“Crazy Rich Asians”

Photo credit: Kris Tripplaar

The 2025 Motion Picture Association’s Awards event celebrated the creators, protectors and champions of the industry that this year honored Jon “M.” Chu, Senator Chris Coons, Representative Darrell Issa, Senator John Thune and National Intellectual Property Rights Center Director Ivan Arvelo. The evening carried the hum of power brokers – Senators and studio chiefs mingling like old friends at a Georgetown salon.

“What we see tonight reflects the very best of the Motion Picture Association. This is the place that has been for the last hundred & three years where Washington meets Hollywood, where policy makers and filmmakers meet each other, where public servants meet impactful storytellers,” said Rivkin who welcomed the guests. “It’s here that we celebrate directors who make us want to sing and dance, and the creative workforce that takes us on journeys around the world and over the rainbow, the incredible stories and the casts and crews who bring them along.”

Amb. Charles Rivkin

He thanked and awarded the honorees, but all eyes turned to Jon “M.” Chu though—the director who made movie musicals cool again and proved that spectacle can have soul.

When Rivkin took the stage to honor Chu, the room leaned in. Here was a filmmaker who had taught Hollywood that joy could be cinematic currency—whether through the kinetic swagger of Step Up, the pop-fueled hysteria of Never Say Never, or the champagne-soaked glitter of Crazy Rich Asians – the opulent, history-making rom-com that reminded the industry—and the world—that representation could be both revolutionary and wildly entertaining.

As Chu accepted the award, applause rang from a constellation of industry leaders. It wasn’t just recognition; it felt like a coronation. In that moment, Jon “M.” Chu stood less as a Hollywood director than as a cultural maestro, a storyteller who leaves audiences humming long after the credits roll. He accepted the honor with the same quiet confidence that defines his work.

Jon “M.” Chu and Charles Rivkin

Rivkin took us for a quick look at Jon behind the scenes:

“3, 2, 1, action. Director, filmmaker, visionary  – Jon’s projects tell stories that transport us from the heart of Washington Heights to the streets of Singapore, from the stage of Madison Square Garden to the land of Oz and beyond. His films have been nominated for Oscars, Golden Globes, SAG awards and more. He’s left his imprint on fans and moviegoers everywhere. Thankfully for us, he’s just getting started and we’ll get to go dancing through life wherever he takes us. The Motion Picture Association is proud to honor John “M.” Chu with a 2025 MPA Creator Award.”

Jon “M.” Chu and Charles Rivkin

“Just a quick story before I really jump in,” said Chu.  “Coming to DC, I didn’t realize how much it would affect me. My wife and I  took a walk on the mall and there’s something about this place, this ‘Dreams of America’ that my parents put in us that is so beautiful, and no matter what’s happening in the world, when you see the White House, when you see the mall, when you see Lincoln, it really stirs something in you.

Courage can be contagious and as members of the MPA, you practice this every day as you fight for the people of this industry. When you see someone dare to operate at the highest level of their creativity, it inspires you to stretch further and dream bigger, maybe more than you know. So together we can achieve things that none of us could have done alone and for good.

My parents, of course, who came to this country with so much belief in the American dream that I as the youngest of five, believed I could do anything, including going to the most American business. There is show business and it worked. The American dream is real and most importantly, to my wife, who’s the only reason it is all possible. She has given birth to our five children in the last eight years. No twins.  She reminds me every day what really matters – each other,  the biggest source of my courage. Thank you to the MPA for this incredible award.”