Phil reminisces and says goodbye to the Camera 12 Cinemas Downtown San Jose - September 8, 2016

Having been born and raised in San Jose, over the years I have watched the South Bay transform into the Silicon Valley. During this time, I also watched Downtown San Jose change as well. But for the past 12 years, I would frequent the Camera 12 Cinemas, one of my favorite movie theaters in town. I saw a plethora of films from all genres here. It was also the home for the Cinequest Film Festival, the then called San Francisco Asian American Film Festival (now CAAMFest at the Camera 3), the Camera Cinema Club, the Midnight Movie series which I hosted, special advance screenings and so forth. It was my home away from home. When I moved to the Sacramento area about a year ago, I thought that I'd come back to visit one day and see a movie there. However, I read the terrible news on Facebook this morning: The Camera 12 Cinemas was closing on September 9, 2016.

I visited the Camera Cinemas' website, looking for more information about the closing. Here is what Jack NyBlom, co-founder of the Camera Cinemas, wrote on the website:

"A message to our Camera 12 family,

It is with much sadness that, in spite of our best efforts, we cannot keep Camera 12 open any longer. A decade’s loss of revenue from a promised growing downtown residential market, that’s just now coming online, coupled with the staggering costs of maintaining a large, aging, poorly designed building has led us to this decision to close.

This closure does not affect our thriving Camera 3 and Camera 7 cineplexes.

I’m proud to say that Camera Cinemas is one of the oldest continuously operating businesses in the downtown. In 1975, my partners, fellow San Jose State University students and incurable film buffs Jim Zuur and Dennis Skaggs, and I rehabbed a former South First Street shoe store and turned it into Camera One. We were tired of driving to Berkeley or San Francisco for art, foreign and independent films. A few years later, we opened Camera 3 in downtown San Jose. In 1989, nationally renowned Cinequest Film Festival debuted at Camera 3 and grew into Camera 12 over the years.

In 2004, Camera Cinemas reopened the failed United Artists 8-screen cineplex at Paseo de San Antonio as Camera 12 Cinemas, finally bringing first-run movies on a regular basis to downtown for the first time in 40 years. It’s estimated we’ve drawn an estimated 20 million moviegoers to downtown San Jose, contributing more than $200,000,000 to its economy.

On behalf of my partners and investors, I wish to thank our staff for their dedicated service, and the community leaders and tens of thousands of patrons who’ve kept the Cameras rolling for so many years.

To customers holding Camera Cinemas gift and discount cards they will be honored at Camera 3 and Camera 7.

In time, I’m confident that downtown San Jose will be home to a new cinema experience. Thank you for your understanding and support.

Sincerely,
Jack NyBlom" 

I can't explain to you all just how devastating this news means to not only me, but to those who work there, the patrons who've been coming there for years, the film festivals and events, this changes the downtown landscape drastically. The Camera 12 Cinemas was a place that people would gather to see extraordinary films, commerce with friends, meet local and independent filmmakers and just celebrate life through art. 

It is now Monday, September 12, 2016 and the Camera 12 is now closed forever. If I was still living in San Jose, I would've left work early on that Friday, went to the first mantine show and stayed till the very last frame of film went through their projector. Then I would've made sure I was the last patrons there, walked around the theater, taken a few pictures of the place, said goodbye to the people working there, and then stood out front and waited till they turned off the lights. I didn't do that though, but over the years I've done just that. Plus I was smart enough to take a plethora of pictures of the theater and all the festivals I attended. Below are some of my favorite pictures I took.

The Camera 12 Cinemas (2012)

Upstairs lobby during the Cinequest 22 Film Festival (2012)

My friend Nate at the 27th Annual SFIAFF (2009)

The Camera 12 Box Office for Cinequest 22 (2012)

The cast of ETERNITY: THE MOVIE at Cinequest 24 (2014)

The upstairs lobby during Cinequest 23 (2013)

The Camera 12 Cinemas Marquee (2012)

It's sad to think that the landscape of Downtown San Jose will never look the same. The Camera 12 will forever hold a special place in my heart, as well as everybody else who paid for a ticket to see some of the greatest films ever screened there. However, like NyBlom said, there's still the Camera 3 on the corner of San Carlos and 2nd Street and the Camera 7 in the Pruneyard Campbell (visit their website at www.cameracinemas.com). But the Camera 12 leaves a big hole in the downtown area. Maybe someday it will re-open again, and if it does, I'll definitely be back for that. But right now I just want to say thank you for the memories, for all the fun times, for all the friends I made there, and last but not least, thanks for all the wonderful movies that I got to see. Goodbye my old friend!! 

Thanks for reading, and long live the Camera 12 Cinemas!!

Phil attends a special screening of INFINITY AND CHASHU RAMEN at the Camera 3 Downtown San Jose-Nov. 3, 3013

I am a big supporter of local indie films. It's so amazing to see people like you and me getting out their and telling their stories for all of us to enjoy. And this past Sunday I had the honor of once again see the great local film INFINITY AND CHASHU RAMEN at the Camera 3 in Downtown San Jose. To make the screening even more important, filmmaker Kerwin Berk and several of the actors were there to partake in a Q&A sessions and to sign autographs. The screening was sponsored by C.A.T.S., the Contemporary Asian Theater Scene. There were two screenings of the film: at 1pm and at 3:15pm. I attended the 1pm screening.

I had the privilege of seeing the film back in August at the inaugural CAAMFest Film Festival, which was held also at the Camera 3. In case you missed my review or it the first time around, here's what I wrote about the film:

"The first film I saw was INFINITY AND CHASHU RAMEN. Written and directed by local filmmaker Kerwin Berk, the film takes place in San Francisco's Japantown and follows two spirits: a wise but mischevious 400 year old man named Tenshi (Hiroshi Kashiwagi) and young naive woman from the 1940's named Lucy (Wendy Woo). Together, these two very different spirits help guide the lives of a dozen people in Japantown, as told in six interwoven vignettes.

This is a perfect example of the flourishing local independent movie scene here in the Bay Area. Berk really captures not only this independent spirit, but also captures the spirit of Japantown. The combination of a cleverly written script with very good acting makes this a winner in my book! The entire cast is great in the film! Both Woo and Kashiwagi play up the odd couple scenario perfectly, giving us some true laughs and sentiment. It's their on-screen chemistry that makes the film so much fun to watch. Definitely worth checking out!!" 

After viewing the film again a couple of months later, it was wonderful to see the film play to a large audience! People were laughing at the funny parts and were somber at the serious parts. Overall, the screening was a complete success!

After the screening, Kerwin came out along with several cast members and conducted a very breif Q&A with the audience. Afterwards, we were all in the theater lobby, hanging out with each other, buying DVD copies of the film and getting autographs. I congratulated Kerwin on all his success and then I left on such a high note that I went back home and watched my DVD copy of the film.

Now if you're interested in seeing the film, you're in luck! There is one more screening left (and it might be its last theatrical screening ever) and it'll take place on November 21st at 7pm at the California Theater in Berkley. So make plans to see this homegrown, locally made indie classic!

To purchase tickets for this screening, click here to get them before the sell out! To purchase a DVD copy, visit the film's official website at http://infinityandchashuramen.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil's Top Three Film Picks from CAAMFest San Jose-August 19, 2013

After the final screening of the CAAMFest San Jose at the Camera 3 Cinemas, I ran into Masashi Niwano, the festival and exhibitions director in the theater lobby. He asked me what were my favorite films during the weekend, to which I responded. Now since I have severe OCD, I had my favorites listed by category: narrative, documentary, and what I call undiscovered gem, which is a film that catches me by surprise. Masashi liked my choices and appreciated my feedback. While driving home I thought to myself, "Hey! I should post that for my blog! What a great idea!" So ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor to present to you all my Top Three Film Picks from the inaugural CAAMFest San Jose!!

FAVORITE NARRATIVE FILM: WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME TOMORROW?

From the opening scene from Arvin Chen's film, I knew I was seeing something really special. Equal parts romantic comedy, drama, and queer cinema, Chen's film also has that distinctive feel of a Wes Anderson movie; which only elevates the film to new heights. Funny, sweet, heart warming, as well as touching, introspective, and surreal, this was an easy pick for me! One of the finest films I've seen in a long time! To learn more about the film, check it's official website and "Like" the film on Facebook!

FAVORITE DOCUMENTARY: GO GRANDRIDERS!

Truly one of the most inspiring documentaries ever captured onto film! This simple story about a group of over 80 senior citizens traveling on a 13 day motorcycle tour around the island of Taiwan is a testament to the human spirit, showing us that life doesn't have to slow down when you get older. And as I said in my original review, this film should inspire you to live every single day of your life to the fullest! I found myself getting choked up during the screening because I was so touched my these people! My favorite documentary at the festival! The film will be the very first Taiwanese documentary to be released theatrically here in the states, so I encourage you all to see this once it's released! In the meantime, please visit the film's official website at http://gograndriders.com.

UNDISCOVERED GEM: BEST FRIENDS FOREVER

OK, I did not see this film coming. While reading the film's synopsis in the schedule, you really don't get the full brilliance of it. Here's a girl buddy road trip film, mixed with an apocalyptic disaster film, and you get one of the most intriguing and fascinating films ever! It really did caught me off guard because it was so different and original! Plus the stars of the movie wrote and directed the film and it was shot on glorious super 16mm film stock! All these factors make this an undiscovered gem of a film! Highly recommended!! Check out the movie's official website at http://bestfriendsforeverfilm.com.

And folks there you have it! My Top Three Film Picks from CAAMFest San Jose! So be on the lookout for any of these films in your local theater, on cable, or VOD, or any other media outlet! Also, if you would like to learn more about CAAM, their mission, and how to make a donation, please visit their website at caamedia.org.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil attends CAAMFest San Jose at the Camera 3: Day Three-August 18, 2013

Hello again everybody and welcome to the third and final day of the CAAMFest San Jose Film Festival at the Camera 3 Cinemas! Hard to believe it's all over! But before I say goodbye, let me talk about the last four film I saw on Sunday!

The first film I saw was the French-Belgian export APPROVED FOR ADOPTION, a true story/narrative/documentary/animation movie. It's about a 45 year old comic book artist named Jung who travels back to Seoul, Koera for the first time since he was abandoned there by his mother at five years old and was found by a policeman. He was just one of thousands of abandoned Koreans that was adopted after the war. He eventually was adopted by a loving French family. Told in animated sequences conveying his childhood, he see Jung's early years unfold as he struggles with who he is and his search for an identity.

The movie is based on a graphic novel by Jung and was directed by Laurent Boileau and Jung. This was a very personal film to watch. We have all at one point in our lives struggled with an identity crisis that leaves us questioning everything that we do. Jung was brave enough to first put it in comic form, and then translate it for the big screen. A very brave move on his part. The film was thoughtful, poetic, and amazingly animated that pulls on your heartstrings. A wonderful work of art that Jung should be very proud of! To learn more about the film, visit its official website at www.couleurdepeaumiel-lefilm.com as follow the film on Facebook too.

Film number two was the documentary HARANA, the long lost art form of when a Filipino man would serenade to the woman he was in love with under her window. Returning home to the Philippines for the first time in over 12 years, classically trained guitarist Florante Aguilar sets out to find the last three remaining masters of the Harana: Celestino Aniel, Felipe Alonzo, and Romeo Bergunio. Together, these four men set out to revive this forgotten music by recording an album and going on tour; to once again bring the Harana music to the people.

I have never heard of Harana music before, and now after seeing the documentary, I can't wait to tell all my friends about it, and the film as well! Director Benito Bautista and Florante did a tremendous job of not only finding the original Harana keepers, but do get them in the film and in the studio to record this incredible music! This film should be required view for music lovers worldwide! It's as if Florante and his friends serenade us though the duration of the film! It's truly a captivating film to watch!

For those of you living here, the film will have several more Bay Area screenings so make sure you check this film out. To learn more about the film and the other screenings, please visit www.haranathemovie.com and check out its Facebook page. 

The third film of the day was the crazy and eccentric New York based film LET'S BE OUT, THE SUN IS SHINING. A shy, twenty-something, Indian-American woman named Diya (Lipica Shah) meets and falls for good looking but jerk Brooklyn bartender Paddy (Scott Lyman). Believing everyone is disposable, he ditches her to Diya to and runs away to Miami with smoking hot blonde cougar Sophia (Madeleine James). Feeling rejected, she befriends a small group of struggling actors and musicians in Bushwick, Brooklyn, much to the disapproval of her protective older brother. During this time she explores who she is, her feelings and thoughts on life and love, and what's important to her.

Director Bornila Chatterjee captures the raw energy and youthful rebellion of New York as we watch Diya come out of her shell and becomes a totally different person at the end of the film. The combination of a good script with hand held cinematography really sets the film apart and gives it its own distinctive personality. The entire cast was great but Lipica Shah was amazing in the film, bringing a sense of innocence and strength to her role as Diya. Really a terrific performance! At the 2012 New York Indian Film Festival, the film won the Audience Choice Feature Film Award and Lipica Shah also received a Best Actress nomination!

After the screening, Bornila Chatterjee came up on stage and gave a fun Q&A session with the audience. You can follow the film on its Facebook page and Bornila on Twitter.

The fourth and final film of the festival was the documentary CROCODILE IN THE YANGTZE, which tells the story of the man known as "Crazy" Jack Ma, a former school English school teacher who went on to become China's first Internet entrepreneur. The documentary explores the early years of his company, the Alibaba Group, and his fierce battle with the powerful US company eBay for dominance in China.

The film was written, produced, and directed by Porter Erisman, who was one of Ma's first employees and had front row seats of this rags t riches tale. From its humble beginnings in Ma's small apartment to a massive company employing 16,000 staff, Porter documents Ma's story from culling nearly " 200 hours of archival footage filmed by over 35 sources between 1995 and 2009." What's really remarkable was that Ma gave Porter his blessing to make the film, showcasing some personal moments and stories that most CEOs wouldn't allow. But by doing this, Porter's film shows the real Jack Ma, a regular human being who had a dream and dared to chase it.

Porter was in attendance at the screening and conducted a Q&A with the audience. To learn more about the film, visit the official website at www.crocodileintheyangtze.com and also follow the film on Facebook.

And that ladies and gentlemen is a wrap of the very first CAAMFest San Jose! I had a blast this weekend and I cannot wait for next year's festival! So if you would like to learn more about CAAM, their mission, and how to make a donation, please visit their website at caamedia.org.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil attends CAAMFest San Jose at the Camera 3: Day Two-August 17, 2013

Welcome back to Day Two of my trip to the CAAMFest San Jose Film Festival at the Camera 3 Cinemas!! Saturday was a busy day for me! I saw four films and one shorts program, so let's get started shall we?

The first film I saw was INFINITY AND CHASHU RAMEN. Written and directed by local filmmaker Kerwin Berk, the film takes place in San Francisco's Japantown and follows two spirits: a wise but mischevious 400 year old man named Tenshi (Hiroshi Kashiwagi) and young naive woman from the 1940's named Lucy (Wendy Woo). Together, these two very different spirits help guide the lives of a dozen people in Japantown, as told in six interwoven vignettes.

This is a perfect example of the flourishing local independent movie scene here in the Bay Area. Berk really captures not only this independent spirit, but also captures the spirit of Japantown. The combination of a cleverly written script with very good acting makes this a winner in my book! The entire cast is great in the film! Both Woo and Kashiwagi play up the odd couple scenario perfectly, giving us some true laughs and sentiment. It's their on-screen chemistry that makes the film so much fun to watch. Definitely worth checking out! To learn more about the film, visit the official website at http://infinityandchashuramen.com.

Film number two of the day was the FUTURE'S CALLING SHORTS PROGRAM. The program consisted of Bay Area filmmakers showcasing their short films about who they are, their communties and their roots.

DISTANCE: A black and white film about a young couple facing a crisis in their relationship. A young Chinese girl's boyfriend asks her to join him as he is being relocated to Hong Kong because of his job. Told in a voiceover narrative, she explains the distance she feels not only with her boyfriend, but also within herself.
TULE LAKE: This amazing animated short takes place in the dead of winter at Tule Lake segregation camp during the Japanese-American internment of World War II. It focuses on a young mom there who leaves her family for one night, but not to escape. The film was beautifully animated by the students at the San Jose Sate University animation department and directed by Michelle Ikemoto! A visually stunning short film!
GRAVE GOODS: Directed by Leslie Tai, this documentary short tells the story of her deceased grandmother who was buried with some of her personal belongings so she could take them with her to the afterlife. Leslie examines what was left behind, and discloses personal stories about them and what they mean to her. Very touching short film!
INDIAN SUMMER: Another doc short, it's about a group of Indian children attending the Hindi Heritage Summer Camp where they learn their roots, traditions, and culture. The film was directed by Mridu Chandra.
LADY RAZORBACKS: Shot in East Palo Alto, this black and white doc focuses on a group of female Pacific Islander rugby players. The short was directed by Laura Green.
PERFORMING GIRL: Directed by Crescent Diamond, the film focuses on the life of D'Lo, a queer, transgender, Tamil Sir Lankan American, actor, artist, comedian, director, and music producer who discusses his upbringing in Lancaster, California. A truly inspiring film!

After the screening, directors Crescent Diamond, Leslie Tai, and Michelle Ikemoto participated in a Q&A session with the audience.

The third film I saw was the powerful documentary STATELESS. Directed by Emmy award winner Duc Nguyen, the film follows the lives of Vietnam War refugees who are living in the Philippines, and have been waiting for over 16 years to be granted interviews in order to come to the United States. The documentary closely examines and tells their stories of hurt, betrayal, sacrifice, and their hope of having a place to call home.

This is one of the reasons I love watching documentaries. They tell stories that I never knew existed and this is one of them. I never knew that there were still over 2,000 boat people still left from the Vietnam War. And all they want is the chance to start over here in America and to finally to not only have a home, but to be free. Nguyen's film portrays the plight of these people and we cannot help feel sympathetic to their cause! Truly an outstanding documentary (six years in the making!) and one that people should definitely see!

After the screening, Duc Nguyen participated in a Q&A with the audience. He also mentioned that he's still seeking help for the film because it is not completely finish, and you can help contribute to its fundraising. To learn more about the documentary and to make a contribution, visit the film's official website at www.statelessdocumentary.com

Film number four was the festival's centerpiece presentation (and another fantastic documentary) called GO GRANDRIDERS. This inspiring film chronicles a group of senior citizens (majority are over 80 years old) as they embark on the greatest adventure of their lives: a 13 day motorcycle tour around the island of Taiwan! As the film progresses, we get to know these people; their background, their family, and their own personal philosophies about life as they travel Taiwan, stopping at nursing homes to inspire other elders to keep on living life to its fullest!

What a wonderful film! I could not stop smiling the entire time I was watching it! It's so inspiring, so touching, and so fantastic to watch that it brought a tear to my eye! OK, it brought a lot of tears to both my eyes! The film proves that just because your old doesn't mean you have to stop living your life. Quite the contrary, it should inspire you to live life to the fullest every single day! These so-called "old people" have lived a very long life, filled with many stories and adventures. And now, in their twilight years, they have added one more to their storybook!

After the screening, director Hua Tien-Hau was there along with ten of the original Grandriders to participate in an awesome Q&A session! To see them live and in-person was so amazing! Afterward, everybody went over to the Fahrenheit Restaurant and Lounge for a reception. The film will be the very first Taiwanese documentary to be released theatrically here in the states, so I encourage you all to see this once it's released! In the meantime, please visit the film's official website at http://gograndriders.com.

The fifth and final film of the day was BEST FRIENDS FOREVER. The film follows best friends Harriet (Brea Grant) and Reba (Vera Miao) as they embark on a road trip from LA to Austin, Texas. At the exact same time, LA and three other cites are wiped off the face of the earth from a nuclear  attack. The apocalypse has just been ushered in, forcing both Harriet and Reba to re-examine their lives and their beloved friendship.

This film caught me off by surprise! It features a terrific script, solid acting, awesome directing, and as a bonus, it features one helluva curve ball: a female buddy road trip story wrapped around an apocalyptic disaster story! Genius! Absolutely genius! Also adding more bonus points, the film was female made. Grant directed the film and co-wrote the screenplay with Miao, who was also one of the producers along with Stacey Storey, a former Miss Alaska USA turned filmmaker who also has her production company called Storeyteller Films. And speaking of film, the movie was shot on super 16mm film print! How cool is that? A true gem of a film! Check out the movie's official website at http://bestfriendsforeverfilm.com.

What a great day of film watching! Six screenings in two days, and there's still more to see on Sunday! To learn more about Center for Asian American Media and the film festival, and to make donations, please visit their website at http://caamedia.org.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil attends the CAAMFest San Jose Opening Night Gala at the Camera 3-August 16, 2013

Friday night I attended the inaugural CAAMFest San Jose Film Festival! Formerly known as the San Francisco International Asian America Film Festival and usually held in March, this year marks a new name for the festival and a new month. But it's still held at the Camera 3 Cinemas here in Downtown San Jose! Before the screening of the opening film, the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) executive director Stephan Gong thanked all their sponsors and partners, without whom this festival would not happen. Stephen also talked about having this festival separate from the fest in San Francisco and their goal is to hopefully grow this to a week long festival, which I would love to see! After all the introductions, writer/director Arvin Chen was called up to introduce his film to the audience and thanked us for coming out to see it on this warm, summer night. Then it was time to watch the South Bay Premiere of the film WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME TOMORROW?

Meet Weichung (Richie Jen). He's an optometrist who was just promoted to manager, is married to the beautiful Feng (Mavis Fan), and they have a son. Life should be good for him, but when he runs into marriage planner Stephen (Lawrence Ko), an old friend from from his gay past, he begins to question his sexual orientation, especially now that his wife wants to have another child. Things begin to get even more complicated when he meets good looking flight attendant (Wong Ko Lok). To make things even more problematic, his younger sister Mandy (Kimi Hsia) has a pre-wedding panic attack and dumps her bland fiance Sen-Sen (Stone) at a department store. Yup, life's not boring for Weichung.

The film was sweet, heart warming, and laugh-out-loud hilarious! Arvin Chen did an incredible job with crafting a story that was fantastic, filled it with believable and relatable characters, and combining surreal and realistic settings and situations that are just beautiful. The film is honest, funny, and is like a breathe of fresh air! I absolutely loved the film! This is what I would call a perfect film! Now I originally wanted to see the film when it was playing during the Frameline 37 Film Festival, but I couldn't make it to the screening. I am very happy that I now got to see this incredible, enchanting, and wonderful film, especially here in San Jose! After the screening, Arvin participated in a fun and informative Q&A session with the audience.

After the screening, we all went to the gala afterparty which was held at the San Jose Museum of Art. There was plenty of food, drinks, and wine to enjoy. Music was played and people were having a very good time! Also the museum had some very cool exhibits to coincide with the festival: Questions from the Sky: New Work by Hung Liu and New Stories from the Edge of Asia: This/That.

What an amazing night, and this was just the beginning! The festival continues for the rest of this weekend so come out to the Camera 3 and partake on the fun! To view the film schedule and to purchase tickets, visit the CAAM website at http://caamedia.org.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!