Desi talents and narratives at CAAMFest
Come May, CAAMFest 2026 is set to return for its 44th year, with a pantheon of South Asian films and talent on show. The festival offers a curated selection of over 60 films that capture the contemporary narrative of Asian American communities. Running May 7-10, the festival will include screenings and panel discussions at the AMC Kabuki in San Francisco Japantown, according to a press release. This year’s lineup features a significant number of films highlighting the South Asian and Indian diaspora, ranging from political documentaries to narrative explorations of identity and immigrant life.
Featured Showcases
The A List: 15 Stories from Asian and Pacific Diasporas
The opening night documentary, directed by Eugene Yi, is an HBO Original featuring trailblazers reflecting on identity and community, including Kumail Nanjiani, DJ Rekha, and Nergis Mavalvala.
Centerpiece Documentary
The Gas Station Attendant: Directed by Karla Murthy, this intimate meditation on the immigrant experience weaves the story of a father’s journey from the streets of India to the night shifts of an American gas station.
Documentaries
The 2026 documentary slate offers an expansive look at the South Asian American experience in tech, sports, and politics:
Breaking the Code: Directed by Ben Rekhi and Swetlana, this feature follows a son retracing his father’s journey from Indian immigrant to Silicon Valley tech pioneer.
Hoop Like This: Directed by Shubhangi Shekhar, this film follows the 12 best Indian basketball players from around the world as they compete for $1 million on ESPN to prove that brown ballers exist.
Seat at the Table: Directed by Sarita Khurana and Yoav Attias, the film chronicles the meteoric rise of South Asian Americans in U.S. politics, providing access to campaigns during the 2024 elections.
Meals that Made Us: Directed by Nisha Balaram, this series explores how food shapes identity within Bay Area Asian American communities.
Uncommitted: Directed by Razi Jafri, the film follows Arab and Muslim grassroots leaders striving to redefine American political priorities.
Narrative Features
Jersey Boy: Directed by Jaskaran Singh, this narrative follows a young Sikh boy struggling to hold onto his identity and family in the aftermath of 9/11.
Shakti: Directed by Nani Sahra Walker, the film explores Kathmandu’s supernatural underworld through the eyes of a single mother.
Short Films
CAAMFest 2026 features a diverse array of shorts directed by and starring South Asian artists.
11:11 (Dir. Mahnoor Euceph): A Pakistani American teenager’s wish to become white comes true, leading to a struggle to reclaim her identity.
Comfort Food (Dir. Reena Dutt): An Indian American activist chef from Oakland clashes with her Japanese American mother-in-law.
The Last Resort (Dir. Sarita Khurana): Set in the first-ever Indian retirement complex in the U.S., documenting a tight-knit community of immigrants.
Harvest at Camp Two (Dir. Rajan Gill and Reaa Puri): A love letter to Yuba City, highlighting the history of Punjabi-Sikh farmworkers and political pioneers like Kash Gill and Karm Bains.
Skin (Dir. Urvashi Pathania): An Indian American woman, insecure about her skin tone, visits a mysterious lightening center.
Two Questions and a Wish (Dir. Suhashini Krishnan): A reimagining of the Hindu god of the dead navigating the mortal plane.
Ghusl (Dir. Zaid Hassan): A son confronts mortality while performing a traditional Islamic burial rite for his father.
Other notable shorts include: A Very Normal Seeming Man (Dir. Allamaprabhu Pattanashetty), Halal Bodies (Dir. Nausheen Dadabhoy), Just Potential (Dir. Aizzah Fatima), The Boy with the Dinosaur Head (Dir. Imran J. Khan), and The Sale (Dir. Meera Angelica Joshi).
Dates: May 7–10, 2026
Tickets: Prices range from $13 to $80.
More Info: Visit CAAMFest.com for tickets and full programming.
The Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) is a non-profit dedicated to presenting the diversity of Asian American experiences through film, television, and digital media. India Currents is a media partner of CAAMFest.
(This text was edited with the assistance of an AI tool and has been reviewed and edited for accuracy and clarity by India Currents.)