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CAAMFest2017

Special Presentations

Celebrating CAAMFest’s 35th anniversary, this year’s Special Presentations feature a diverse and timely lineup of local and international spotlights, interactive works, anniversary screenings, a Pacific Islander showcase, community screenings and poignant documentaries on the legacy of Japanese American Internment.

  1. Abacus: Small Enough to Jail

    Steve James / Special Presentations / USA / 2016 / 88 mins
    Acclaimed filmmaker Steve James (HOOP DREAMS) explores the evocative story of the Sung family-owned Abacus Federal Savings Bank, the only U.S. bank to face criminal charges in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. James documents the family’s trial by judge and their own Chinatown community.

    Preceded by: The Ride

    Abacus: Small Enough to Jail

    Great Star Theater
    March 12, 2017 6:00 pm Buy Tickets Buy Tickets

  2. Bad Rap

    Salima Koroma / Special Presentations, Directions in Sound / USA / 2016 / Culture, Documentary, Independent / 80 mins
    Asian American rappers Awkwafina, Dumbfoundead, Rekstizzy and Lyricks break ethnic and music-industry stereotypes in the documentary, BAD RAP. This musically-minded presentation will feature live performances from the highlighted artists.
    Bad Rap

    The Jewish Community Center of San Francisco
    March 14, 2017 7:00 pm Tickets available at jccsf.org/arts-ideas/bad-rap/

  3. Bitcoin Heist

    Ham Tran / Special Presentations / Vietnam / 2016 / 115 mins
    Set in today’s world of digital devices and complex connectivity, BITCOIN HEIST sends the viewer on an action-adventure ride with a cop in pursuit of a “ghost” hacker who stole billions of dollars in bitcoins. The officer teams up with other criminals to help her plan the ultimate heist.
    Bitcoin Heist

    Alamo Drafthouse
    March 15, 2017 8:30 pm At Rush

    Bitcoin Heist

    New Parkway Theater
    March 18, 2017 5:40 pm Buy Tickets Buy Tickets

  4. Brown Girls

    Sam Bailey / Special Presentations / USA / 2017
    With its BROAD CITY meets INSECURE vibes, this new web series paints an intimate portrait of two young women of color navigating their relationships, families, sexual orientations and the messiness of being in your mid-20s.
    Brown Girls

    Alamo Drafthouse
    March 16, 2017 6:30 pm At Rush

  5. Cries from Syria

    Evgeny Afineevsky / Special Presentations / 111 mins
    CRIES FROM SYRIA is a stunning and brutal window into the lives of Syrian children, activists, families and ordinary citizens whose collective voice and struggle to be seen and heard by the world reveals hope in the face of unimaginable horror.
    Cries From Syria

    Ninth Street Independent Film Center
    March 16, 2017 7:00 pm Buy Tickets Buy Tickets

  6. Eat Chinatown

    Special Presentations, Events / 60 mins
    CAAM, in partnership with the Chinatown Community Development Center, is thrilled to bring some mouth-watering shorts to the big screen, including Kerry Chan’s SUNDAY DINNER, a film that follows one man’s journey from picking the freshest ingredients in San Francisco’s Chinatown to cooking an incredible feast for his family. This special screening is part of the EAT CHINATOWN Spring Exhibit.

    Preceded by: Sunday Dinner

    Eat Chinatown

    41 Ross
    March 11, 2017 7:00 pm Free

  7. Ever the Land

    Sarah Grohnert / Special Presentations / New Zealand / 2015 / Documentary / 93 mins
    Set in the lush forests of New Zealand, the indigenous Maori tribe, Ngāi Tūhoe, embarks on a landmark construction project of a sustainable living building. Visually stunning and full of spirit, this documentary captures the development of the building, its vital ties to the tribe’s culture and the reclamation of their land and community.
    Ever the Land

    New People Cinema
    March 18, 2017 12:10 pm Buy Tickets Buy Tickets

  8. The Fall of the I-Hotel

    Curtis Choy / Special Presentations / USA / 1983 / Documentary / 58 mins
    Forcible evictions devastated a manong community after the International Hotel was demolished in 1981, marking the destruction of the last block of San Francisco’s Manilatown. Narrated by late poet Al Robles, THE FALL OF THE I-HOTEL tells the story of 50 old-timers displaced by 300 cops in the dead of night and the overall impacts of urban renewal.

    Preceded by: Asians In America: In Three Parts

    The Fall of the I-Hotel

    Gray Area
    March 12, 2017 7:20 pm Buy Tickets Buy Tickets

  9. Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!

    Russ Meyer / Special Presentations / USA / 1965 / Narrative / 83 mins
    Russ Meyer’s 1965 cult classic FASTER, PUSSYCAT! KILL! KILL! has influenced a generation of outcasts, weirdos and badasses. The wildly turbulent story follows three go-go dancers as they break free from their nightclub and take a wild ride through the desert, complete with kidnapping, scheming and murder. At the heart of the movie are mixed race Asian stars Tura Satana and Haji. YOMYOMF is proud to partner with CAAM and the Alamo Drafthouse’s Weird Wednesdays to present the film that made Satana an icon.
    Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!

    Alamo Drafthouse
    March 15, 2017 10:30 pm Tickets available at drafthouse.com/sf

  10. Watch Trailer Watch Trailer

    Good Luck Soup

    Matthew Hashiguchi / Special Presentations / USA / 2016 / Documentary, Feature, Multimedia, New Media / Web / 56 mins
    Through home video footage and interviews with family members, filmmaker Matthew Hashiguchi explores his identity and tells the story of what it means to grow up mixed race in America’s heartland, Cleveland, Ohio.

    Preceded by: Seppuku

    Good Luck Soup

    New People Cinema
    March 18, 2017 9:20 pm At Rush