Attention, those of you in the Bay Area – prepare for CAAMFEST. Formerly known as the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival (SFIAAFF), this eleven-day celebration will start with the Bay Area premiere of Linsanity, the documentary of the darling Asian-American basketball player.
Local independent film festivals are the way to gauge films that are truly for the people, by the people. Cinema began its roots from the ground up – before the star system, before the studio system – there were people dedicated to the kind of working-class spirit that independent film festivals entail. In an excellent article on Eileen Jones, film critic at The eXiled, she argues that:
“American filmmakers should aim for something closer to craft –for a democratic cinema where there is no arbitrary split between entertainment and artistic merit: ‘Craft’ is the right endeavor for us. It suggests working-class construction, deft ability, professionalism, and a certain mental sharpness – slyness, even.”
Read the whole article on Eileen Jones here.
The cinema medium is a powerful force with the capability to strengthen causes and communities. If you are dissatisfied with what the Hollywood machine is churning out these years, head to your local film festival, which will be showcasing a hometown hero.
More information on CAAMFEST can be found here, and tickets and dates can be found here.
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