Running from March 14-24,
CAAMFest#
is set to hit the Bay Area with an explosion of film, food, music and more from some of the most innovative Asian and Asian American artists. Organized by the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM), CAAMFest, formerly the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, has something for everybody, from film premieres to terracotta warriors, food tastings to live music.
Among the highlights of the 10 day event are the San Francisco premiere of Linsanity, a documentary tracing the rise of NBA phenomenon Jeremy Lin directed by Evan Jackson Leong. Coming off its premiere at Sundance, Linsanity is the first documentary to open the festival in over a decade.
Following the screening, guests will take part in the Opening Night Gala reception at the Asian Art Museum, featuring culinary treats from Distillery 209, Dosa, Namu Gaji, Serpentine, and Socola Chocolates. Guests will also get an exclusive glimpse of the Museum's exhibition of China's Terracotta Warriors.
10 days later, the event concludes with the launch of Memories To Light, CAAM's new home movies initiative that aims to recover and give the public access to a library of the Asian American experience. Closing night selection "The War Inside," by filmmaker Mark Decena, features 60 years of home movies collected for the initiative thus far by CAAM.
Additional highlights of the festival include:
Dosa Hunt#
+ New Directions
CAAM's New Directions launch features the West Coast premiere of Dosa Hunt, a set by Indian Bastards from Hell, a menu created by Café Asia, and local food trucks. The New Directions segment continues with Directions In Sound -- featuring Dengue Fever, Jhameel and Vinroc -- and CAAM Cook Salons, bringing out local chefs Thy Tran, Pawaan Kothari, Lisa Murphy, and Wendi Lieu.
Midnight's Children#
Coming off its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, CAAMFest will present director Deepa Mehta's rendition of the classic novel by Salman Rushdie.
The Monkey King: Uproar in Heaven 3D (Out of the Vaults)#
An eye-popping animation created by hand from over 130,000 ink drawings and featuring a soundtrack inspired by Peking Opera, this film -- based on the Chinese story Journey to the West -- is a painstaking restoration of the film originally released several months before the outbreak of the Cultural Revolution, a stunning work of animation and storytelling.
Ready, Set, Pitch!#
Select media producers get a chance to pitch ideas to a jury of professionals, with the winning pitch receiving a CAAM challenge grant.
Memory of Forgotten War#
Produced by Deann Borshay Liem and Ramsay Liem, this film and discussion concerns the Korean War, "The Forgotten War."
Ticket Information#
Excluding special events, panels, galas and special screenings, advanced general admission tickets are $12. Students, Seniors (65+), and disabled adults are $11. Tickets for Center for Asian American Media members are $10 (limit 2 per person per ID).
Film venues include the New People Cinema and Sundance Kabuki Cinema in Japantown, San Francisco; the Pacific Film Archive in Berkeley; the Castro Theatre in the Castro; and the Great Star Theatre in Chinatown.