Welcome
On behalf of the staff and board of the Center for Asian American Media, greetings and welcome to CAAMFest 2017!
The festival’s core commitment is the discovery of new talent, new voices, new stories and new visions. At the same time, we honor the past as with the premiere of THE CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT, a CAAM co-production illuminating a vital piece of American history. Then there is the added element of food, live performances and music including great Bay Area musicians such as Francis Wong, Mark Izu and Thao Nguyen: truly a feast for the mind and the senses!
We are extremely proud to be presenting six films that have received CAAM Media Fund support, and we give special thanks to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, whose support keeps our vital work in public media possible.
Finally, I would like to extend our thanks to our wonderful members, whose support is key to our work, and recognize our Presenting and Grand Sponsors — Comcast Xfinity, 96.5 KOIT, AARP, the Asian Art Museum, AT&T DirecTV and Buick. These sponsors recognize the important role our festival plays in the cultural life of the Bay Area, and we appreciate their thoughtful support.
Stephen Gong, Executive Director
Hello and welcome to the 35th annual CAAMFest — the nation’s premier event showcasing and celebrating bold and vibrant Asian American stories and storytellers.
We are elated to offer 11 days of dynamic film screenings, provocative food and music events and unique opportunities to connect and bond with the diverse San Francisco Bay Area communities.
As we mark this very special milestone for our festival, I can’t help but look back at our rich history and also reflect on how much this festival has evolved in its 35 years. We’re struck with a sense of achievement and pride having showcased so many films and storytellers at our festival over the decades, and we’re equally passionate about creating new opportunities to celebrate future filmmakers. Asian American cinema and storytelling is at its peak with so many creative visionaries telling stories in formats from the big screen to your mobile device. CAAMFest promises to be your destination to discover them.
Where to start? Grab a coffee (or tea), take a few minutes and go through this program guide. For additional information about the films and events, please go to our website CAAMedia.org.
See you at the festival!
Masashi Niwano, Festival and Exhibitions Director, Center for Asian American Media
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