CAAMFest 2025 officially kicks off tomorrow in San Francisco’s historic Japantown, marking a powerful return to a neighborhood deeply intertwined with the Asian American experience. Presented by the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM), this year’s festival embraces the theme of “Inheritance,” inviting audiences to reflect on the histories that shape our present and future.
At a time when support for diversity in education and the arts faces growing threats, CAAMFest 2025 reaffirms the transformative power of storytelling. The festival honors CAAM’s four-decade legacy of community-based media and underscores the role of film in bridging generations, identities, and borders. Through a curated slate of American and international films, this year’s program centers movement-building, memory, and the complex realities that define the Asian American experience.
The festival opens with “Third Act,” the deeply personal new documentary from acclaimed director Tadashi Nakamura (“Mele Murals,” “Nobuko Miyamoto: A Song in Movement”). A tribute to his father—Robert A. Nakamura, the pioneering “Godfather of Asian American Cinema”—the film begins as a portrait of a groundbreaking career in media and morphs into a moving reflection on aging, legacy, and fatherhood after Robert’s Parkinson’s diagnosis.
“Third Act” will screen at the AMC Kabuki 8 Theater in Japantown, followed by a post-screening Q&A with Tadashi Nakamura, producer Eurie Chung, and editor Victoria Chalk, moderated by CAAMFest Program Manager Del Holton. The Opening Night celebration continues with CAAMFest’s annual Gala at the Asian Art Museum, gathering filmmakers, artists, and community leaders to toast the festival’s return.
The program also commemorates the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, exploring its enduring impact on Southeast Asian and Asian American communities. From diasporic memory to modern activism, CAAMFest 2025 presents films and events that amplify both historical narratives and contemporary voices.
In a poignant finale, the festival concludes on Mother’s Day, May 11, with programming dedicated to Asian American women and the many forms of “mothering”—whether through parenting, community organizing, or aesthetic innovation. These closing events spotlight visionary artistry while paying tribute to the nurturing forces that sustain cultural identity and collective resilience.
Since its founding over 40 years ago, CAAM has championed the power of moving images to reflect a diversity of lived experiences and spark intergenerational dialogue. With CAAMFest 2025, that mission continues—bringing together a bold, multi-voiced celebration of the past, present, and future of Asian American storytelling.
CAAMFest 2025 runs from May 8–11 at venues throughout San Francisco. For tickets and program details, visit caamfest.com.