The Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) is pleased to announce CAAMFest FORWARD, a newly reimagined and mostly virtual festival experience. On October 14-18, 2020, the upcoming festival will take CAAMFest to new heights with two unique drive-in experiences, over a dozen live virtual programs, and over 40 films available to watch on our on-demand channel and eight world premieres.
This year will also highlight Filipino cinema in honor of Filipino American History Month, a sneak preview into the Asian Art Museum's next exhibition “New Hope,” and a focus on social justice, civic engagement, and activism.
Since May, CAAM has produced over 30 unique virtual programs that amplify the diverse voices and experiences of the Asian American community. Beginning with CAAMFest Online: Heritage at Home, one of the first film festivals to pivot to an online format, CAAM successfully brought together over 100 filmmakers and over 10,000 attendees from all around the globe. A few highlights include co-presenting the Asian Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote) Presidential Town Hall (attended by Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden and former Gov. of Guam Eddie Baza Calvo, representing the Trump campaign), as well as producing two live filmmaker conversations with Gurinder Chadha (“Beecham House”) and Deann Borshay Liem (“Geographies of Kinship”).
“When programming, it was important for us to meet the moment and create a festival with broad cultural reach to build bridges and platforms for historically underrepresented filmmakers,” says Festival Director Masashi Niwano. “Our festival is called CAAMFest FORWARD, so our programming is a snapshot of the filmmakers moving us forward.”
Key CAAMFest FORWARD Programming
Two Days of Drive-In Experiences at Fort Mason Center, Oct 14 and 15
CAAM presents their first slate of in-person experience since the pandemic started. Working closely with Fort Mason Center and following the City of San Francisco's health guidelines, public programs will be exciting and safe for the community. The drive-in experiences will also include food available for purchase from Off the Grid.
Drive-In Day One: A Celebration of Filipina Musical Talent, Oct 14
In celebration of Filipino American History Month, CAAM will showcase two world premiere projects that celebrate a music icon and rising star:
- Lea Salonga in Concert with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra CAAM-funded live concert features internationally famed for her powerhouse voice and perfect pitch Lea Salonga, who burst onto the Broadway musical scene with her 1991 Tony Award-winning performance as Kim in Miss Saigon. This new Great Performances program presents Salonga in peak performance at the Sydney Opera House, singing a selection of songs from her Broadway career as well as her hits from the animated movie blockbusters Aladdin and Mulan.
- 7000 Miles: Homecoming A new music documentary directed by Evelyn Obamos that chronicles the Bay Area's own hip hop star Ruby Ibarra and her band the Balikbayans as they take a trip back to the Philippines. Ruby Ibarra is a Filipino American rapper, music producer, and spoken word artist from San Lorenzo, California. She raps in Tagalog, Waray, and English.
Drive-In Day Two: A Celebration of Hong Kong Cinema, Oct 15
In partnership with Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO), CAAMFest will be featuring five feature films (four new films and one classic) from Hong Kong filmmakers during CAAMFest FORWARD. Two of the films will be showcased during our second night at Fort Mason Center.
- A Simple Life, Dir. Ann Hui A 10th anniversary visitation after Ann Hui's Lifetime Achievement Award at Venice 2020. Our take: “A Simple Life” has a simple story but, nevertheless, is full of authentic emotions. Understated and touching, this movie is about bonds that go beyond blood and the affection that makes a simple life so special…a glorious display of the best of Hong Kong cinema.” (Adriana Rosati)
- My Prince Edward, Dir. Norris Wong US Premiere. Our take: “My Prince Edward' follows Fong's journey with a restrained approach. It never goes overboard with the dramatic sequences. And this female character is given room to breathe and live with her flaws, without blaming her for any of that. The narrative does not try to show her guilt for laziness and rather portrays her flaws with compassion. After all, these shortcomings are what makes one human.” (Akash Deshpande)
Other Programs include:
Opening Night Film: Coming Home Again, Dir. Wayne Wang, Oct 16
Our take: Coming Home Again” will take a special place in Wang's filmography. The reason for that is the type of the material he works with: a deeply personal, autobiographical and essayist reflective stream of consciousness-type short story… [“Coming Home Again” is] an emotional and cinematic experience hardly comparable to anything else.” (Marko Stojiljković)
Centerpiece Film: Definition Please, Dir. Sujata Day, Oct 17
CAAMFest alum Sujata Day is back with her directorial debut. Sujata plays Monica, a former Scripps Spelling Bee champion, who lives at home with her ailing mother, must reconcile with her estranged brother in order to take the first steps in realizing her dreams and moving on with her life. This knock-out Asian American dramedy includes a cast of rising talent: Jake Choi, Anna Khaja, and Ritesh Rajan.
Closing Night Film: 76 Days, Dirs. Hao Wu, Weixi Chen, and Anonymous, Oct 18
CAAMFest Alum Hao Wu (The Road to Fame) is back with a powerful new documentary that captures the struggles of patients and frontline medical professionals battling the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan, China. Just weeks after its successful Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) premiere, we are thrilled to showcase this important film that will become a lasting work that explores the impact of the pandemic globally.
CAAMFest On-Demand, October 14-18
CAAMFest On-Demand will feature 40+ films available for people to watch at their own convenience between the festival dates. Most of the films will include pre-recorded Q&As, and shorts will be curated into eight programs. All films will be available to watch at CAAMFest.com.
FORWARD Symposium, October 15
CAAM's FORWARD Symposium is a two-session program examining Asian American storytelling and the impact CAAM has had on the field and community over the past 40 years. The symposium's panels will feature recognized documentary filmmakers, mediamakers, experts, thought leaders, and Asian American Studies scholars. This is a moment for CAAM to gather key members of the Asian American mediamaking community and celebrate them, their contributions to American film and media arts, and the social impact of their work. This program is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Ticket Sales Tickets for the drive-in experiences are on sale now. Tickets for the live streaming and CAAMFest On-Demand screenings will go on sale Monday, October 5, 2020. For more information or to purchase tickets, go to CAAMFest.com.
