41st Anniversary Gala: United in Action

The 2024 Public Image Award will be bestowed to veteran entertainment executive Fritz Friedman (he/him) for his decades-long commitment to celebrating AAPI representation. Award-winning actor Lou Diamond Phillips (he/him) will present Friedman with his award.

Friedman (he/him) is President of The Fritz Friedman Company, a production and strategic marketing communications company based in Los Angeles and San Diego. He is also a Commissioner for Arts and Culture for the City of San Diego and a Board Member of California Humanities. At Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, he held the position of Senior Vice President of Worldwide Publicity and Corporate Communications for two divisions: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE) and Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions. Friedman has a long history of philanthropic and civil rights activities, including lobbying efforts to help gain benefits for more than 18,000 Filipino Veterans of World War II. For this, the Philippine Government gave him a Presidential Citation, which President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo awarded at Malacanang Palace in Manila. He was also a member of the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs, Chair of the Vassar College Asian Pacific Islander Alumni Association, and the co-founder and President Emeritus of The Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE), the largest entertainment organization for Asian Americans in the world.

Lou Diamond Phillips (he/him) starred in the FOX series “Prodigal Son,” having previously starred on the acclaimed Netflix series, “Longmire,” based on the Walt Longmire mystery novels by Craig Johnson. Other credits include NBC’s Quantum Leap, Amazon’s “Goliath,” FX’s “You’re the Worst,” CBS’ “Blue Bloods,” and recurring roles on Fox’s “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” and Netflix’s “The Ranch.” He received an Emmy nomination for “Outstanding Actor in a Short Form Drama or Comedy” for his roles in both Amazon’s “Conversations in LA” and History Channel’s “Crossroads of History.”

Recent film credits include DC’s Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths, the Amblin feature “Easter Sunday,” Warner Brothers’ “The 33,” “Created Equal” directed by Bill Duke, and Sundance Festival favorite “Filly Brown,” for which he was named Best Actor at the Imagen Awards.

As a director, Phillips recently helmed episodes of CBS’s “All Rise”,  FOX’s “The Cleaning Lady” and “Prodigal Son,” AMC’s hit series “Fear the Walking Dead,” “Longmire,” and ABC’s Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Phillips is also an author. His novel “The Tinderbox: Soldier of Indira,” with illustrations by his wife Yvonne, was published in October 2020. He has co-written the screenplays for ‘Trespasses,’ and HBO’s ‘Dangerous Touch.’ He wrote the Miramax feature ‘Ambition.’ He produced his play ‘Burning Desire,’ a romantic comedy in two acts, which received its world premiere at The Seven Angels Theatre in Waterbury, Connecticut. Phillips was also asked by his good friend, novelist Craig Johnson, to write the forward to his collection of short stories ‘Wait For Signs.’

Originally born in the Philippines, Phillips was raised in Texas and is a graduate of University of Texas at Arlington with a BFA in Drama.

Kimmy Maniquis (she/her/siya) is the Executive Director of SIPA and comes with a 25-year career serving youth. Her academic background in Ethnic Studies brought her to organizations where she led Filipino American Experiences classes and led racial justice and health equity work with youth. Kimmy has artistic roots as a dancer and choreographer with Kaba Modern, Culture Shock Oakland and LA. She lives in Long Beach with her partner Percy, their children Isagani and Elyas and is a former Ethics Commissioner for the City.

Jennifer Paz (she/her/hers) is an award-winning actor, writer, and producer whose notable credits include Miss Saigon, Flower Drum Song, Les Miserables, and is also known as the voice of Lapis Lazuli on the Emmy Award-winning, Peabody Award Winning, GLAAD MEDIA Award winning cult series Steven Universe. As a screenwriter, she won the 2021 Outstanding Screenplays TV Pilot competition for her original comedy Proud Marys for which she was subsequently awarded a Frank Young Fund Writers Residency Grant to develop as a musical. Proud Marys is an official selection for the National Alliance of Musical Theatre 36th Annual Festival of New Musicals and will be presented in New York City later this month (Oct. 24 & 25). She is a passionate advocate for women of color led initiatives, and stories that amplify mental health advocacy for young people.

Best known as Top 4th place finalist on Season Four’s American Idol (2005), Anthony Fedorov (he/him/his) has since found success as a songwriter, producer, and performer on the musical stage. His notable stage credits include RENT, and The Fantasticks both off-Broadway, as well as various regional and International productions in the title role of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and most recently Love Actually, LIVE! at the Wallis in Beverly Hills. As a songwriter, Anthony has written for artists including Britain’s Got Talent winner Jai McDowell (2011) and has numerous releases and song placements with frequent collaborator Latin Grammy® Award Winning producing partner Jeeve Ducornet. With a passion for social justice, Anthony Fedorov has written original commissioned songs for National Campaigns including “Our Story is One” for the BIC – Baha’i International Community, “Enough is Enough” for Moms Demand Action, and “The Power of a Girl”  for The Mona Foundation. As a composer he has several musicals in development including Proud Marys and An Untitled Miserable Jets Fan Story with collaborator-wife Jennifer Paz. Both titles recently received development support with the prestigious Johnny Mercer Foundation Writers Grove at Goodspeed Musicals (the birthplace of Annie, among many other beloved American musicals).