This year’s Documentary Competition features films that look to the past, present and future as they follow outsiders working for visibility, success and even survival.
95 AND 6 TO GO | DIR. KIMI TAKESUE
95 AND 6 TO GO is filmmaker Kimi Takesue’s moving tribute to her grandfather, Tom, a recently widowed 90-something living in Hawaii. Takesue captures the intimate and mundane moments of Tom’s life, who reciprocates with advice and bits of wisdom that unravel his own story of love and loss.
Showtime: Sunday, March 19 @ 3pm at New People Cinema
AKA SEOUL | DIR. JON MAXWELL
Five Korean adoptees, raised all around the world, arrive in Seoul, where their complex identities— professional, sexual, cultural — emerge out of their experiences in the city. AKA SEOUL rewrites the adoption narrative beyond tearful reunions and toward bold new stories of self-determination and self-expression.
FINDING KUKAN | DIR. ROBIN LUNG
Robin Lung takes us on a winding journey to rediscover the long-lost Academy Award-winning documentary KUKAN, which afforded America a rare glimpse of China before and during the life-altering events of World War II. FINDING KUKAN explores questions of racial and gender prejudice, leaving us with much food for thought.
MIXED MATCH | DIR. JEFF CHIBA STEARNS
Finding a bone marrow donor match is seemingly impossible for individuals with multiracial heritage. In the eye-opening documentary, MIXED MATCH, award-winning filmmaker, Jeff Chiba Stearns follows individuals through their unique journeys as they explore the role that mixed ancestry plays in medical care.
Showtime: Sunday, March 12 @ 4:30pm at Gray Area
RANDOM ACTS OF LEGACY | DIR. ALI KAZIMI
Culled from an artist’s collection of 16mm home movies, RANDOM ACTS OF LEGACY is a touching documentary that reveals an unfiltered perspective of the first-generation Chinese American experience. Set against the backdrop of race and class in Chicago from the 1930s to 1950s, Ali Kazimi offers a little-seen glimpse into how immigrants embrace American customs.
Showtime: Sunday, March 19 @ 12:20pm at New People Cinema
RE:ORIENTATIONS | DIR. RICHARD FUNG
Richard Fung’s new documentary updates his 1984 film ORIENTATIONS: LESBIAN AND GAY ASIANS. Fung explores experiences of original subjects and fresh faces, documenting a unique blend of voices through three decades of community, politics and identity.
Showtime: Sunday, March 12 @ 2:20pm at Roxie Theater
Text by CAAMFest program guide writers.
