I heard about Yellow Rose and that it would be shown at CAAMFest, which was originally known as the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival. It is the world's largest showcase for new Asian American and Asian film, food and music programs that occurs annually in May. This year is the 37th annual CAAMFest, which is hosted by CAAM, the Center for Asian American Media, with its mission to present stories that convey the richness and diversity of Asian American experiences to the broadest audience possible. Yellow Rose was making its Bay Area debut at CAAMFest in the Kabuki Theater. The movie follows the story of Rose, played by Eva Noblezada, a 17 year old Filipina who dreams of becoming a country music singer. Her world is upended when her mom is arrested by ICE and deported. Rose must face life on her own and embarks on a journey that leads her to her aunt, played by Lea Salonga, and following her dreams. Director and Writer, Diane Paragas, was presented to the audience a background on the film. Lea and Eva taped an intro on the movie. When the movie ended Diane and the production team had a Q&A session. Thanks CAAM for hosting CAAMFest and showcasing fine works, such as Yellow Rose, and providing a launching point for Asian independent filmmakers and an outlet for Asian films. read more

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Volunteering at CAAMFest was actually pretty awesome. Not a whole lot of work, flexible start/end times, you get a voucher for any movie you'd like to see, and you also get to see the movie you are currently volunteering for (e.g. if you are at the box office, you get to go into the theatre and watch the entire movie after you take care of the ticket rush, AND you get a voucher for any other future movie you want to see!). Plus you get more exposure to how the festival is run etc. Would recommend to anyone who enjoys films. read more

CAAMFest - theatre - Festivals Near Me - San Francisco, California

I've enjoyed and been wowed by the Asian American Film Festival every year,since I've lived in San Francisco. The staff are on point. Not only do they create an oustanding line-up of films each year, but they also are consistent with their recruitment of a slew of exciting actors and directors, who manage to make it out for the festival each year. The Asian American Film Festival does an extraordinary job of bringing diverse, high quality, and unique films, to the Bay Area that really challenge and inspire the viewer If you have yet to really experience this festival, make sure you mark your 2009 Calendar ASAP. Be sure to try to go to their Opening or Closing ceremony as well (unfort, I wasn't able to make them this year.) Both are lauded as being nothing short of a blast. ((Disclosure - we've worked with the Asian American Film Festival this year and in the past - but my five star review still stands) read more

Just saw a preview of a television series coming to PBS called Supper Club. It was terrific! Chef Alvin Leung travels to Hana restaurant (Rohnert Park), the restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Michael Mina and Benu (all in San Francisco) to talk to the chefs. He watches the chefs make delicious food and creates his own dish (at times on the same restaurant premises). The dish created at Michael Mina was lobster poached in coconut milk, the claw and knuckle meat also poached and these smaller meats placed in a crepe. Rich and decadent for sure. Hana is supposedly the place where most chefs love to go. Fresh Japanese food prepared to perfection. I need to go here! Also, Corey Wong at Benu has an exciting food sensibility. He made a beautiful appetizer with kimchi, a layer of kimchi foam and an oyster on top. Gorgeous! Chef Alvin Leung will travel to different cities and have these meetings with famous chefs around Asia. Very excited to see the whole series! If you are a foodie, you gotta see it too! read more

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Went to the SFIAAFF in San Jose at Camera 12 on Sunday, http://www.yelp.com/biz/camera-12-cinema-san-jose-2#hrid:RC1O269Ol9WHRODLMQ5kcg/src:self last day of the festival. Went to see Mixtape 4 Msg...short of various films, cartoons and animation. Odd and different but entertaining nonetheless. A waiting line to get in to see the movie and Festival volunteers were having people fill out surveys about the festival and the prize was an Ipod, pretty good incentive. read more

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I look forward to the SFIAAFF more than a kid looks forward to opening presents on Christmas. Seriously. When fellow OG Elite yelper and SFIAAFF Markeing Coordinator LeRoid D (http://www.yelp.com/elite - me on the left, and him on the right back in the day!) pitched a partnership between SFIAAFF and Yelp, I didn't even need to hear the pitch to say "SIGN US UP!" I have always been a huge supporter of Asian American independent filmmakers, and this film festival is the nation's largest showcase for their films, so come every March, you'll find me in theaters all week. I'm always impressed by the diversity and caliber of the films showcased in SF and SJ. I'm doubly impressed by the festival-goers who take the week off of work just to see the films! I would too, if I could! This year, I was able to catch 5 films, which were all excellent: - Always Be Boyz (about Korean B-boy culture) - The Gentle Breeze in the Village (Japanese coming of age story) - The Home Song Stories (tear-jerking true story of the Chinese-Aussie director Tony Ayres, mother played by the phenomenal Joan Chen - Go rent the DVD!) - Amal (fable of a modern Indian rickshaw driver - winner of Grand Prize narrative film) - Ping Pong Playa (title says it all: Yao Ming jersey wearing, ping pong playa) Many filmmakers were present at the screenings to do a Q&A session with the audience. It always makes the film that much more exciting and meaningful to get background and inside scoop about the films. The film festival staff are some of the most dedicated, passionate, and wonderful people I've ever met and had the honor of working with. Assistant Festival Director Taro Gato and Corporate Relations Manager (and star of Option 3) Theresa Navarro were AMAZING to work with, and with so many other sponsors to deal with during this tireless week, they always made us feel like we were the only ones. Thanks to LeRoid, Yelp did partner with SFIAAFF and was able to bring a large audience of yelpers to the screening of "Harold & Kumar 2", and Elite yelpers and guests had the pleasure of seeing "Death Note" and "Ping Pong Playa." I wanted to share my love for the film festival to my fellow yelpers, and I'm so happy that this year, the love was definitely spread. p.s. If you take a look through this year's festival program, you'll find quotes in the cartoon bubbles from various yelpers! read more

Okay, let's be honest, with so many film festivals in San Francisco -- from SF International to Frameline to DocFest -- it would be easy to overlook the Asian. Thank god I stumbled upon it years ago! For me, the variety of films, depth of content, fantastic parties and laid back crowd makes it a personal favorite. This year, I was able to make the closing night film to see Joan Chen play a bi-polar MILF (well, not me personally) in Home Song Stories. Totally fell in love with her! How lucky is San Francisco to be able to lay claim to such an amazing actress? Then, at the after-party, Connie and I enjoyed free drinks and shish kabobs in the company of the crew from "Colma: The Musical!" It just doesn't get better than that. read more

Absolutely amazing! I had the opportunity to watch East is East and everyone and everything was professional, clean, and inspiring. Everything was so well put together (from the flyers to the professionalism of the volunteers to the awesome food at the opening party afterwards!). If I still lived in the area, I'd be so excited for this but unfortunately I'm too far away to attend! :( All of you who are able to experience this amazingness, don't miss it! read more

Thanks SFIAAFF for not just showing in San Francisco and extending down to San Jose. The films are always well chosen with a wide assortment and the festival is very organized. This year I took my bf to see the SOUTH ASIAN INTERNATIONAL SHORTS. What a great medley of light and deep short films. All of them get you thinking afterwards. Thanks also to all of the volunteers that make it happen! Hopefully I'll be able to volunteer for next year's festival. Great way to be involved in the Asian American community and see cool films. read more

I love and support the film festival. At the same time, it wouldn't be fair if I didn't talk about what pissed me off on Sunday: 1. The film started late. Probably 20 minutes late. 2. We got screwed out of our spot in line. There was one line on the stairs when we got there, and plaid shirt volunteer told us to go on the second stairway. We were at the top of the second line -- cool. After waiting for about 20 minutes, he then told our line to consolidate with the other one, telling us to walk down. Of course, this resulted in us being at the end of the line! 3. I complained to plaid shirt guy, but he just said he just did "what he was told to do." Well, if the festival is about defeating Asian stereotypes, there goes the one about all of us being smart. 4. The movie lost sound in the middle. 5. Babies shouldn't be allowed in the theater, especially not for a movie like The Chaser. What kind of sick parents bring their kid to see a serial killer who gets off on literally hammering call girls? With that said, I like the film festival, and I'd go again. :) read more

I think my back is ready to give out after sitting most of the day in Castro Theatre. First, Pavement Butterfly. Anna May Wong is gorgeous and touching as a circus dancer who is framed for a murder and then theft. Live accompaniment by Robert Israel who was flown in all the way from Finland. What a great touch. Also, it's just great to go see a silent movie with an audience...if you have a chance, definitely try it out. King and the Clown. Excellent plot and fast-faced dialogue starts this historical drama rolling quickly. The scenes where they show the minstrel actors doing their job, whether it's bawdy scenes, gymnastics, or the more mundane parts of their job such as putting on makeup or painting their own masks were interesting to see. I did wish they had more of the drumming, which is my favorite part of traditional Korean music. I thought that the performances by Karm Woo-sung as the clown and Lee Joon-gi as the actor always in the woman's role (since it's an all-male troupe, men were used to portray the women's roles) were moving. Lots to think about after this movie. But it's also enjoyable on the entertainment level...the bawdy humour throughout is really funny. Umrao Jaan. The beautiful singing, the colors in the scenary, the dancing...all made it worthwhile to sit through this 3 hour movie. The singing and dance scenes alone are worth it. This isn't about a subtle art film plot...the plot is pretty obvious, and the acting (particularly from the more minor characters) is not so great. And they really needed to edit the subtitles better. Some of the subtitles had the audience laughing in the wrong places. However, I would sit through it all again for the pagaentry and the singing. Will update with Woman on the Beach which I am seeing Tuesday night. ______ Woman on the Beach update: I am glad to have caught at least one of director Hong Sang Soo's movies...and having watched Woman on the Beach, I wish I had caught more. All you East Bay folks, try to catch it while it's in your area. Woman on the Beach is a love triangle, like so many of his movies (or from I can tell from the descriptions of his other movies). Critics often compare him to Woody Allen, but his movies are slyer and, in many ways, more interesting than that. Think French New Wave...Godard and Truffaut. Yet, even if you are not into the French New Wave, you will find a lot to appreciate in the dialogue and the surprisingly independent minded main woman character of the film. Hyun Jung Go is terrific in the role and steals every single scene she's in. The movie had me ruminating on lies within a relationship and the difficulty of trying to tell even the smallest truths to one another within a relationship. My favorite line from the movie, said by the female main character: "This is why hell is so boring. Woman are the ones who are supposed to choose." read more

i first discovered the festival while in high school. My japanese teacher took us to watch Kikujiro and Welcome Back Mr McDonald. twas love at first sight.. sadly, i didn't come back for another 4 years ... I was reunited with the film festival when I interned here back in 2005 for an asian american studies field study course.. i practically lived in the volunteer break room for that week helping the coordinator, eyes twitching as the escalator's non-stop clackety clacking drilled into my brain... it was GREAT... and it still is probably my favorite time of the year... So far, I've only been to the fancy shmancy opening and closing night galas once in 05, but i definitely look forward to attending again in the future. [*screams like a little girl* because i totally met sung kang there *swoon] this year i was an extra on the trailer created by the colma folks.. score!! oh no.. that song is stuck in my head agAIN.. the festival offers a wide range of films, and it's always refreshing to see such creativity, and more asian american presence in the media. Uber exciting when films get picked up by regular theatres.. 2005 films watched: the grace lee project house of flying pancakes the year of the yao fishbowl and silent years [shorts] unleashed [special premiere] brotherhood best hana to arisu (hana and alice) the motel baytong music video asia cavite third i south asian international shorts oldboy saving face 2006 films watched: conventioneers american fusion kieu the achievers colma: the musical eve and the firehorse 2007 films the girl who leapt through time mistress of spices tie a yellow ribbon 2008 films Blood Brothers W 32nd Ping Pong Playa Happiness now go watch some friggin good movies... read more

In case you haven't noticed, there are a lot of Asians in San Francisco and the Bay Area. If you would like to know more about us other than patronize the restaurants that our relatives own, please check out the Asian American Film Festival. The movie selection is widely varied to represent all the different groups that fall under the Asian umbrella. The festival is well-organized with tons of earnest student volunteers who happily answer all of your questions and will direct you to the right theater. Come and learn more about the experiences of Asian America. read more

Twenty-seven years ago Susie and I did a teaching stint in the beautiful, flowered, spring city of Kunming.. So we *had* to bite.. when Yelp informed me of the SF Asian American Film Festival screening of "Equation of Love and Death," a movie set in Kunming, at the Camera 12 Theatres in San Jose.. AND offered complimentary tickets on top of that.. From the movie we learned that Kunming, which *was* city of two-lane streets, three and four story buildings and a kind of a nice laid-back ambiance when *we* lived there, is now of city with freeway interchanges, high-rise developments, karaoke clubs, obsessed, half-crazed, kamikaze taxi-drivers, and traffic overpasses that one should drive under with a certain amount of caution because drug-traffickers and other shady characters (including ex-boyfriends) will sometimes commit suicide by diving off of them and landing through unfortunate and extreme coincidence on the hood of *your* car. OK.. I suppose I could look at the fascinating face of Zhou Xun, who plays Li Mi, the half-crazed heroine taxi driver, all day.. She is very good at becoming, at various point in the story, hard-bitten, obsessed, vivacious, scared, pissed-off, in physical pain, all teared up, remorseful, determined, hysterical, emotionally shell-shocked, reminiscent, and even a little musical in a karaoke bar (Yay!).. and social undercurrent of the film.. the sometimes desperate or at least extremely-discontented plight of the under-educated youth in the city and the country in modern China.. is often hinted at in some pretty interesting ways. But.. sigh.. there were just too many *stupid* parts in the plot of the movie that were just too obviously contrived to tie-in all those Zhou Xun moments that really distracted from the good parts. The not so good parts included the laughably casual and unsystematic police procedures, the sort of comic-book mysterious unnamed underworld organization that some of the main the characters supposedly belonged to.. the awkward melding of what were essentially two different story lines.. Li Mi and the country bumpkin drug mules.. and Li Mi and the mysterious missing boyfriend. Then there were the sentimental scenes..quickly and abruptly wedged in as if someone determined last moment that some sentimental tear-jerking.. in a previously unsentimental little movie.. might mebe get a bigger audience.. Now that I think about it all . without that silly plot about the boyfriend becoming some mysterious agent of some nefarious secret never-totally explained underworld organization.. that can plant girlfriends deep cover and assign its agents to locations where they are most likely to be quickly recognized by someone who knew them.. This would be a pretty decent movie.. OK 4 stars.. cause I'm nice.. and Asian.. and do not wish to betray the cause.. But Hey.. SF.. it would be nice if you sent SJ some stronger movies for participating in your damn festival... read more

This was my first film festival ever and I had the pleasure of being a volunteer for this event. They featured some great movies. I got to watch "License to Live" which featured a Q&A afterwards with the director, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, and "Kanchivaram." Both movies were great--light humor, deep moments, and great cinematography. I heard great things about some of the other films as well. As a volunteer-- - The staff was friendly and I got to meet quite a few people. They were all willing to chat and joke with us when there was down time. - Very organized and well planned. They knew exactly what had to be done and was able to mobilize all the staff for tight movie turn around times and for moving crowds. - A bit much with the emails (averaging one per day), but they were good about communicating information. - Shifts went by fast and were pretty fun to do - Had the opportunity to talk to a woman from NY who flies to SF every year to attend this festival. She raved about "Tokyo Sonata." Its moments like these when I'm sad I dont live in the city and be able to attend more films during the weekdays. I would definitely recommend everyone to check out atleast one film. Its not often you get to see foreign films on the big screen in a historical theatre like the Castro, or a venue like Kabuki. read more

Brilliant examples of the film craft are/have been showcased over the years, notably the opening premieres at the Castro Theater. notwithstanding! Of course, the highlight is always the eternal Joan Chen. read more

An absolutely wonderful evening; the Opening Gala was a huge success n their 25th anniversary. The cast and crew of the opening flick were there with the never too far behind media pundits and news crews. The eats and beverages were plentiful and tasty, the crowd was fun and approachable, and the Asian Art Museum is a great venue. The museum is one of my favorite in the City. A beautiful building, great staff, and fantastic calender of exhibits through out the year. Make a visit(s) to this museum happen in the near future. The film festival is a wonderful showcase for Asian American film makers and aspiring talents. This year's festival runs eleven days and is sure to be another success. read more

For one, I got to be in the trailer! Happy happy joyously bobbing head and towel-waving arm! Only the Film Fest folks could get together all these randoms (firemen, horse on a trampoline, swing dancers, lion drummers/dancers, drum corp, kazoo players, cheerleaders,...) and make a trailer! For 2007 - watched "Mistress of Spices" and "Tie a Yellow Ribbon" For 2008 - watched "Ping Pong Playa" and "Happiness" And of course, so many other films that I wished I could have seen. A great film festival with a wide selection of movies for all types of moviegoers. The volunteers and staff are fantastic. The whole event appears very organized. Love it, and some day I hope to make it a tradition to see a handful of festival films each year. My only complaint - it's always in March, which is when I'm super busy at work, and so the two weeks ALWAYS fly by. I think I missed it in previous years because of this. It just comes and goes - blink of an eye. So sad. read more

This year's Festival focuses on the Asian American male, with Opening Night film AMERICANese and a Spotlight on James Shigeta. This year's Opening Night film is the highly anticipated AMERICANese, directed by Eric Byler and starring Joan Chen and Kelly Hu. After the screening at the Castro is an afterparty with the AMERICANese cast and crew at the Asian Art Museum. Several shows are already sold out, so advance tickets are always recommended. To avoid the phone/online service charge, you can purchase tix in person at the Kabuki 8 Theatres (1881 Post Street, San Francisco) 5-10 pm daily. Last year's evening shows at the Castro were packed, and this year should generate the same kind of excitement. Can't wait! The Festival is an awesome place to see film, but it's also an amazing experience to see and meet people from all over the world who have come to celebrate Asian American film, from rush lines at the Kabuki Theatre to lines around the block at the Castro. There are happy hours daily at the DOT Bar in the Radisson Miyako Hotel from 5-7 pm where you can meet directors, actors, industry folks, and other attendees. read more

I hadn't attended the film festival before so I didn't know what to expect. I decided to become a volunteer with the event this year so that I could immerse myself more in the experience. The event is a lot of fun both as a volunteer and as a movie goer. Will definitely make sure to participate in the festivals to come. I thought the Directions in Sound event at 111 Minna was awesome. read more

This event rocks! It's not known as the "Cannes of the Asian American Film Festival Circuit" or "the Mother Lode of Asian American culture and identity" for nothing! I see just about everything (through press screenings and devoted attendance for all 10 days of the festival) and almost never have seen a bad film. Granted, I'm always very excited for this festival, so I'm naturally predisposed to enjoy myself, but the organizers truly do an outstanding job of selecting films. Definitely see the shorts programs, and then keep your ears open for the buzz about the indies. Opening and closing are good, solid bets, and great parties as well. The Center for Asian American Media (www.asianamericanmedia.org) is my favorite organization in the world - they bring Asia and Asian America to your doorstep every year. The Festival returns to the renovated Kabuki this year, so it should be a special treat. Yes, I've officially started getting excited for the SFIAAFF 2008! (ok, I have been one of the bloggers for the festival, so I am a bit biased - or ultra-enthusiastic! Then, I do know someone who comes back to SF from Vietnam for the Festival, so I'm not alone!) read more

Went to the festival about 3 years ago when 'Hero' was the opening night film at the Kabuki and had a blast. could've swore i saw Helen Zia in the crowd. the after party at the Asian American Art museum capped off a great evening and included hor d'eurves and plenty of alcohol. hoping this year will be just as great, and i just may try to check out the stuff playing in San Jose as well. read more

I was lucky enough to watch the world premiere of "Shanghai Kiss" tonite at the lovely Castro Theater. If you can, go see David Ren's romantic comedy now! The cast is awesome -- Ken Leung, Hayden Panettiere from Heroes, and Kelly Hu. The movie is very cute and funny! It's not about looking right but feeling right :) read more

For showing me Fruit Fly, I give this Film Festival 5 freakin' stars, it was an amazing movie, and it gave me a new appreciation for Asian American films. Loved it, and now as a result, I can't wait to come back next year and see new movies coming out from this festival. read more

The one time of the year that all of us who work for APA org's in SF can go out to see and be seen... the Festival turns me from being a two-movies-a-month watcher to seeing six hours of film in an afternoon. Thanks to the skillful direction of Chih-hui Yang and Taro Goto, my film fest picks are much better than my NCAA bracket picks (which actually aren't so bad, this just being the first tourney weekend and all...) I've seen some of my favorite movies at the Festival over the past three years, like "China Blue" and "The Grace Lee Project." 2007's showcase of Chinese Americans in film has some gems, like "Hollywood Chinese" and the much-anticipated "Curse of Quon Gwon", a 1915 silent film that may be the very first ever Chinese American film (this is showing at the Oakland Museum on March 24, 2007.) What I love most about the Festival is the sheer number of people coming out to support Asian American culture. Take a moment when you're at the Festival to check out some of the rad sponsoring organizations (cough cough) and extend your support of the community beyond these two weeks! read more

I volunteer for the SFIAAFF. I started as a SFSU student and it was required watching for AA Studies class- I was broke and couldn't afford to see them films at the time, so I volunteered to get a ticket - and I enjoy volunteering because it is great. I learn alot here - some volunteers have been volunteers for 20+ years. Its almost tear-jerking, as my heart swells with pride thinking of sell-out shows and people waiting 2 hours in rush line to see art. And there are Asian/Asian Am people in the films... there's something about having someone who looks like you on a big screen, who is telling stories that you might be able to relate to, that remind you of your history or are just creative. It's inspired me to try to make my own film. I have ADD and I can do film fest movies - its the ability to meet the filmakers, ask questions, rate film and talk to everyone in line. I spoke with a woman who comes every year from New York because she says our film fest is the best in the country - that it has Asian and Asian-American film. The volunteer coordinators are really organized and put alot of time and effort into this. Volunteer for this and other film festivals... you get to see movies, interact with people specifically happy to be there. This year I saw: Bolinao 52 - boat people desserted by US warship in 1988 and rescued by Filipino fishermen. it followed the story of a boat woman's struggles and her return to the Philippines and to confront a US solider who was on the boat that left them for dead. 52 Survived. Blackout - Alcholism in the Phillipines - can't write more - it would spoil it. Ang Pamana - Modern horror based on Filipino traditional beliefs. Can't say superstitions, because people really believe these supernatural things happen. Suspense. Year of the Fish - NY Chinatown scened film has sex trafficking, mystical fish, love story. In technicolor and quite pretty. 2008 - Blood Brothers - 1930's Shanghai 3 men seek fortune in the city, end up in a gangsta situation (yes Donna and I got pics w Daniel Wu) read more

I love this festival and go every year! I catch at least one show, sometimes more than 10 depending on my schedule. The opener and closer are usually excellent like Journey From the Fall, Linsanity, The Chinese Exclusion Act etc though there have been exceptions like Finishing the Game :-( The talks with the directors and producers are always interesting. Parking around the Castro theater is super difficult. Take Uber or Muni if you can. I wish more shows were in the South Bay or Peninsula. I met Sung Kang around the better luck tomorrow time frame before he got famous with the fast and furious movies. Nice guy! So many great movies I don't even remember them all. Crazy experience. A few years ago I had an extra ticket to a sold out show. I went up to the guy at the end of the rush line to sell it and he just ignored me! The next guy said "no thanks" and looked at me like I was a low life scalper. I was selling it for face value and you're at the end of the rush line... As I was being turned down by the next woman I asked, a white guy grabbed the ticket out of my hand, shoved a $20 into it, and said keep the change. You're at the end of the rush line and I'm offering to sell you a ticket and you don't want to buy it? Seriously??? read more

This was my first time experiencing the SF International Asian American Film Festival and I am truly impressed. The Center for Asian American Media really knows how to put a film festival program together. I've been in SF since 2003 and this year was the first where I actually saw the promotions EVERYWHERE (on the internet, on the tele, in the local newspapers and circulations...), plus, the word of mouth was great. Today my friend, Chris, cajoled me into a movie day. First we started off with "Pavement Butterfly", starring Anna May Wong. A silent movie, brought to life with the actual screen presence of Anna May Wong and the accompaniment by Robert Israel on the Mighty Wurlitzer. The whole ambiance of the royal Castro Theater just magnified the impact of the movie. One word: WOW The second movie was quite different and was quite poignant in a tragicomedic way. "King and The Clown" touched on a variety of different topics: Korean history, pride, foolishness, love, homosexuality and true happiness. All in all, I was SUPREMELY impressed with not only the selections on the film festival schedule, but also with the volunteers themselves. Thanks for making it such a great event to attend. read more

I've long been a fan, though I'll admit to having some intra-continental envy. It's tough to keep every Asian-American happy -- especially when you aren't really part of the traditional Asian-American club. Lets face it -- we Indians, Pakistanis, and company have formed our own South Asian caucus. We don't really sit too comfortably under the broader Asian-American banner. It's just too big of a party, and no one really compliments you on the channa masala you spent all morning cooking. So I'll confess. As the film festival continues to traverse that massive continent known as Asia, I sometimes feel like there have been fewer opportunities to explore that subcontinent that my parents were born in. Part of this is because Third I's South Asian Film Festival has become an institution of its own, and the SFIAAFF has a bit more freedom to wander. But whatever. I'll still be at the pan-continental show, and I'll still be glad to have SFIAAFF's annual window into the world beyond my own. read more

I saw two films a the San Jose Camera 12 as part of the SF Asisan American Film Festival. I saw "Au Revoir Taipei" and "The People I've Slept With." Both were great! Well-organized. I enjoyed the Q&A sessions, and seeing the actors and director. And pretty cool mixer for the opening of the SJ portion of the film festival at the San Jose Museum of Art with free flowing alcohol, nibbles, live music, and the opportunity to roam the musuem. Definitely looking forward to next year's festival. And I can identify with these Asian American films, which is a plus! read more

SFIAAFF is a great festival for film lovers. It is a good opportunity for people to see some of the best movies from different Asian countries. The movie selection is great. The festival forum and booths outside of San Francisco Japan Town were boring though. It takes about 30 minutes to look through everything and most are not even remotely related to the film festival. Would love to see more film or art related stuff rather than makeup or car promotion. The opening gala is something not to be missed. I went to the one in San Jose Art Museum this year and it was wonderful. For only $10 admission you get free small bites, drinks (cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages), desserts from the best local bakeries, a chance to check out the great art exhibit and time to mingle with people from the film industry! It can't get better than this. read more

I've seen 3 movies: 1) "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time" was a 5 star anime! Very cute and great story. Think...Quantum Leap meets Miyazaki. 2) "Mistress of Spices" with Aishwarya Rai & Dylan McDermott was DISAPPOINTING. It was really cheesy & painful to watch. The supporting characters (the grandpa & taxi driver) were the only good characters. 3) "Made in Korea" is an amazingly touching documentary about a guy born in Korea but adopted by Dutch parents when 3 months. He goes on a search for identity. The director & protagonist was actually there and we had a short Q&A session. It was really cool. The film festival itself is wonderful and pretty well organized. The staff was helpful and let me put my late friend's tickets on will call. Will definitely try to make this an annual tradition! read more

I love documentaries, Asian American cinema, and generally speaking supporting those whose works are too often ignored by mainstream media and Hollywood. I've been a loyal fan of the SF International Asian American Film Festival since I learned about it back in high school. I've been attending every year since then minus 1 year. This year I watched several films including: High Noon (Cantonese film about youth and directed by Heiward Mak- for someone born in 1984 and so young, she is VERY talented), Panda Candy (lesbian film bout two women in Beijing and the ropes of love, funny, a bit strange, but nevertheless way cool), The Love of Siam (winner of multiple film awards in Thailand and includes some hotties! as the protagonists, very good film but 2.5 hrs long!), and Whatever it Takes by Chris Wong set in a Bronx Science and Math Academy/High School with the principal leading the viewers through his the school's halls (a bit dissapointed because it was a bit fragmented- would have preferred multiple viewpoints instead of just one girl's). Now onto the pros/cons: Pros: 1. Great films- you may never seen them anywhere else! 2. meet and greet the actors or the directors for Q & A. this is often a feature of the festival and i find it very cool to meet and talk to the folks that took part within the production process. 3. Supporting non-hollywood and independent film makers- always good to bring diversity into the market. 4. Multiple locations now- South Bay - San Jose, San Francisco, and Berkeley (East Bay). Con: 1. The ticket surcharge when you order online. Max $5 extra applied to the order, $1.50 surcharge per ticket. Cannot purchase using student discount online which makes it difficult to get it with that discount unless you are near the theater. 2. Greater film diversity within the festival. It appears that certain geographical areas got more attention than others. Diversity is good. 3. Too many volunteers - some who don't even know what they are doing. Sometimes more is not necessarily good- but hey it's not a bad deal as a volunteer- free entry tixs into screenings and meet people along with the cause. read more

I've been meaning to check out movies at the festival for a while now but never had the chance. Last year there were some I wanted to see such as Justin Lin's Finishing The Game. This year though I finally made it out and saw Michael Kang's West 32nd starring John Cho, Grace Kim, Jun Kim, the doctor from the episode of Lost where Sun gives birth, and others. The festival was very cool and I've always liked the idea of showcasing these Asian American films that you'd never get to see otherwise. I heard about West 32nd about a year ago and been wanting to see it but it only showed in NY at the Tribeca film festival and as much as I'd like to, flying to NY for a movie isn't my idea of a weekend trip. The movie was awesome; it was very well done and I would recommend it to anyone. After the show the director and some of the cast including John Cho was on stage to take questions. They all seemed friendly and took the questions well. My question I wanted to ask to John Cho was if he could say "Milf! Milf! Milf!", but I don't know if they'd appreciate it, so I refrained. The movie was at the Castro Theatre and it was overall a very good experience. I am hoping to go back to watch more than one movie next year. I will most likely even volunteer to help out. read more

This silver anniversary of the SFIAFF was a very difficult one for me. Mainly because the selection of movies being shown was all pretty interesting and top notch! There were so many good ones out there that my friends and I can't make up their minds to go which ones. So I ended only seeing two today. Thank God I have Hiromi and we manage to go see two excellent films today. Hiromi did a great job explaining which films we watched but I want to note that the first one we saw, "Pavement Butterfly" was especially a treat because of live music provided by Robert Israel gave us a throwback to another era. To experience that was truly surreal and was truly a joy to see that going on along with the film. Volunteers was very helpful and orderly. Also saw my Friend there as a volunteer! If you haven't check out any of the films yet. Go check it the website! read more

After moving up to San Francisco for grad school, I wanted to make sure that I found time to enjoy the SFIAAFF; so glad that I did too! Being a grad student and going out to enjoy all these great films is about walking on a tightrope of responsibility! However, I really did enjoy the films that I saw and the experiences of hearing filmmakers talk about their work. Even the one that I found highly problematic. CAAM was super organized and had everything checked and double checked. For the most part they were very friendly and helpful with directing to you where you needed to go for films. One note is dont buy your tickets online if you are a student because you wont be able to get a student discount. I think the best thing about the film festival is that all the theaters are uniquely different from the other. So each experience is totally unique, with the way the film is presented and the ambiance that surrounds you. Can't wait for next year, for more great films! read more

I love film festival season! This is my favorite film festival in San Francisco. I think it does a great job of getting a variety of Asian American and Asian films. One big way it differs from some of the other larger festivals is in getting smaller films that you cannot see elsewhere. I know with the International and Indie film fests if you miss a movie you can often get it on DVD in Netflix or it will show up in major theaters in a couple of months. While this has happened with the bigger films shown here, there are a couple that I enjoyed that I haven't seen pop up anywhere else. Also, the shorts collections that I have seen are very strong... I still think the Fishbowls collection from two years ago was the best I've seen. read more

This was my first year attending the festival and I was impressed with the film selections. I only got to catch three films, but still enjoyed the vibe and crowd. Volunteers were excellent and helpful. Festival was also well organized. Films I watched: 1. Kissing Cousins - Pretty funny. Glad this was the first film I watched. 2. Actually, Love - Series of shorts. Enjoyed most of the shorts. There was one that was ehhh... but overall was still good. 3. Pretty To Think So - This was just okay. Tips for following years - Be sure to purchase tickets in advance. It'll reserve you a seat for films you really want to watch (i.e. Harold and Kumar). read more

These people know how to run a Film Festival. They really got a great line up 2006 and many films were sold out. Great sponsors. Taro Goto has gotta good game. WOw..2008 better at Kabuki Sundance. Food. Free popcorn for Harold Kumar Guantanamo Bay's movie. Q and A with John Cho. Great talk on Hypersexualized Asian Women in Film...2 minute porno at the fest. with academic analysis. Fascinating. We are NOT anabelle chong or Asian Carrera...We are POWERFUL WIMMIN..SWIMMMIN ahead with the spermies... Addition of the CLAY theatre. Prefer KABUKI for location of multifilms. You know you are with a lotta Asians when you see them flippin out their cameras for photo opps with the celebrities. I for one, do NOT believe in being so silly as to think that is important for my flash memory card. read more

I love-love-love this event! The film selection is never disappointing and always fascinating! Of course I never get to see all the films I want, which is too bad. But I wish the Organizers can somehow have their own online DVD store so we can all rent the movies shown during the festival. If you, Asian American Film Festival Organizer, are reading this, would you please consider this idea of making the films available for all of us to see? I know you are non-profit and have limited budget, but maybe you can partner up with a private business group or something. It's just the films you show are just too good to be lost in my fading memory with only knowing the movie titles. read more