Eugene Yi’s documentary The A-List: 15 Stories from Asian and Pacific Diasporas will open the 44th CAAMFest, taking place May 7-10, 2026.
Sandra Oh, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, Kumail Nanjiani, Amanda Nguyen, Connie Chung, and more share the unique ways they navigated what it means to be Asian, in relation to their American identities.
This year’s festival will feature over 60 films that capture the current zeitgeist of Asian American communities, including five World Premiere films and an increased focus on showcasing documentaries funded or produced by the San Francisco-based Center for Asian American Media (CAAM), which produces CAAMFest.
“After 2025, a year of historic challenges and change for the media, 2026 is shaping up as a time of renewed vigor for Asian American independent storytellers,” says CAAM Executive Director Donald Young. “The energy of the future is palpable. CAAMFest 2026 in many ways returns us to our roots, with an ethos that is scrappy, inspired, and full of attitude.”
Along with the film screenings, CAAMFest also includes the Filmmaker Summit and Industry Hub, a free event attracting filmmakers from around the nation to discuss the topics facing independent creatives who are focused on undertold stories.
“Each feature film that we programmed included characters that were morally conflicted, went against the grain, and shook the status quo,” says CAAMFest Program Manager Dino-Ray Ramos. “The stories featured flawed people that defied the model minority myth and subverted stereotypical ‘good Asian’ behavior. Along with similarly themed and defiant documentaries, we were subconsciously building a program of bad Asians causing good trouble.”
The festival’s completely in-person screenings, panel discussions, and other programs will be centered around the AMC Kabuki in San Francisco’s Japantown.
Below are the currently confirmed 2026 CAAMFest films and programs.
GALA PRESENTATIONS AND SHOWCASE
OPENING NIGHT FILM
The A List: 15 Stories from Asian and Pacific Diasporas
Directed by Eugene Yi
Documentary Feature
What does it mean to be AAPI? Trailblazers from Sandra Oh to Sen. Tammy Duckworth, Kumail Nanjiani to Connie Chung and more, reflect with joy, humor and sorrow on navigating their prismatic identities and finding community in this HBO Original documentary. Directed by Eugene Yi (Free Chol Soo Lee, The Rose).
CLOSING NIGHT FILM
Traces of Home
Directed by Colette Ghunim
Documentary Feature
From filmmaker and CAAM Fellow Colette Ghunim comes an extraordinary journey of self-discovery, as she undertakes a quest to reunite her parents with the ancestral homes they were forced to flee as children in Palestine and Mexico. Filmed over five years and featuring evocative animation and archival footage, Traces of Home is a meditation on memory and an unflinching look at what it takes to find our way back home to ourselves.
CENTERPIECE NARRATIVE:
Forge
Directed by Jing Ai Ng
In Miami, siblings Raymond and Coco Zhang’s art forgery ring flourishes when they encounter a disgraced millionaire in need of their expertise. Meanwhile, FBI Art Crimes agent Emily Lee moves to Miami to investigate a series of mysterious paintings. Co-starring Kelly Marie Tran.
SPOTLIGHT NARRATIVE:
Honeyjoon
Directed by Lilian T. Mehrel
In this light-and-dark comedy, June and her Persian-exiled mother Lela travel to the romantic Azores islands for a grief anniversary, with contrasting ways of coping. Between honeymooners, Woman Life Freedom, and a charming surfer, they (and we) surf the waves of life, loss, flirting… an unforgettable ride.
CENTERPIECE DOCUMENTARY:
The Gas Station Attendant
Directed by Karla Murthy
A daughter reflects on her father’s life — weaving the story of his miraculous journey from the streets of India with the realities of life in America. Using recorded phone calls with her dad while he worked nights at a gas station along with home movies past and present, this intimate film is a meditation on family, the immigrant experience, and the dreams we carry with us. This program is made possible with support from AARP.
SPOTLIGHT DOCUMENTARY:
Before the Moon Falls
Directed by Kimberlee Bassford
After a diagnosis of mental illness, acclaimed Samoan writer Sia Figiel embarks on a path toward healing, but it comes at an unspeakable cost. Presented in partnership with Pacific Islanders in Communications (PIC).
DOCUMENTARIES
About Face: Disrupting Ballet, directed by Jennifer Lin
Documentary Feature
Two Asian American dancers try to persuade the world’s leading ballet companies to jettison Asian stereotypes, including dancing in yellowface. Georgina Pazcoguin and Phil Chan battle entrenched tradition and political pushback as they shine a critical spotlight on The Nutcracker and other beloved classics in this vivid account of cultural missteps and creative evolution.
The Auntie Sewing Squad Resistance Playbook, directed by Valerie Soe
Documentary Feature
The Auntie Sewing Squad Resistance Playbook looks at the Auntie Sewing Squad, a collective of mostly BIPOC women sewists, organized by performance artist Kristina Wong, who saved the world at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. For the Aunties, sewing and donating masks was not just about meeting a public health need; it was a way to address feminism, anti-racism, allyship, and destroying white supremacy. This program is made possible with support from Bloomberg.
Breaking the Code, directed by Ben Rekhi, Svetlana
Documentary Feature
A son retraces his father’s journey from Indian immigrant to Silicon Valley tech pioneer, uncovering a powerful story of migration, sacrifice, and love that broke the glass ceiling for Indians in America. This program is made possible with support from Bloomberg and AARP.
Diamond Diplomacy, directed by Yuriko Gamo Romer
Documentary Feature
Two nations – cultural opposites, divided by fear, prejudice, and war – clash repeatedly over a span of 150 years, but find common ground with the help of a bat and a ball. Babe Ruth, Lefty O’Doul, Ichiro Suzuki, and Shohei Ohtani add new meaning to the word diplomacy.
Hoop Like This, directed by Shubhangi Shekhar
Documentary Feature
Where are all the South Asian basketball players? In this fast-paced documentary directed by Shubhangi Shekhar, the 12 best Indian basketball players from around the world join forces to compete for $1 million on ESPN to show the world that brown ballers exist.
Meals that Made Us, directed by Nisha Balaram
Documentary Feature
Screening of a combined three episodes of a new CAAM-produced documentary short series exploring how Asian American communities in the San Francisco Bay Area shape identity, nurture one another, and imagine new futures through food. From forest foraging and kitchens that honor family legacy to bustling community spaces and digital platforms, the series traces how Asian American food is a living practice grounded in history, fueled by creativity and sustained through connection.
Seat at the Table, directed by Sarita Khurana & Yoav Attias
Documentary Feature
Seat at the Table chronicles the meteoric rise of South Asian Americans in U.S. politics, tracing their inspiring journey from the margins to the forefront of American power. Through unprecedented access to groundbreaking campaigns during the 2024 elections, the film reveals how this community is transforming the nation’s political future.
The Dao of Thao, directed by Khai Thu Nguyen
Documentary Feature
With the help of W. Kamau Bell and others at San Francisco’s Solo Performance Workshop, performer Thao P. Nguyen prepares for her next one-woman show, blending comedy and drama to explore what it means to be a queer, Asian American refugee and mother from an immigrant family — ultimately asking: how do we make and remake ourselves through art? This program is made possible with support from Bloomberg.
Uncommitted, directed by Razi Jafri
Documentary Feature
Uncommitted follows Arab and Muslim grassroots leaders and their elected allies as they spearhead the Uncommitted National Movement, striving to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and redefine American political priorities far beyond the 2024 Presidential Election.
Food Delivery: Fresh From the West Philippine Sea, directed by Baby Ruth Villarama
Documentary Feature
Award-winning director Baby Ruth Villarma gives a cinematically picturesque story of urgency with the documentary Food Delivery. Out in the waters of the contested South China Sea, Filipino fishermen are on the front lines of a geopolitical battle.
NARRATIVES
Eve and the Fire Horse, directed by Julia Kwan
Narrative Feature
Originally screened at the AMC Kabuki in 2006, this 20th anniversary presentation of Eve and the Fire Horse showcases a portrait of first-generation immigrant life in Canada in stunning, newly restored 4K. The narrative feature follows hyper-imaginative nine-year-old Eve, who was born in the Year of the Fire Horse–infamous in Chinese families for producing the most troublesome children–as she grapples with her family’s onslaught of bad luck by developing her own belief system.
Jersey Boy, directed by Jaskaran Singh
Narrative Feature
Shattered by a family tragedy in the wake of 9/11, a young Sikh boy struggles to hold onto love, family, and identity as he grows up in a country feeling like he doesn’t belong.
Mabuhay, directed by Aronjonel Villaflor
Narrative Feature
A creatively inclined college student struggles to pick a career path while managing the expectations of her Filipino immigrant mother.
Mouse, directed by Kenny Riches
Narrative Feature
A petty thief living with his mother, signs up for a penpal service in hopes of finding a friend, or maybe more. Unfortunately, his penpal has other plans. This program is made possible with support from Rakuten Viki.
Shakti, directed by Nani Sahra Walker
Narrative Feature
When her mischievous daughter falls mysteriously ill, a single mother is drawn into Kathmandu’s supernatural underworld of shamans and secrets, where resilience may be their only path to redemption.
Preceded by: My Sweet Pala, directed by Tao Oakamoto
A tender story about an 11-year-old Tibetan American girl and her parents who are trying to protect her from small microaggressions which quickly escalate into racist misunderstandings.
HONG KONG CINEMA SHOWCASE
With support from the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in San Francisco, CAAMFest 2026 will present the best in contemporary and classic Hong Kong film.
Another World, directed by Tommy Kai Chung Ng
After death, before reincarnation, the souls of the deceased transit through a fantastical realm known as Another World. Gudo is a spirit that helps to guide these transient souls to their reincarnation. While guiding a young girl named Yuri, he learns that humans have emotions that he does not understand. Tasked by Goddess Mira to help Yuri control her rage and prevent her transformation into a monster, Gudo embarks on a perilous mission. Winner of Best Animated Feature at the 2025 Golden Horse Awards.
Love Massacre, directed by Patrick Tam
Restored in 4K by M+ in 2025, Love Massacre (1981) follows college student Ivy (Brigitte Lin) as she tries to help her friend Joy (Tina Liu), who is depressed and delirious after a breakup. Ivy soon becomes inadvertently involved with Joy’s brother Chu Chung (Chang Kuo-Chu), but it is later revealed that he is married. Suffering from a hereditary mental illness, Chung eventually spirals into violence as he breaks into Ivy’s dormitory and goes on a killing spree.
SHORTS
SEASONS OF BECOMING
Growth is not always marked in transition between ages or milestones met. They come in seasons, and often of one’s doing.
Fil-Am, directed by Ralph Torrefranca
Gloria, directed by Kim Blanck
Halal Bodies, directed by Nausheen Dadabhoy
Between Us, directed by Quyên Nguyen-Le
Just Potential, directed by Aizzah Fatima
The Boy with the Dinosaur Head, directed by Ali Imran Zaidi
Three Ladies & a Fake ID, directed by Brandon Okumura
SHIFTS AND DREAMS
Whether it be one’s craft, business, or devotion to community—these films capture labor-oriented stories focused on expertise, dedication, sacrifice, and bold dreams, painting a picture of Asian American work that reveals both the highs and lows of building a better life and future for oneself and those around them.
Milk & Honey, directed by Rachel Leyco
Sole (얼), directed by Haneol Lee
The Sale, directed by Meera Angelica Joshi
Gilbert Gong – The Heart of Lincoln Square, directed by J.P. Dobrin
Sweet Farewell, directed by Cynthia Nguyen
Warren King: King of Cardboard, directed by Curtis Chin
THIRTEEN O’CLOCK
Step through the veil of reality, and a realm of magic, strange, and the unexplainable opens up.
Can I Put You on Hold, directed by James Cutler
Two Questions and a Wish, directed by Suhashini Krishnan
Rope, directed by Lucas Ikaika Manuel-Scheibe
Red Pocket, directed by Austin Chen
Skin, directed by Urvashi Pathania
11:11, directed by Mahnoor Euceph
OLD ROOTS, NEW BRANCHES
Capturing familial, generational, and community-oriented bonds, these short films highlight deep relationships and the powerful connective tissue that bridge them. From passing the torch to making amends, these stories open up our hearts to the inexplicable, transcendent force that binds us all.
Dare to Win, directed by Kar Yin Tham
A Very Normal Seeming Man, directed by Allamaprabhu Pattanashetty
Comfort Food, directed by Reena Dutt
Ghusl, directed by Zaid A. Hassan
The Last Resort, directed by Sarita Khurana
After the Storm, directed by Sungbin Moon
See You Tomorrow Tomorrow Tomorrow, directed by Desdemona Chiang
FRAME BY FRAME
Film is not always created with a camera. Sometimes, the medium is manifested through drawings, computer, or mixed media—bringing spectacular stories to life, frame by frame.
Frozen in Time, directed by Caleb Soon
Ramen Western, directed by Meloddy Gao
Lukso ng Dugo, directed by Annika Magbanua
The Bird, the Girl and the Typhoon, directed by Angeline Marie Michael Meitzler
The Newcomer, directed by Annette Cho
Paper Daughter, directed by Cami Kwan
First Winter, directed by Schantelle Alonzo
REVIVAL & RECONNECTION
In these three CAAM-funded short documentaries, reconnecting with cultural lineage and histories paves the way towards a more grounded present and future.
Bridging Our Stories, directed by Rafael Bitanga
Harvest at Camp Two, directed by Rajan Gill & Reaa Puri
Barrio Beats x Taiko Streets, Episode 2 of Far East L.A. Series, directed by Ruben Guevara, Jun Shimizu
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