
Guide to CAAMFest 2025: Must-watch films that celebrate Asian Americans, past and present
As the world's longest-running Asian American-themed film festival, it seems especially timely that this year, CAAMFest turns its focus to community roots.
Reflection and retrospection are key themes throughout the films screening during the four-day festival organized by the Center for Asian American Media that runs from Thursday to Sunday, May 8-11.
For its 43rd year, not only will CAAMFest spotlight films that mark the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, but the festival's programming will also point its lens toward the next generation of Asian American filmmakers and activists.
As an organization, CAAM itself is in a period of transition. Last December, the nonprofit celebrated the career of its retiring executive director Stephen Gong, capping off more than 40 years of his involvement.
So it's fitting that this year's festival schedule honors the stories of Asian Americans who laid down the roots of the vibrant culture that so many enjoy today — which feels all the more important to underscore under a presidential administration that's attacking diversity initiatives and pulling arts funding.
Here are seven screenings worth catching during this year's CAAMFest, which commemorate the foundations of Asian America and imagine its future.
'Third Act'
Kicking off CAAMFest's opening night is Tadashi Nakamura's intimate documentary about his father, Robert A. Nakamura, known as 'the godfather of Asian American media' who directed the first Asian American feature film 'Hito Hata: Raise the Banner' (1980) and founded the first Asian American media arts organization, Visual Communications.
6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 8. AMC Kabuki 1, 1881 Post St., S.F.
'Chinatown Cha-Cha'
The joy, beauty and glamour of these Asian American senior dancers is a poignant delight to witness. This celebratory documentary traces the history of the nightclub dancers of San Francisco's Chinatown in the 1940s and how in older age, these former professionals inspire their peers to keep dancing.
8 p.m. Friday, May 9. AMC Kabuki 3, 1881 Post St., S.F.
Making Waves: The Rise of Asian America
While paying homage to the student activists at UC Berkeley and San Francisco State who birthed the Asian American movement in 1968, this moving documentary by Jon Osaki and Josh Chuck also introduces audiences to young activists like the Texas teenagers fighting to add Asian American studies to their state's curriculum.
4 p.m. Saturday, May 10. AMC Kabuki 1, 1881 Post St., S.F.
Bitterroot
In this feature by Vera Brunner-Sung, care takes multiple forms, from one Hmong family's intergenerational breakfasts to finding solace in natural splendor. Beautifully shot, the story follows recent divorcee Lue as he interacts with his tightly knit community, which includes NBC Bay Area anchor/reporter Gia Vang in the role of his sister, May.
7 p.m. Saturday, May 10. AMC Kabuki 1, 1881 Post St., S.F.
Centerpiece Shorts
A rarity for CAAMFest, this year a slate of short films get the distinction of being named a festival centerpiece. The seven-film screening includes 'Billo Rani,' a charming story about a 12-year-old figuring out how to feel about her unibrow, and 'Kumar Kumar,' a dark comedy about loneliness.
12 p.m. Sunday, May 11. Roxie Theater, 3117 16th St., S.F.
Palestinian Landscapes
This two-film showcase asks audiences to consider Palestinians' connection to land and tradition. 'A Stone's Throw' takes an experimental approach in mapping geographies and feelings of loss, while 'Foragers' reveals how harvesting plants in Palestine has become criminalized activity under occupation.
5 p.m. Sunday, May 11. Roxie Theater, 3117 16th St., S.F.
Yellow Face
CAAMFest's closing night screening returns to events of the 1990s in the filmed 2024 revival of David Henry Hwang's Broadway play 'Yellow Face.' Recorded for PBS's 'Great Performances,' the biting, uproarious theatrical mockumentary about casting a white actor in an Asian role for 'Miss Saigon' on Broadway features standouts like Daniel Dae Kim and Francis Jue.
8 p.m. Sunday, May 11. AMC Kabuki 1, 1881 Post St., S.F.
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Cosmopolitan
7 hours ago
- Cosmopolitan
Meet the Love Island contestants who returned to their day jobs after the villa
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At its height, six million of us tuned in to watch Amber Gill and Greg O'Shea crowned winners of season five, while its allure has transcended audience 'types', with Margot Robbie sharing pictures from her Love Island-themed birthday party in 2021 and going on to cast Chris Taylor in Barbie two years later. As a mainstay on the Cosmopolitan Entertainment desk for as many years as the show's been on, I've had a first-hand insight into this cultural phenomenon. Like in 2017, when I organised for Dr Marcel Somerville (note: not a real doctor) to be our resident online agony uncle, and his brief trip to the office turned into the Cosmo equivalent of a Royal visit. Or, in 2019, when we launched our Text On The Beach video franchise, a chance for contestants to share what really went on in the villa, which has since amassed 17m views on YouTube, and counting. Then there was Molly-Mae Hague's first ever magazine cover (my first cover interview, too) for our July/August issue in 2021. 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I was living this Z-list lifestyle, where I was out all the time, and either hungover or drunk, which felt great. But in hindsight, I learned really quickly that it's not healthy. You're in these intense situations, surrounded by people who aren't really your friends. There was no routine. I had loads of fun, but it's not a life I wanted to pursue. You think that's what you want, but when you're in it, it's not productive. 'In those nine months, I also met someone, and moved to Bristol where he was from. I took myself out of that world, which was something that I needed. When I watched the next season, it highlighted that, as Islanders, you're very disposable and replaceable. There was a level of jealousy, where you kind of think, 'Oh, they're doing all the things that I was doing.' I did miss the perks, but not so much that I wanted to chase it. When the new Islanders land, you're very much last year's news. 'After Love Island, I felt quite lost, so I needed to throw myself back into what I loved. I've always been creative and this is where my passion lies. I've worked in the salon that I now own for the last five years. Moving to a new city, I had to start a whole new clientele, and going on the show helped with that, so I have no regrets. 'I sometimes do get recognised – three people came up to me at a festival last year and it felt like I'd just come off the TV. But it doesn't happen often, especially as I look so different now – my hair is darker and I've grown up. I wouldn't change anything about my experience – I always say I'm so glad I did it, but it's highly unlikely I'd do it again – the only reason I would do All Stars would be to promote my business.' Dr Priya Gopaldas, now 27, entered the villa as a bombshell on day 42 of season seven. She coupled up with Brett Staniland but the pair were dumped from the show eight days later for being the 'least compatible'. 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During his time at Casa Amor, he met Sanam Harrinanan, and the pair went on to win the show – and the £50,000 prize money – before he pursued a teaching job working with teenagers. 'I was nervous returning to the classroom after being on Love Island. I teach sports science in post-16 education, so, with the age of the students, I knew some of them would have seen the show. I was thinking, 'What are they going to say? Am I going to be able to control the classroom?' But I quickly learned that the kids love it – I'm still respected. Some of them have seen the show and my social media, and actually, it feels like they have a better understanding of me. 'Before Love Island, I was working as a PE teacher when my contract changed, and they wanted me to teach science. I wasn't happy about it, so I handed in my notice and started looking into other jobs. A friend said, 'Why don't you apply for Love Island ?' I did and heard back the same day. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and it was one of the best experiences. It's obviously where I met Sanam; we now live together and are getting married later this summer – I proposed 13 months after we left the villa. 'When you come out, especially when you win it, you're offered so many opportunities. You have management companies pressuring you to sign up, making you feel like you're going to miss out on things. You're instantly recognisable, and the public think they know you because they've watched you for eight weeks. In the days afterwards, people were jumping out of cars to take pictures of us. We've been on holiday in the most remote places and even then people have asked for photos, which is mad. We're always like, 'Yeah, yeah, yeah'. 'We got the £25k [each] immediately, so money wasn't a stress at the time. Within a month, I was back in a school for England Rugby's Touch To Twickenham campaign, an initiative encouraging young players, which is wild because I used to teach rugby after classes. It was really busy, but then work offers fizzled out a bit. We didn't have the right people around us at first. It's important to take time to consider your options, because you get lots of offers and [everyone] wants to sign you just because you'll make money for them. But the management we work with now care about us and have the same vision [as us]. 'I took on my current teaching role 18 months after the show. It's three days a week, and the college is happy for me to take other opportunities alongside. I still get offered paid 'influencing' work that aligns with stuff I'm passionate about, like fitness and rugby. 'But people need to realise that you can't go on to Love Island and expect the world. It's probably only the people who get to the final who can make a career of it, if they want to, full-time. You have to go there for the experience and to meet somebody – if you're going on there for business opportunities, it's not worth it. I love working with young people and I'll always want to work in education in some way.' Sanam Harrinanan, now 26, is a social worker in the process of training to be a theraplay practitioner (a form of therapy that supports children in feeling connected). She won season nine of Love Island alongside Kai Fagan, after joining the villa for Casa Amor. 'After studying for five years, I went straight into social work, looking after people who have been adopted from the care system. I loved it, but felt like, 'What am I doing with my life? I want to do something different.' People kept saying I should go on Love Island, because I'm quite open and chatty, so I applied. When I got the call confirming I was going into the villa, I had to quit my job, because it's such a serious role and the families I worked with had to be assigned to another social worker. We left on really good terms, and because [a stint in] Casa Amor can be as short as three days, they said I could reapply for my job if they hadn't recruited to replace me yet. 'Coming out of the villa, nothing is guaranteed – whether you've won it or are in there for a few days. Kai and I were offered [social media and brand] work very quickly, and I decided to just soak it all up and go with the flow. But after seven months, I was sitting around thinking, 'I really miss my job.' I worked so hard to get to where I was. I contacted my old team and went back into social work a year after I left the villa. I felt like I'd lost my purpose; supporting young people and families. That's what I trained for the majority of my life to do. 'When I left for Love Island, I worried about what it would do for my career and people's perceptions of me, but it felt like an opportunity I couldn't miss. Now, if people recognise my name from an email, I respond by saying, 'If this might be an issue for you, let me know and I can inform my manager.' But in most cases, it's a help, not a hindrance. Some of the young people I work with have said, 'Oh my god, you're a celebrity! I can't believe you're my social worker.' You have to go into someone's life and find out everything about their family, and they usually know nothing about you. So when they've watched the show, it means they feel they can open up to me and it builds rapport, especially when they're a teenager. 'I have had people try to take pictures with me, saying, 'Oh, can I just pretend you're my mum's friend?' but for confidentiality reasons, I've had to put boundaries in place. I'm now in the process of training to be a theraplay practitioner, which will take about a year. I plan to stay in social work for as long as I possibly can.' Hair and makeup: Roo Gehring; Set Designer: Sherin Awad; Shoot Producer: Beverley Croucher; Art Director: Alex Hambis


Geek Tyrant
a day ago
- Geek Tyrant
Charming Trailer For The Lana Condor and Andrew Koji Romance WORTH THE WAIT — GeekTyrant
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New York Post
a day ago
- New York Post
Tony Awards cap a record-breaking post-pandemic Broadway season
Broadway caps a record-breaking season when the New York theater community bestows its annual Tony Awards during a gala ceremony on Sunday night with an array of nominees that leans into originality, diversity and artistic invention. Buoyed by a post-pandemic rebound, the 2024-25 season grossed a record $1.89 billion in revenue and drew 14.7 million attendees, the Broadway League said. Best musical nominees like 'Dead Outlaw,' 'Maybe Happy Ending' and 'Operation Mincemeat' tell unique and untested stories. On the play side, 'Oh, Mary!' and 'Purpose' offer vastly different takes on belief, identity and power. 5 'Maybe Happy Ending' has ten Tony Award nominations. Christopher Sadowski The 'Wicked' film star, Tony winner Cynthia Erivo, will host the 8 p.m. ET show from Radio City Music Hall. Alongside the creative highs are economic realities plaguing producers and audiences alike. Premium seats for some productions run upwards from $400, prompting concern that Broadway is increasingly out of reach for casual and younger theater lovers. Even with lotteries and rush ticket programs, demand-driven pricing has become the norm. 'Every show is its own little startup,' said Rashad Chambers, a Tony Award-winning producer whose recent credits include 'Music Man,' 'TopDog/Underdog,' and this season's Tony-nominated 'Purpose.' 'We have to create shows in a way that's affordable. Not just from the ticket-buying standpoint. The budgets are really ballooning out of control, and in my opinion, it's not always warranted,' Chambers told Reuters. 5 'Death Becomes Her' is up for ten Tony Awards including 'Best New Musical.' Christopher Sadowski Jason Laks, president of The Broadway League, said in a statement that rising costs have affected every facet of production, making it harder and harder to bring live theater to the stage. The Broadway League presents the awards along with the American Theatre Wing. This season showcased a wide range of voices and perspectives, with many shows being led by Asian American, Black, Middle Eastern and Hispanic actors and resulting in some historic nominations. Daniel Dae Kim, who starred in the revival of 'Yellow Face' this season, is the first Asian American to be nominated in the category of best leading actor in a play. 5 'Wicked' film actress Cynthia Erivo is hosting Broadway's biggest night. Victor M Matos/TheNEWS2 via ZUMA / 5 The play, 'Purpose,' is up for six Tony Awards. Christopher Sadowski 'To know that I'm the first is a little curious,' Dae Kim told Reuters, 'but above all it makes me happy and I'm really honored.' Dae Kim said representation on Broadway has been an evolution, not just for the Asian American community but many communities of color, pointing to such shows as 'Purpose,' which centers on a Black family struggling with identity and ambition. 'I look forward to the time where there's so much representation that it's no longer talked about because it's just understood and assumed,' he said. 5 The Tony Awards will air Sunday night at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. CBS Chambers, the producer, said audiences, too, seemed to be more diverse. 'I feel like I'm seeing more people of color,' he said. 'I'm seeing diverse age ranges. I've seen men and women. We have a lot of plays that are appealing to men this season. And I think that that's really powerful. And so yes, I do think it's getting better.'