‘Street Fighter’ Filmmaker Kitao Sakurai, Netflix’s Jinny Howe and Women of ‘The Pitt’ Set as Honorees for Milestone CAPE Gala

CAPE, the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment, has added more boldfaced names to the program for its milestone 35th anniversary gala.

New to the night — presented by Lexus and set to take place in Downtown Los Angeles this Saturday night, Oct. 3 — are honorees like Street Fighter writer-director Kitao Sakurai, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping actor Ben Wang, the women of The Pitt, senior Netflix executive Jinny Howe and Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Kalikolehua Hurley, along with presenters Auliʻi Cravalho, Nisha Ganatra, Ali Ahn, Sherry Cola, Lilly Singh and Callina Liang. They will all share a stage with previously announced honorees Randall Park and Manny Jacinto, Deli Boys breakout Asif Ali who will host, and indie band Chanpan that will perform.

Leading those new trophies, Sakurai is set to receive a Visionary Award ahead of the Oct. 16 release from Paramount of his video game adaptation starring Noah Centineo, Andrew Koji, Callina Liang, Jason Momoa and David Dastmalchian. Known for his long-running work with pal Eric Andre on his The Eric Andre Show, Sakurai has also directed and executive produced projects like Beef, Dave, Twisted Metal, Bad Trip and Butterfly.

Wang will be feted with CAPE’s Rising Star Award ahead of Lionsgate’s Nov. 20 bow of the latest Hunger Games film from Francis Lawrence. His previous credits include Disney+’s American Born Chinese, Karate Kid: Legends and the dystopian thriller The Long Walk, also helmed by Lawrence.

The Pitt will add to its awards haul with one for the women on the show. They will be represented by executive producer and writer Simran Baidwan as they accept a Radiance Award, delivered by CAPE for the HBO Max hit show’s “achievement in nuanced and diverse representation of Asian and Pacific Islander women and non-binary talent, both on-screen and behind the scenes.” Multiple cast members are expected to join Baidwan at the event.

Howe, who serves as Netflix’s head of scripted series for the U.S. and Canada, has been singled out to receive CAPE’s Decision Maker Award as a tribute to her role in “shaping the television landscape and championing ambitious, culturally resonant storytelling for a global audience.” She’s done so through her influence on the streamer’s hit shows like Beef, Bridgerton, Maid, The Night Agent, The Diplomat, XO, Kitty and more.

Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Hurley, who serves as head of cultural trust, will be feted with a Changemaker Award as she’s credited with bringing “a depth of cultural knowledge and authenticity” to projects like Moana, Moana 2, Raya and the Last Dragon, Encanto, Wish and the live-action Moana and Lilo & Stitch.

Cravalho will present to Hurley, filmmaker Nisha Ganatra will present to Jacinto, Sherry Cola will present to Park, actor Ali Ahn will present to Howe, Lilly Singh will present to Baidwan and The Pitt stars, and actor Callina Liang will fete her filmmaker boss Sakurai. Also on the program, DJ Demonslayer has been tapped to perform at the afterparty. The gala host committee includes Abhijay Prakash, Cravalho, Harry Shum Jr., Hasan Minhaj, Janet Yang, Jenny Yang, Ji-young Yoo, Kelly Hu and Merle Dandridge.

“In this time of industry contraction and budgetary cuts, we are excited to have a moment to celebrate the achievements of our community both behind and in front of the camera,” said CAPE’s executive director and CEO Michelle K. Sugihara. “For our 35th anniversary, we are focused on telling CAPE’s story: the history of the organization, the growth of our industry-leading programs, and the support we’ve received from our community. CAPE has 35 years of achievements to celebrate, and many of the evening’s honorees and featured participants have their own place in CAPE’s history.”

The 35th anniversary event marks CAPE’s first anniversary celebration in a decade. CAPE’s anniversary gala typically takes place every five years but that schedule got upended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This one is presented by Lexus and supported by Sony Pictures Entertainment. Additional support is provided by Suntory Global Spirits, STARZ #TakeTheLead, Amazon MGM Studios, the Walt Disney Company, Netflix, Martell Cognac, East West Bank, and Sechel PR.

The event will feature activations from Suntory Global Spirits, Martell Cognac, Yama Sushi Marketplace, Panda Express, SEAshucked, JOYN, Kola Goodies and the Lounge Booth. In kind donations came from Asian American Girl Club, Passion Planner, Chemist Confessions, Good Molecules, JINS Eyewear, KACE Tea, Mixik Skin, Mizu Labs, Moonbow Skin, Ravanat, Remedy Skin, ROSTR and Rumiville.