The largest Asian film festival in North America calls San Francisco home. This year was the 25th anniversary of the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, featuring nearly 70 films in eight theaters over 11 days across the bay. This year’s festival venues included AMC Van Ness, Landmark Opera Plaza Cinema, Castro Theater, Palace of Fine Arts, Asian Art Museum, The Independent, Rickshaw Stop, Pacific Film Archive and Camera 12 Cinemas.

This year’s collection of films ranges from anniversary showings to shorts to documentaries. There was even a sing-along Flower Drum Song playing at the Castro Theater, and a seldom-seen Anna May Wong film accompanied by organist Robert Israel.

Close-up: Director Chris Chan Lee

Hailing from the USC School of Cinema, Chris Chan Lee returned to the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival this year to show his second feature film, Undoing. In 2002, Lee worked for MEDIACORPS in Singapore, during which he cultivated the idea of displaced identity for this film. With MEDIACORPS, Lee directed an English-language primetime TV series. He has also directed music videos for Asian American artists, which have aired on MTV.

Kooky Kabuki

Originally built for traveling Kabuki presentations, San Francisco’s Sundance Kabuki Theater is nestled in the heart of Japantown and recently home to the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival. It was not used as a venue this year however, due to renovations.

The largest auditorium on the first floor was made for live shows. Subsequent auditoriums on higher floors are more of a typical multiplex similar to other big chain move theaters. The Kabuki could therefore play a mix of mainstream and independent/foreign features.