2027
FESTIVAL
The MAAFF Team
Who We Are
Va-Megn
Executive Director
Va-Megn is a highly accomplished executive and community leader known for his extensive work in nonprofit management, arts and culture programming, and policy advocacy. His career reflects a powerful blend of artistic vision and community development expertise, particularly in the Twin Cities, Minnesota. Va-Megn is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of AEDA, a nonprofit with significant community impact. With over 20 years of combined experience, he has a proven track record of scaling arts organizations up to $10 million.
Va-Megn’s foundation lies in the arts, holding a degree in film and comparative literature from Indiana University. His filmmaking perspectives often intersect community with creativity. His most recent venture was launching the Minnesota Asian American Film Festival (MAAFF). His exceptional commitment to leadership and community impact has been recognized with multiple Bush Leadership awards. He holds a master's degree in public policy and management from the University of Minnesota's Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs.
Bee Vang
Artistic Director
Bee Vang landed the leading Hmong American role of Thao Vang Lor in Clint Eastwood’s film, Gran Torino. He went on to perform in independent films and on stage at Brown University and Shanghai Theatre Academy, where he earned a liberal arts degree in international politics, philosophy, and cultural theory in 2016. Over several years of working in broadcast and print journalism, nonfiction writing, and policy research, he has continued to pursue acting, filmmaking, and other creative work in Los Angeles and Minnesota. He has recently appeared on major Asian American stages in NYC at Pan Asian Repertory and in Los Angeles at the Democracy Center of the Japanese American National Museum ("Your Movie Guide to Life").
