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History
A Formula for Change was a report published by the Task Force on Minorities in Public Broadcasting appointed by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). It was released in 1978 which outlined the deficiency of programs for minorities in the public sector of media. Individual producers, television stations, and advocates for minority representation formed the Minority Consortia in which NAATA was one of the key components within this core group. The inception of NAATA, now known as CAAM, at the beginning of the 1980s came at a key moment in the historical development of Asian American media. Earlier in 1971, Los Angeles-based activists and artists established Visual Communications (VC), a community-based organization. This organization was instrumental in helping to create many early examples of Asian American filmmaking, including the first Asian American feature film, Robert A. Nakamura's Hito Hata: Raise the Banner in 1980. In New York, Asian CineVision (ACV) formed in 1976 and pursued similar goals as VC, helping to nurture a nascent East Coast filmmaking community. By 1978, ACV had organized the first festival named Asian American International Film Festival which showcased many independent Asian American filmmakers in the event.

Along with CAAMFest, CAAM as a nonprofit organization helps in funding and disseminating Asian American film and media. CAAM also has career opportunities, several programs, and community building initiatives.

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Some films that came from CAAM and its supported films are: Who Killed Vincent Chin?, Days of Waiting, a.k.a. Don Bonus, American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs, K-Town'92, Minding the Gap.

Since 2013, CAAMFest has served as a platform for all film and media supported by CAAM, filled with sponsors, awards, presentations, and galas. Although it for media, CAAMFests have become festivals that celebrate film as well as music and food. After 2013, some festivals have been themed like CAAMFest35 in 2017, yesterday today tomorrow, which highlighted CAAM's past, present, and future in Asian American media. CAAMFest36 in 2018 had a theme of Culture, In Every Sense.

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Media Fund: CAAM created the Media Fund in 1990 in order to give money to Asian American filmmakers. For independent Asian American filmmakers, taking money from CAAM had both benefits and risks attached. CAAM offered funding through the Media Fund during and after production, which granted filmmakers the assets to create their productions and avenues to publicize their work. Those who chose to take the Media Fund also had to waive broadcasting rights to CAAM. It also has certain conditions that those filmmakers had to follow, in that filmmakers did not have the independence to determine if their films would be broadcasted at peak times. Showing these films at non-peak viewing hours lessened the attention to each production, posing a risk to the independence of filmmakers deciding to take the media fund or not. However, if the independent Asian American filmmakers took the money from CAAM then they had higher chances of broadcasting the work, although slim because only 14% of the 193 projects from 1999-2001 were chosen.

CAAM Fellowship Program is an opportunity to foster growth among Asian American documentary filmmakers, producers, and directors. This is path available to those who wish to develop their own skills alongside mentors and fellows, whether current cinematographers or those looking to get into the directing or producing aspects of film.