CAAMfest returns to S.F. with maybe its splashiest lineup of films yet

In an encouraging indicator that Hollywood might, just might, be responding to increased demand for high-profile, high-quality films concentrated on the Asian experience, this year’s CAAMFest — billed as the world’s largest showcase for Asian and Asian American movies — contains a few hyped studio features within its lineup.

The most eye-catching are the raucous R-rated opening night feature “Joy Ride” — a wild comedy that receives a huge theatrical release July 7 — and the Disney+ streaming series “American Born Chinese,” adapted from the award-winning graphic novel by the East Bay’s own Gene Luen Yang.

But let’s not get too ecstatic about how Hollywood is making up for its prior shortcomings. And there’s still room for improvement given that there are numerous worthwhile shorts, documentaries and narrative features, most of which haven’t caught the eye of big studios yet.

As for CAAMFest, it kicks off May 11 off in a splashy and tremendous way with “Joy Ride’s” four leads joining the director on stage at San Francisco’s Castro Theatre post the screening. That’ll be followed by an opening-night gala at the Asian Art Museum.

The festival runs through May 21.

This year’s 40th celebration, of course, spotlights a variety of Bay Area-themed works and Bay Area filmmakers, including Berkeley’s Deann Borshay Liem’s documentary “Crossings,” which adopts a fly-on-the-wall approach in following women peacemakers and their brave journey through North and South Korea; Karen Cho’s “Big Fight in Little Chinatown,” which examines the surge of anti-Asian racism that was felt in Chinatowns during the pandemic; and “Jeanette Lee Vs.,” a portrait by Oakland’s Ursula Liang of the ahead-of-her-time pool player Jeannette Lee, to name a few.

The bustling program doesn’t exclusively showcase Asian cinema per se, but Asian culture overall. In addition to screenings held in San Francisco and Oakland, a bevy of savory culinary events and special events are planned as well. One hot-ticket item that’s not to be missed is the closing night’s Oakland Juicy Fruity Party – a collaboration with the community event group Soulovely. It’ll showcase queer DJs as they spin cool tunes and get a vibe going on.

As for the films, here are some you should not miss:

“Joy Ride”: Gotta hand it to CAAMFest programmers. Their opening night selection is a splashy, buzz-worthy film that will likely raise more than a few eyebrows. The hard-R-rated comedy features a fantastic quartet of actors — Ashley Park, Stephanie Hsu, Sherry Cola and Sabrina Wu — who nail every rowdy line and complex emotion. They portray Asian American friends who meet up in China and get into all sorts of outlandish and screamingly hysterical trouble. Director Adele Lim’s directorial debut is as much raunchy fun as “Bridesmaids” and “Girls Trip,” but it’s smart, too, commenting on the need to embrace our true identities and celebrate them every day. Details: 6:30 p.m. May 11; Castro Theatre.

“American Born Chinese”: Lucky ticket holders can get a sneak peek an executive producers Kelvin Yu and Destin Daniel Cretton’s adaptation of Yang’s beloved graphic novel. Two out of eight episodes of the new series will screen here. Fully expect to love what you see. The plot finds Jin Wang (an outstanding Ben Wang) reluctantly getting chummy with the new guy at high school, Wei-Chun (Jimmy Liu). Assuming he’s a bore (he does wear a shirt with a robot plastered on it), Jin discovers that he comes from a mythological family lineage. The snappy screenplay, acute observations on what it is like to be an Asian American teen in a mostly white school and martial arts action — Berkeley’s Daniel Wu has a great time as the Monkey King — contribute in making this a fast-paced, addictive show with wonderful cameos and supporting appearances from Oscar winners Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan and others, including the ever-busy Hsu. Details: 3 p.m., May 13; Castro Theatre; premieres May 24 on Disney+.

“The Accidental Getaway Driver”: Remember the name Sing J. Lee. You’ll be hearing much more about this talented filmmaker in the future. His astonishing debut feature commands our attention from the uncomplicated but gripping start: An elderly Vietnamese driver named Long reluctantly agrees to a night job driving around three shifty men that he later finds out have escaped from an Orange County jail. The father-figure Long begins to bond with one of the men. As the hours go on and desperation rises, each of them reveals their tough past and how it affects their present. Lee’s fine cast is fronted by Hiệp Trần Nghĩa as Long and Dustin Nguyen as Tây; both give nuanced and touching, but not overly sentimentalized, performances as two characters who are very different but have more in common than they imagined. “The Accidental Getaway Driver,” the fest’s narrative centerpiece, originated from a true story and speaks, with both insight and tenderness, on universal truths about our inherent need for family and connection. Details: 6 p.m. May 12; Castro Theatre.

“Liquor Store Dreams”: Self-proclaimed Southern California “liquor store baby” So Yun Um turns the focus on her family’s biz as well as that of her friend Danny Pak’s. The result is an intimate, candid look at being a Korean-American business owner during tough and turbulent times. Um’s film is a fearless one, addressing the great generational divide in perceptions of Black America, and how those views are changing. Danny’s story is a heartbreaker at times since he moved back from working at Nike to help his mother after his father’s death. His journey explores how cultural and family ties can be rewarding and overwhelming at the same time.  “Liquor Store Dreams” is the fest’s Centerpiece Documentary. Details: noon, May 13; Castro Theatre.

“Jamojaya”: Filmmaker Justin Chon (“Man Up,” “Gook,” ““Blue Bayou”) makes passionate, metaphor-laced dramas that are visually rich and aren’t afraid of tossing in some over-the-top moments. His latest is a father-son drama set within the recording industry and exploring the phenomenon of cultural assimilation. It plays with tone and wraps up unpredictably with admirable, if somewhat insane, gusto. Indonesian rapper James (Brian Imanuel, aka Rich Brian) is poised to be The Next Big Thing. And everyone wants a piece of him. After severing his managerial relationship with his dad (Yayu A.W. Unru), he’s now getting coddled, groomed and artistically stifled by his mostly white managers and producers. “Jamojaya” is set mostly during a recording session in Hawaii for James’s upcoming album, an assignment that gets interrupted by father-son tension and the demands of others. Chon’s latest is another risk taker from a true original. The songs aren’t bad either!. Details: 9 p.m. May 13; Castro.

“Last Summer of Nathan Lee”: The younger set shouldn’t miss director Quentin Lee’s observant, funny/sad YA entry. In this sexy world premiere, Lee, a UC Berkeley grad, follows in the tradition of Sean Baker’s 2015 indie groundbreaker “Tangerine” by shooting the film on iPhones. It gives the film about a terminally ill graduating senior named Nathan Lee (Harrison Xu) wanting to have as much sex as possible before he dies, a home-movie quality that works well. Lee and co-screenwriter Dennis Escobedo have a real gift at expressing how today’s teens talk and act, and how they are more sexually fluid. Matthew Mitchell Espinosa brings a deft touch to the role of Nathan’s gay best buddy Dash, showing hints that he too is in love with his handsome friend. Details; 6:30 p.m. May 14; Castro Theatre.

Contact Randy Myers at soitsrandy@gmail.com.

CAAMFEST

When: May 11-21

Where: Various San Francisco theaters

Tickets: Most individual screenings $13-$15; centerpiece films and special events cost more; caamfest.com