Anime Expo 2024: Executive Director of CAPE, Michelle Sugihara Talks With Anime Herald

Note: Due to the time-sensitive nature of our coverage, this article will debut on the main Anime Herald site on September 27. We apologize for the inconvenience.

• Interviewer: Seth Burn

• Interview Date: 7/6/2024

Anime Herald: From my perspective, inclusion and diversity in entertainment has three facets:

• Actors

• Writers

• Executives

Actors provide visibility. To see one’s culture represented on the screen.

Writers provide a voice and tell the stories.

As for executives, there are a lot of scripts floating around in Hollywood, and a lot of competition for which projects get greenlit. It’s helpful to have a seat at the table where those decisions get made.

Accordingly, CAPE has created fellowships, the CAPE New Writers Fellowship, and the CAPE Leaders Fellowship. Can you talk about what CAPE is looking for in candidates for these fellowships and how one applies for them?

Michelle Sugihara: CAPE's fellowships for writers and executives are our one-two punch for getting our communities' stories told in Hollywood.

We started with writers over twelve years ago because representation starts on the page. The CAPE New Writers Fellowship is the only industry pathway program created and run by both a showrunner and a creative executive. It is geared toward TV writers who have never been staffed and the goal is to launch their TV writing careers. It's one of the most successful programs of its kind with our alumni having been staffed on over 70 shows across every major streamer and network, including Grey’s Anatomy, Lord of the Rings, House of the Dragon, The Acolyte, Pachinko, Fargo, The Good Doctor, Lovecraft Country, NCIS, FBI: Most Wanted, Good Trouble, Nancy Drew, You’re the Worst, Dave, The Night Agent, Sunny, Fresh Off the Boat, Doogie Kamealoha, and many more.

This year, we expanded our sights to the top of the writer vertical and launched a Showrunners Incubator, powered by STARZ and led by Showrunner Melinda Hsu. Showrunners are the highest-level creatives on a television show and they guide the vision. Requiring both top-notch writing ability, as well as effective management skills, it might well be one of the hardest jobs in Hollywood.

Eight years ago, we turned our attention to the other end of the content development spectrum - the creative executives. These are the people with the power to greenlight and shepherd our stories to the screen. The CAPE Leaders Fellowship is geared toward mid-level creative executives in the manager or director levels seeking to break into the VP ranks and beyond. It's the only program of its kind and so far we've had 40 promotions at companies such as Netflix, Amazon Studios, NBCUniversal, The Walt Disney Company, Marvel, Hulu, Paramount, and others.

In a beautiful effort to extend the executive pathway, alumni from our CAPE Leaders Fellowship co-founded and co-lead the CAPE Emerging Executives Committee (CEEC) for assistants and coordinators. We are heading into our second year of that program.

People can learn more about our Fellowships and apply on our website www.capeusa.org.

Anime Herald: How did CAPE become affiliated with the SPJA and Anime Expo?

Michelle Sugihara: I moderated the Little Tokyo nonprofits panel last year at Anime Expo, which was my first time at the Expo.

CAPE was invited to be a collaborator this year and to program an AAPIs in Entertainment panel through Arina Kim who we met through our previous collaboration with KCON. This year, CAPE'S panel featured John Aoshima, Co-Director, Ultraman: Rising; Pingi Moli, Stunt Performer, Rebel Moon; Prathi Srinivasan, Screenwriter, Titans; and Toshi Toda, Actor, Shogun.

It's always a joy to be part of Anime Expo and to be amidst the throngs of anime fans and supporters.

Anime Herald: What advice would you give to high school or college students looking to join the entertainment industry?

Do it! There are all kinds of different jobs in the entertainment industry. Being in school is great because you can often do internships for credit. My first real introduction to the entertainment industry was an internship at Jerry Bruckheimer Films while I was in college. If you live close enough to LA or New York in particular, join organizations like CAPE or others and attend events. If you live outside of those areas, there are still things you can do, such as attending local film festivals or joining online events. CAPE and Antigravity Academy host free online sessions about various topics in entertainment called Satellite Sessions. People can watch previously recorded sessions and sign up for future sessions as they occur. Follow CAPE on Instagram @capeusa for the latest news and events.

Anime Herald: Can you talk about the Julia S. Gouw short film challenge? How does one apply and what is CAPE looking for from the applicants?

Michelle Sugihara: For far too long, Hollywood has been an insular, exclusive club...and somewhat of a “boys’ club” at that. A recent USC Annenberg study found only 0.2% of directors were API women. Thus, a few years ago, Julia S. Gouw and Janet Yang (Emmy Award- and Golden Globe-winning Hollywood producer and President of the Motion Picture Academy) set out to change that narrative and they invited CAPE to join them.

The Julia S. Gouw Short Film Challenge for API Women & Non-Binary Filmmakers is a first-of-its-kind program to provide short film production grants of $25,000 each to four filmmakers. Moreover, 8-12 finalists (including the four grantees) are granted access to networking opportunities, including screenings and a 1-day work retreat featuring a curated series of panels, fireside chats, and workshop sessions to advance their filmmaking goals, collaborate with one another, and connect with API industry titans in an intimate setting. One of the films premiered at Sundance, was long-listed for an Oscar, and screened at the White House. Two of the winners are also actively developing their shorts into feature films. We are now entering Year 3.

Anime Herald: CAPE has partnered with Sony to create the CAPE Animation Directors Accelerator. How do people apply for this program and what is CAPE looking for from the applicants?

Michelle Sugihara: If you look at the end credits of any animation project, you are likely to see a lot of Asian names...but very few in the director role. At CAPE, we strategically focus on the painpoints in the industry - where are the voids and where can we make the most impact? A few years ago, we could only count a handful of Asian/Asian American animation directors, and CAPE and Sony set out to change that by launching the CAPE Animation Directors Accelerator (CADA). We had an initial global cohort with animators from the US, Canada, and India. Our alumni have worked on Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse; Ultraman: Rising; K-Pop: Demon Hunters; Big City Greens; Futurama; Steven Universe; DC League of Super-Pets; and many others. We are looking for people interested in ascending to the animation director's chair.

Anime Herald: CAPE does consulting with various networks and studios. Can you share any specific examples of how CAPE has influenced or molded a project?

Michelle Sugihara: CAPE has consulted on hundreds of television, film, and video game projects in various stages from early script consulting and staffing through marketing and promotion. We have even consulted on Halloween costumes, merch, PSAs, and social media content. We approach our consulting work as partnerships and address any issue through conversation and understanding rather than through a prescriptive, censorship lens. We encourage reaching out to us as early in the process as possible, so we can flag any potential issues early and propose suggested solutions or pivots before things get too difficult or expensive to change. We are also part of Storyline Partners, which is a collective of nonprofits working in the narrative change consulting space regarding media representation of issues ranging from immigrant status, abortion, climate change, caregiving, and many others.

Anime Herald: Are there any projects that CAPE is currently promoting that you’d like to share with our readers?

Michelle Sugihara: Gosh, there are so many! We do a regular roundup in our newsletters, which people can sign up for on our website. Among many others, CAPE is excited for the next season of Bridgerton. It was recently announced that the cast will include Yerin Ha, Katie Leung, Michelle Mao, and Isabella Wei. We also encourage everyone to watch Sean Wang's Dìdi, which is still in theaters and on demand. We're also looking forward to Interior Chinatown.

Anime Herald: RADIANCE came together fairly quickly in 2023, and had quite a glow up with more time to prepare in 2024. Can you share the backstory of RADIANCE and what we can look forward to in the future?

Michelle Sugihara: Julia Gouw, the generous and dedicated uplifter of Asian and Pacific Islander women, noticed that there were no entertainment-related events celebrating them during National Women's History Month in March. She suggested that CAPE hold a fundraiser to spotlight the achievements of API Women and Non-Binary people in entertainment and Radiance was born. Oftentimes, the invisible labor and hard work of female-identifying people goes unnoticed or unrecognized, and Radiance became the perfect platform to give these incredible people their flowers. We've been able to celebrate people both in front of and behind the camera who have been doing amazing work for years and who more people need to know about including journalist Rebecca Sun; attorney Sophia Yen; costume designer Shirley Kurata; Showrunners Dana Ledoux Miller, Melinda Hsu and Georgia Lee; rep Priya Satiani; and director Fawn Veerasunthorn, as well as many on-screen talent including Ming-Na Wen; Sandra Oh; Tati Gabrielle; Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja; Sarayu Blue; and many others.

We are looking forward to our third Radiance event in March 2025 and will be returning to the beautiful Ebell of Los Angeles, which, as a women-led and women-centered nonprofit founded in 1894, is the perfect mission-aligned venue.

Anime Herald: Finally, is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?

Michelle Sugihara: Thank you so much for supporting the work CAPE does to increase API career opportunities and enhance the stories Hollywood tells about the API communities. To learn more, check out our website at www.capeusa.org or follow us on Instagram at @capeusa.