2025 UMFF "Work With Asian" Panel
TOPICS: Asian has a huge boost to the production and success of domestic films. Asian film revenues have grown by 15% a year for the past 10 years. Asian Film Projects are looking for Western filmmakers to participate in their movies. A window of opportunity has opened for the Western directors, screenwriters, Scrip doctors, cinema photographers, musical composters, Animators, actors, etc. Come to meet the delegations of Asian investors, producers, directors, and find out the pitfalls, common misunderstandings, and industry myths for working with the Asian films. The panelists will attempt to address these issues during the discussion.
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Time: 2:00-3:30PM; June 21, 2025 Location: McTaggart Hall in Fred Hesse Park (29301 Hawthorne Blvd, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275); Admission by Panel Pass.
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The Panel Speakers
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Gary Nguyen - Actor Gary Nguyen born Vy Thien Nguyen, he is a Vietnamese American actor. He moved to the US when he was 17, currently resides in San Diego, California. When he was young, he always enjoyed arts such as singing, acting and voiceover. He caught the acting bug very late after trying out a few background jobs and commercials. He is passion about pop cultures and seeking to be in more projects in the future.
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Trevor Morgan Doyle - Director/Producer Trevor Doyle is an award-winning producer whose career began while working as a reindeer herder near the Norwegian border of Lapland. A former archaeologist, he directed his first documentary, In The Shadow of Pallas, about Finnish Winter War evacuees during a sabbatical from the Finnish National Board of Antiquities. He is best known for producing Mongolia’s 2019 Oscar and Golden Globe entry The Steed and Finland’s first superhero film Rendel: Dark Vengeance, both receiving international acclaim. His recent work includes Travesty, which premiered at the Busan International Film Festival, and the 2023 SXSW Midnighters hit Aberrance, a Mongolian horror/thriller. Trevor’s experience spans roles from grip to DIT, cameraman to line producer. He has worked on notable films such as Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Khan, Disturbia, and Hound Dog. As a technical director for the Spanish-language show En Familia, he supported migrant communities through media training. He continues to produce and consult on projects across Australia, India, Finland, Mongolia, Japan, and the U.S. A U.S. Army combat veteran, Trevor hails from Southern California and has studied in Los Angeles, New York City, Massachusetts, Idaho, Oregon, and Finland.
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Gary Sugai - Actor
Mr. Gary Sugai is a well-trained east coast actor living & working in Los Angeles. Recently his work has included (Trapped in Motion 2023, Love & Trust 2020, Keeping Cool 2020). He is a first-generation Japanese/American with a Filipino mix. I was reborn in a local theater in NYC established 2000. With a love of legit theater, his favorite works include "Royal Hunt of the Sun” to "Scrooge the Musical" Mr. Sugai wanted to furthering his craft, & career by moving up to plays in New York City. On this life journey Gary study in New York with lots of training and enjoyed Meisner Technique with David Newer at William Esper Studios and the Neighborhood Playhouse with James Brill. In 2019 with nine years of training and lots of plays Gary wanted to move forward into Film and Television and he moved west to LA where he trained at the Brian Cutler Actor's Studio in Los Angeles, JIG Reel Studios with Newton Mayenge, and James Ciccone's Studio in NYC. In the same year meeting with Stephen Snyder who helped advance my acting career tremendously here in LA. Celebrating his 3rd year with Shawn Brogan at the Brogan Agency, he is seriously working to further his career by building more relationships and promoting his work in the industry. Currently, he is still attending the Brian Cutler Actor's Studio in Los Angles, Scene Study with Newton Mayenge at JIG Reels studio, and James Ciccone Actor's Studio in NYC via Zoom to keep his actor skills sharp and into place. He recently read for several casting directors who have called me in more than once including Sunny @ Morman-Boling Casting, Dean E Fronk @ Pemrick-Fronk Casting, and Lisa Pantone Casting Director. Recently, Gary Sugai completed two projects in 2025 which are "Rock On! Band Beauty in Disguise" and "Dhar Mann Bonus".
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Alexa Khan - Actress/Producer Alexa Khan is a Mongolian born, American actress and producer. Khan grew up on stage in Mongolia and has loved the performing arts since she was a child. When Alexa moved to Los Angeles, she immersed herself in the acting methods of Sanford Meisner and Stella Addler at the Ruskin School of Acting. She has since performed on stage, as well as in numerous shorts and feature films. Her ability to portray elegance with power and strength with grace has landed her parts in several films. Her recent feature film roles include the heroic shamanic medium, Zara in the psychological thriller The Chain, also a frantic and tragic alien captain in the children's sci-fi adventure, A World Away featuring Rowan Blanchard
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Yin Dawei - Director The famous director Yin Dawei is known as the ceiling-level director of Chinese opera films. Main director works: "Butterfly", "Beijing Police Squad", "Ma Mingfeng Xiao Xiao", "Angels Guarding Life", "Pearl of the Night", "Mrs.Yeah“ "Mama Gu", "Angel Wings", "Looking for Lei Feng", "Little Queen Zhou", "A Cup of Fate", "Father, Father" "Rocket Quail", "The Tambourine that Becomes the Sun", "Sansan", "Moving House", "An'e", "The Legend of White Snake", "Jiangnan Rain", etc. He has won: TV drama Feitian Award, Golden Eagle Award, movie Golden Rooster Award, etc. He was the Jury of Cannes International Film Festival, France; Judge of the American International Film Festival,USA and Jury of Venice International Film Festival, Italy.
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