4 films you need to see now

folks in the bay area and beyond, i'd like to introduce you to CAAMFest––previously known as the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival (whew that's a mouth full).

this is the first year they've rebranded the festival to include more than just film. the week-long festival featured cooking demos, musical performances, discussion panels, and more; perhaps inspiration was drawn from one SXSW festival?

the hunch isn't too far fetched considering CAAM's (Center for Asian American Media) Festival and Exhibitions Director was austin's own Executive Director for the sadly now-defunct Austin Asian American Film Festival (anyone interested in reprising it, btw? i have no idea what it will take, but i've got some blood, guts, and PLENTY of tears to give. hollaaa)

the film i'm most excited to share with y'all is taiwan's Go Grandriders, a documentary about a group of 80+ year olds who embark on a 730 mile epic journey on motorbikes. these grandpas and grandmas are spunky, endearing, lively, tough, introspective, enlightening, and fucking cute.

Tien-hao Hua, the documentary's director, did a fabulous job capturing tender moments and comedic gold. it made my bellyache from laughter and my eyes moist from begrudged tears––emotions are the devil, said melissa.

3 other notable films were Turn it Up to 11, Part 2 and Xmas Without China. Turn it Up follows korean punk band Galaxy Express as they tour around texas––playing SXSW and smaller shows in pizza parlors, basements, country bars, and dorm rooms. not only was it interesting to see how korean punk rockers were received in my hometown but also what they thought of the southern state. the film turned out to be a fun and heartfelt diary of folks in search of a good time in unsuspecting places.

and Xmas Without China followed a filmmaker––originally from china but who grew up in southern california––as he challenged an average white american family, aptly named the Jonses, to go the entire month of december without using or purchasing any products made in china. the Jonses' struggles, while realizing just how much comes from asia, was entertaining and downright funny at times, but the real engaging point was filmmaker Tom Xia's story and his family: reshaping american identity.

lastly, Debbie Lum's documentary Seeking Asian Female about a white man with an extreme asian fetish (and a hard drive full of mail order bride profiles) will both fascinate and alarm you. let me just say, i left the theater with a much different feeling than when i walked in -- and i'm not sure if i'm ok with that. the Q&A with Debbie and Phil Yu of Angry Asian Man filled up within 10 minutes of the doors opening and NPR's This American Life recently spotlighted the film. so it's getting plenty of buzz.

and i lied in my last entry to get you here -- i rubbed no one. allegedly.
-melissa