HBO have selected filmmakers Julie Zhan, So Young Shelly Yo and Nirav Bhakta as finalists for the third annual Asian Pacific American Visionaries short film competition.

The competition adds to Hollywood’s changing landscape of inclusion and representation of marginalized voices by showcasing cinematic storytellers of Asian and Pacific Islander descent. Zhan’s Zoetic, Yo’s Moonwalk With Me and Bhakta’s Halwa will premiere at the 2019 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival in May.

“HBO is committed to uplifting the next generation of APA storytellers, talent and entertainment community at large,” said Jackie Gagne, VP Multicultural Marketing at HBO. “The recent surge in Asian American visibility is only the beginning and we hope this competition serves to continue this incredible momentum in Hollywood.”

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“HBO Visionaries continues to provide a platform for the community to not only tell authentic stories, but shine a spotlight on all these amazing creatives,” adds Sujata Day, APA Visionaries 2019 Ambassador. “It’s exciting to see HBO’s investment in the community by giving emerging directors a chance to be in the limelight.”

The finalists were selected from hundreds of submissions and were judged by a distinguished panel of HBO executives, industry leaders and fellow APA filmmakers. The three winning films touched on the subject of developing relationships and its complexities through the modern Asian American lens.

Read more about the finalists and their films below.