;” as well as Warner Bros. streaming exclusive “Moonshot.” Plus, it will highlight anime and other global animation with a dedicated page that includes content from Studio Ghibli.
HBO Max will launch the Ani-May initiative, which celebrates iconic moments in the genre, as well as fashion from Asian animation, Cartoon Network’s “Adventure Time” and other episodes influenced by anime. “Weathering With You,” an original meditative rainfall video from Makoto Shinkai, will also get a spotlight, and a new Adult Swim episode of “Ambient Swim,” inspired by ’90s anime, will be featured.
The company’s Asian Pacific American Visionaries Short Film Competition also returns for its sixth year. With “Hacks” star Poppy Liu serving as the 2022 ambassador, the APA Visionaries Short Film Competition showcases the work of emerging filmmakers of Asian and Pacific Islander descent.
This year’s theme is “Power of Love,” with submissions centering around Asian Pacific American perceptions of love in their relationships, friendships or families. The top three winning films will premiere at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival on May 6, before launching as part of the AAPI Voices collection on HBO Max, alongside 2021 winners “Neh,” “Lonely Blue Night,” “Fine China,” “Si” and “Unmothered.”
In addition, HBO Max will host special screenings in both Los Angeles and New York City of the winners, with receptions to follow. The L.A. event is inspired by Asian night markets and will host several local Asian Pacific American-owned food vendors and various goods from APA businesses.