Cecilio Asuncion

Cecilio Asuncion
Born
Manila, Philippines
NationalityFilipino-American
Occupation(s)Director, producer, filmmaker
Years active2012–present

Cecilio "Cece" Asuncion is a Filipino-American director, producer, filmmaker and executive.[1] He is the founder, owner and director of Slay Model Management in Los Angeles.[2]

Background

Originally from Manila,[3] Asuncion attended Ateneo De Manila Grade School and High School. He started his career by being an assistant production designer for television commercials under the tutelage of Gayl Vicente doing work for clients such as Johnson's Baby Powder, Hallmark cards, and San Miguel Beer. He also did production design work on a music video for the artist Jaya.

Asuncion is the recipient of the 2012 Outstanding Filipino-American award for LGBT advocacy.[4][5]

Asuncion has spoken at several Universities and public events including New York University, Stanford University, PACE University, San Francisco State University, and the University of Colorado at Boulder.[6]

He was a presenter at the Global Beauty Awards and Miss Teen USA 2018, featured in commercial for Tinder, and judged the Miss New Mexico USA Pageant, along with being a preliminary judge for the 2017 Miss Universe Pageant.[7][8] In 2018, became the franchise owner and director of Miss Supranational USA.[9]

Thigh High Productions

Asuncion is a partner with Joshua Jones and Brian Anderson in Thigh High Productions, LLC.[10] Together they created and co-produced Strut on Oxygen Network, What’s The T?, a documentary focused on five transgender women,[11][12] and the documentary, Sayaw, a film that celebrates Philippine folk dance. THP has also produced commercial videos.

What's The T?

What’s the T?, edited by Israel Luna and released in 2014, is a documentary that explores the challenges, successes, and lives of five transgender women.[13][14]

The film was an official selection of several film festivals including the Vegas Indie Film Fest, SoHo International Film Festival, Pensacola Lesbian & Gay Film Festival,[15] Portland Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, Cinema Diverse Gay & Lesbian Film Festival in Palm Springs, Asians on Film Festival in Hollywood,[16] and Frameline Film Festival in San Francisco.[17] The film was voted Festival Favorite Cinema Diverse at the Palm Springs LGBT International Film Festival.

Strut

THP's partnership on Strut, with 44 Blue Productions and Whoopi Goldberg,[18] included Asuncion as a cast participant,[19] following his work as the director for Slay Model Management,[20] the world's first transgender model agency.[21] The project won the 2017 GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Reality Series.[22]

Awards and recognition

  • 2017 – GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Reality Series
  • 2012 – Outstanding Filipino American Award for LGBT Advocacy

References

  1. ^ "FOUNDER OF TRANS MODELING AGENCY SAYS TRANS WOMEN 'SAVED ME'" Archived 2018-04-10 at the Wayback Machine Oxygen. Retrieved 2018-04-10.
  2. ^ "Meet the world's first transgender modeling agency" Fortune. Retrieved 2018-04-10.
  3. ^ "Two Pinoys in US produce film on transgenders" GMA News. Retrieved 2013-3-21.
  4. ^ "Congratulations to all the TOFA-NY 2012 Winners" Retrieved 2013-3-21.
  5. ^ "New York fetes 12 Outstanding Fil-Ams" Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 2014-3-21.
  6. ^ "Fil-Am producer, 5 others to select Top 15 bets in Miss Universe" Tempo. Retrieved 2018-04-10.
  7. ^ "Fil-Am modeling director to judge Miss Universe 2017 preliminary competition" Rappler. Retrieved 2018-04-10.
  8. ^ "Fil-Am Trans Model Agent Cece Asuncion on Being Chosen as Miss Universe 2017 Judge" Preen. Retrieved 2018-04-10.
  9. ^ "Fil-Am modeling director is new Miss Supranational U.S. franchise owner" Rappler. Retrieved 2018-04-10.
  10. ^ "Meet Cecilio Asuncion: The Fil-Am Owner of a Transgender Modeling Agency and GLAAD Awardee" Preen. Retrieved 2018-04-10.
  11. ^ "Beyond Transition: Documentaries Capture Rich, Complex Transgender Lives" Huffington Post. Retrieved 2013-3-21.
  12. ^ "Out Attractions: What’s The T?" Archived 2014-03-22 at the Wayback Machine Our Hollywood. Retrieved 2013-3-21.
  13. ^ "L.A. Outfest: Bridging the Hollywood Gap for Latino Filmmakers" Archived 2014-01-04 at the Wayback Machine Adelante. Retrieved 2013-3-21.
  14. ^ "What’s the T?, A New Film Documentary Film, Follows the Lives of Five Transgender Women" Gay Calgary. Retrieved 2013-3-21.
  15. ^ "Movies that Matter" Archived 2014-03-22 at the Wayback Machine IN Weekly. Retrieved 2014-3-21.
  16. ^ "Pinoy filmmakers stand out at Asians on Film Festival" Archived 2014-03-22 at the Wayback Machine Asian Journal. Retrieved 2013-3-21.
  17. ^ "The Truth About the New Documentary, 'What’s The T?'" Progressive Pulse. Retrieved 2013-3-21.
  18. ^ "STRUT Isn't the "Trans Top Model" but It's Addictive Nonetheless" TV Guide. Retrieved 2018-04-10.
  19. ^ "Oxygen's Trans Reality Show 'Strut' to Debut in September" NBC News. Retrieved 2018-04-10.
  20. ^ "Md. native Isis King steps into new reality show 'Strut'" Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2018-04-10.
  21. ^ "All-Transgender Modeling Agency Set to Launch" The Advocate. Retrieved 2018-04-10.
  22. ^ "Debra Messing, Daily Show among winners at GLAAD Media Awards" Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2018-04-10.