CAAMFest adapts to social distance requirements by going online; watch for free

'I Will Make You Mine' opens the reimagined CAAMFest.

ASAM NEWS

The social distancing rules necessary to fight the spread of the coronavirus has forced the Center for Asian American Media to alter its usual film festival format.

CAAMFest will celebrate its 40th film festival by going virtual and rebranding to CAAMFest Online: Heritage at Home featuring over 20 digital events, ranging from online film screenings to interactive panels, watch parties, and house parties featuring live performances, all free of charge. The San Francisco Bay Area event will now be available online for the world to enjoy.

The film festival opens with Lynn Chen’s long-awaited completion of her Surrogate Valentine trilogy, I Will Make You Mine on May 13. The feature film is about three women wrestling over the same man while dealing with the baggage of past relationships and the difficulties of everyday life.

The festival closes May 22 with the 10th anniversary showing of Filipino American filmmaker H.P. Mendoza’s Fruit Fly. The musical comedy highlights what it means to be gay and Asian in the Hispanic neighborhood of San Francisco’s Mission District. The virtual audience will be encouraged to participate in the sing-a-long version of the film, which features 18 original songs by the director.

CAAMFest will also showcase a performance from the San Francisco-based musician Ruby Ibarra on May 19. The performance from the rapper and spoken word artist will be followed by a sit-down discussion.

The following day on May 20 there will be an interview with filmmaker Alice Wu whose film,  The Half of It premiered on Netflix and is available for streaming today (May 1).

In all, there will be more than 20 digital events. For information about how to register and a full schedule of performances and events, go to CAAMFest.com.

Views From the Edge contributed to this report.

TGIF Feature: CAAMFest is more than just film; 'Crazy Ricih Asians' director added to schedule

Director Jon M. Chu will be at CAAMFest to talk about his upcocming movie 'Crazy Rich Asians.'

A CONVERSATION with Jon M. Chu, director of Crazy Rich Asians, has been added to the chockful schedule of this year's two-week long CAAMFest, a potpourri of film, food, music and history.

Chu, is currently winding up post-production of the highly anticipated Crazy Rich Asians,the first Hollywood studio movie featuring an all-Asian and Asian/American cast in 25 years. Chu will be on stage at Hotel Kabuki at 6 p.m. on May 13. He will talk about the behind-the-scenes stories about this summer’s star-studded blockbuster and the significance being given to representation of Asian/Americans onscreen.

The Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) is presenting the 36th annual CAAMFest taking place from May 10-24, 2018 in the San Francisco Bay Area. This year's theme "Culture in Every Sense," seeks to lead the changing nature of film festival programming,

This year, “we wanted to really elevate the immersive experience between culture and community,” says Festival Director Masashi Niwano. 

In addition to including four additional days of programming during its move to May that coincides with Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, CAAMFest36 broadens the festival to include even more ways to convey cultural experience through the world’s most innovative Asian and Asian American artists. 

This year’s festival theme is emphasized throughout the program with expanded music and food sections, a virtual reality project that is also produced by CAAM, and a special closing night performance by Bay Area native, playwright and performing artist Brenda Wong Aoki.

The festival kicked off Thursday, (May 10) with a documentary and tribute to Norman Mineta, 86, has had a long career of political firsts: ffirst Asian/American mayor of a major U.S. city, first Japanese/American member of Congress from the mainland  San Jose mayor, and first Asian/American to serve on a Presidential Cabinet.

Two weeks later, the festival ends with the world premiere of H.P. Mendoza's Bitter Melon, about a Filipino/American family falling apart. Mendoza is the writer and actor in the cult classic Daly City.

In between the Mineta tribute and the Bitter Melon is a plethora of features, concerts, comedy sets, documentaries and food. For a complete list of the CAAMFest schedule, click here..

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