Join Us For CAAMFest FORWARD Live Screenings

Definition Please CAAMFest FORWARD
Image Credit: Definition Please

There are three different ways to enjoy our lineup of Asian American films during CAAMFest FORWARD: drive-in experiences, on-demand films, and live screenings. Our last post explained how the drive-in experiences will be exciting, socially distanced nights out among our community. Now, here’s more about our live screenings — yet another way to engage with this year’s CAAMFest FORWARD. These programs are streamed live at a specific time, allowing users to tune in and experience these films virtually with other members of our community. A live Q&A will immediately follow each of these programs. Take a peak at our exciting scheduled programming below, featuring CAAM productions like Coming Home Again along with First Look projects, including Hummingbird and Kapwa.

76 Days CAAMFest FORWARD
Still from Hao Wu and Weixi Chen’s film “76 Days”, a live online screening at CAAMFest FORWARD

CAAMFest FORWARD Special Presentations

  • Opening Night Film: Coming Home Again, Dir. Wayne Wang, October 16 Based on a personal essay by Chang-rae Lee that was published in The New Yorker, Coming Home Again is an intimate family drama about a mother, a son, and the burden of family expectations. Chang-rae, a first generation Korean American, has returned to his family home in San Francisco to care for his ailing mother. Wanting nothing more than to fulfill his role as the supportive son, Chang-rae must come to terms with his own conflicted emotions towards his mother. This is a CAAM Production and U.S. Premiere.
  • Centerpiece Film: Definition Please, Dir. Sujata Day, October 17 CAAMFest alum Sujata Day is back with her directorial debut. Sujata plays Monica, a former Scripps Spelling Bee champion, who lives at home with her ailing mother, must reconcile with her estranged brother in order to take the first steps in realizing her dreams and moving on with her life. This knock-out Asian American dramedy includes a cast of rising talent: Jake Choi, Anna Khaja and Ritesh Rajan.
  • Closing Night Film: 76 Days, Dirs. Hao Wu, Weixi Chen, and Anonymous, October 18 CAAMFest Alum Hao Wu (The Road to Fame) is back with a powerful new documentary that captures the struggles of patients and frontline medical professionals battling the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan, China. Just weeks after its successful Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) premiere, we are thrilled to showcase this important film that will become a lasting work that explores the impact of the pandemic globally.
Try Harder - CAAMFest FORWARD
Still from San Francisco filmmaker Debbie Lum’s “Try Harder”, which will be featured in a First Look program

CAAMFest FORWARD First Look

CAAM’s newest section is called First Look. These events offer exclusive sneak peaks into four upcoming projects that will be released in 2021, followed by conversations with the filmmakers. All of these programs are free of charge, so all you have to do is reserve your spot through the CAAMFest website! 

  • Hummingbird, October 16 When beloved telepathic superhero Hummingbird is left for dead after a major battle, she makes a deal with the Devil to save her life. Will she succumb to the Devil’s plan or will Hummingbird become what she was meant to be? This is a CAAM-funded film.
  • Asian Art Museum’s After Hope: Videos of ResistanceOctober 17 After Hope: Videos of Resistance consists of a screening of more than fifty short, single-channel videos, drawn from recommendations by artists, curators, and organizations across the world. The result is a six-hour looping chronicle of hope that is eclectic in nature, rather than unified by a single narrative.
  • Try Harder, October 17 In a universe where cool kids are nerds, the orchestra is world class and being Asian American is the norm, seniors at Lowell High School compete for the top prize: admission to the college of their dreams. As some achieve their dreams and most confront failure, this CAAM-funded film shows how parental pressure, race and identity impact American youth in this coming-of-age tale.
  • Kapwa, October 18 Kapwa highlights Filipinos and their lived experiences navigating the current and ongoing crisis and the critical family conversations they inspire.

Check the CAAMFest website for more times and to get tickets for all of these live screenings.

What to Expect

To attend any of these live virtual programs, you must buy or reserve a ticket for the individual film or event you are interested in viewing. After reserving your spot online, you’ll receive an order confirmation email. It’s important you hang on to this because it will be your ticket into the event.

On the day of the event, you’ll click the link provided in your order confirmation email to join the event. Your confirmation email will include a unique access code that you will use to enter the virtual screening room. Please note that your access code can only be used one time, on one device and on one browser.

After that, you’re free to grab some friends and a bowl of popcorn before the show begins! The event will play automatically so there’s no need to click or refresh anything during the viewing experience. Since the event is being live streamed, you will not be able to rewind the programming at any time.

Ticket Sales

Tickets for the live streaming events will go on sale Monday, October 5, 2020. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit CAAMFest.com.

Check back to learn more about CAAMFest On-Demand, which allows you to watch close to 50 films at your own convenience between festival dates.