SAN FRANCISCO, March 27, 2014 – CAAMFest 2014 successfully concluded on March 23, 2014, after 11 days of film, music and food programming. As the largest festival of its kind in the country, CAAM welcomed over 260 participants and showcased over 120 films from 19 countries, including 29 narrative films, 15 documentaries, 77 short films as well as 7 world premieres, 2 North American premieres and 17 San Francisco premieres. The festival saw a 20 percent increase in attendees, welcoming over 26,000 audience members.
Press Release: CAAMFest 2014 Concludes After 11 Days of Asian and Asian American Storytelling in Film, Food and Music (pdf)
Visit the Center for Asian American Media’s CAAMFest Facebook page and Instagram for photos and event highlights.
Congratulations to the 2014 CAAMFest Award winners:
2014 Audience Award
The 2014 CAAMFest Audience Award gives our valued audience members the honor of selecting their favorite films of the festival. The 2014 Audience Award winners are:
Winner, 2014 Best Narrative Feature: EAST SIDE SUSHI
Dir. Anthony Lucero
Statement from director Anthony Lucero: Thank you to Masashi Niwano for taking a chance and programming my film, to the CAAM staff and of course the great Bay Area audience that came out in full force to watch our film. EAST SIDE SUSHI is a film that I, my cast and crew poured everything into and the recognition is more than gratifying. It’s a special honor to receive this award and acceptance from the CAAMFest audience. Much love to you all.
Winner, 2014 Best Documentary Feature: 
AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY: THE EVOLUTION OF GRACE LEE BOGGS
Dir. Grace Lee
Statement from director Grace Lee: We are incredibly honored to win the Audience Award for Best Documentary at CAAMFest. The screening at the Castro was such a moving community event for our entire team and for Grace Lee Boggs as well. To see so many people embrace not only the story but get so excited about the ideas in the film and to do it with Grace Lee Boggs herself in the room will be a highlight of our film’s trajectory for years to come. Thank you so much, Bay Area audiences and CAAMFest for bringing us all together.
2014 Loni Ding Award for Social Issue Documentary
Loni Ding (1931-2010) was a veteran independent television producer and university instructor. She devoted her life to advocacy and public service, and played a key role in the founding of several public media organizations, including the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) and the Independent Television Service (ITVS). Her award-winning productions, which include Nisei Soldier (1984), The Color of Honor (1988), and Ancestors in the Americas (1997), were among the first to document early Asian immigrant histories. The Loni Ding Award was created in 2011 to honor the film and filmmaker that most reflects her passion and commitment.
Winner: WHY WE RISE
, dirs. Corinne Manabat and Brian Redondo
CAAM is proud to announce that the fourth annual Loni Ding Award winner and its prize of $1,000 goes to Corinne Manabat (SFIAAFF ’09) and Brian Redondo and their short film WHY WE RISE, which highlights the stories and experiences of three Asian American youth who are undocumented students.
Guests in Attendance
Special guests in attendance at this year’s festival included actor/producer Kathy Uyen, director Ham Tran, producer Tim Bui, actor Sigmund Watkins, actor Truc Diem writer Tim Tori and costume designer Nuchsuda Charmreonpucksa (HOW TO FIGHT IN SIX INCH HEELS); director Grace Lee and subject Grace Lee Boggs (AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY: THE EVOLUTION OF GRACE LEE BOGGS); director Jo Ui‐seok and producer Song Dae‐chan (COLD EYES); director Anthony Chen (ILO ILO); director Masahiro Sugano (CAMBODIAN SON); director Meera Menon (FARAH GOES BANG); director Anthony Lucero, actors Yutaka Takeuchi and Diana Torres (EAST SIDE SUSHI); director Mahesh Pailoor and actor Sendhi Ramamurthy (BRAHMIN BULLS); director J.P. Chan, actors Jodi Long, Jo Mei, Lucas Dixon, Teyonah Parris and producer Yasmine Gomez (A PICTURE OF YOU); directors Stephen Dypiangco and Patrick Epino and actor Dante Basco (AWESOME ASIAN BAD GUYS); director Roseanne Liang (FLAT3); director Louisa Wei (GOLDEN GATE GIRLS); directors Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam (DREAMING LHASA, SUN BEHIND THE CLOUDS); director Tenzin Tsetan Choklay (BRINGING TIBET HOME); directors Dianne Fukami and Eli Olson (STORIES FROM TOHOKU); director Keo Woolford (THE HAUMANA); director Ty Sanga (FAMILY INGREDIENTS); director Sun Kim and producer Trip Hope (INNOCENT BLOOD); director Baby Ruth Villarama and producer Chuck Gutierrez (JAZZ IN LOVE); director Esy Casey and producer SarahFriedland (JEEPNEY); director Visra Vichit‐Vadakan (KARAOKE GIRL); director Rea Taijiri and producer Sian Evans (LORDVILLE); director Hao Wu (ROAD TO FAME); director Richie Mehta and actor Rahesh Tailang (SIDDHARTH); director Marissa Aroy and producer Niall McKay (DELANO MANONGS); and director/producer Duc Nguyen (STATELESS); Supervisor David Chiu, City and County of San Francisco District 3; California Assemblymember Rob Bonta, District 18; Martin Yan, Yan Can Cook Inc, and Roy Yamaguchi, Roys’ Restaurants.
CAAMFest gratefully acknowledges its sponsors
CAAMFest is supported in part by the following: Xfinity, Asian Art Museum, Buick, Singapore Airlines, Asian Americans for Civil Rights & Equality (“AACRE”), AARP, Cooper White & Cooper, FilmFest, Gala Festival Engine, Pacific Islanders in Communications, Pacific Standard Print, Remy Martin, Southwest Airlines, Asian Cultural Council, National Endowment for the Arts, Grants for the Arts/Hotel Tax Fund, and The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. CAAM is supported with major funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
About CAAM:
CAAM (Center for Asian American Media) is a non‐profit organization dedicated to presenting stories that convey the richness and diversity of Asian American experiences to the broadest audience possible. CAAM does this by funding, producing, distributing and exhibiting works in film, television and digital media. For more information on CAAM, please visit www.caamedia.org.
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