Bruce Lee is a Hollywood and martial arts legend who broke through historic barriers in cultural representation for Asian Americans.
50 years after his tragic death in 1973, he continues to be a major influence in martial arts, and in film and TV.
His pivotal role in battling racial stereotypes and discrimination in the global entertainment industry is enduring.
Born in Hong Kong, he studied philosophy at the University of Washington, and was a consummate cultural connector, whose unique martial arts style, career, and philosophy of life epitomized the global cultural flows between East and West.
His daughter Shannon Lee, continues his legacy as Chair of the Bruce Lee Foundation, and is executive producer of HBO Max series Warrior.
A crime drama set in the late 19th century during the brutal Chinatown wars in San Francisco, Warrior is full of vivid fight choreography as well as gritty narratives that speak to the political climate of the period, in particular, the simmering racial tensions and anti-Asian sentiment in America.
The show is based on an original concept and treatment for the show Shannon found in her father’s journals.
Bruce Lee’s original notes envisioned an opportunity for himself to portray a nuanced and multi-faceted Chinese American hero of a western martial arts television series.
Deemed too progressive for the 1970s, the project never launched.
As fans around the world mark the 50th anniversary of Bruce Lee’s death, his daughter, Shannon, will reflect on his legacy in her keynote presentation for the inaugural East by Northwest (EXNW) Summit.
As executive producer of Warrior, Shannon will speak to how the platform for diverse narratives in Hollywood has grown since her father’s heyday, and the systemic challenges that still face racialized creators and members of the entertainment industry.
She will also share how Warrior, with its mostly Asian cast and producers, makes a reality of Bruce Lee’s vision for more complex and authentic portrayals of and productions led by Asian-Americans in Hollywood.
East by Northwest (EXNW) is a new global summit launched by the Racial Equity Screen Office (RESO) and is where the creative world comes together to catalyze the development of creative content and storytelling by racialized creators and create a more inclusive and equitable future.
This groundbreaking new gathering is a bold first step in building a new space for people across the entertainment industry to engage with and focus on racialized content producers and creatives and the unique possibilities for sharing and telling their stories to the world.
Shannon’s keynote address on Saturday, July 29th, is presented in collaboration with Gold House, the leading Asian Pacific cultural ecosystem that unites, invests in, and champions Asian Pacific and other marginalized content creators and companies.
Taking place at the glittering JW Marriott Parq Hotel in Vancouver, the 3-day EXNW Summit will also feature additional keynotes by Gold House co-founders Bing Chen and Jeremy Tran and multidisciplinary panels featuring panelists from Toronto, Montreal, and across Canada.
The summit will also host an evening gala, the EXNW Ball, featuring BIPOC fashion designs, notable personalities, and honour BIPOC Canadian entertainment industry luminaries.
For more information, the full lineup of speakers, and to buy tickets, visit exnw.org and follow on social media:
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