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HAIBAYO Cares

HAIBAYO Cares connects immigrants and younger generations through food, preserving culinary traditions and fostering community. They celebrate AAPI stories and identities through film, highlighting the emotional ties that food creates across cultures.

August 6th, 20266PM - Doors Open 6:30PM - Begin Program <a fr-original-style="text-align: center;" href="https://haibayo.com/" style="text-align: center; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">Haibayo Cafe</a> <a fr-original-style="text-align: center;" href="https://maps.google.com/?q=1132+W+Argyle+St+Chicago+IL+60640" style="text-align: center; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">1132 W Argyle St, Chicago, IL 60640</a> Food connects immigrants and younger generations to each other, evoking memories of family and community. Even as AAPI culinary practices evolve, traditional ingredients and techniques honor the struggles of our elders as they created a sense of &ldquo;home&rdquo; away from their homelands. Whether it&rsquo;s running a multi-generational family business or building identity and community through familiar flavors, these six short films are about cooking, serving, and eating through the lenses of AAPI filmmakers and storytellers. A Slice of HomeDirected &amp; Produced by Pauline Tran <a fr-original-style="" href="https://paulinetran.com/" style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">paulinetran.co</a>mBetween the hum of mixers and the scent of coconut, Brooklyn baker <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.instagram.com/staceymeiyanfong/?hl=en" style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">Stacey Mei Yan Fong</a> prepares a pandan pie in memory of her Singaporean grandfather, blending Americana with Asian flavors and a touch of nostalgia. Each whisk and pour is paired with reflections on bicultural identity, family expectations, and the ways food encapsulates love across time and cultures.2026 | Documentary | USA | &nbsp;15 mins | English | Digital I Pie (A Love Story)Directed by Nobu AdilmanA pie man discusses his love for baking pies... and only pies.2007 | Narrative | USA | &nbsp;6 mins | English | Digital Benkyodo:&nbsp;The Last Manju Shop in J-TownDirected by Akira Boch, Tadashi Nakamura <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.akiraboch.com/%EF%BF%BCIG:" style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">akiraboch.com</a> <a fr-original-style="" href="https://tadashinakamura.com/%EF%BF%BCIG:" style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">tadashinakamura.com IG:</a> <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.instagram.com/tadashinakamurafilms" style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">tadashinakamurafilms</a>Ricky and Bobby Okamura wrestle with closing their beloved family-owned manju shop after serving the San Francisco Japantown community for 115&nbsp;years.2023 | Documentary | USA | &nbsp;15 mins | English | Digital MSG:&nbsp;Mysterious Savory GrainsDirected by Kyle Finnegan Produced by Yi Chen, Kyle Finnegan <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.kylefinnegan.com/" style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">kylefinnegan.com</a> IG: <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.instagram.com/c35films" style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">c35films</a>Tim Ma is on a mission to change that perception and use MSG as a way to share his culture through food. Through interviews with Ma and two MSG experts, the documentary explores the origin of MSG&#39;s stigma and how the ways we talk about food can be just as pervasive today. IG: <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.instagram.com/msg_documentary/" style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">MSG_Documentary</a> IG: <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.instagram.com/snacknight.mov/" style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">SnackNight.mov</a>2023 | Documentary | USA | 13 mins | English | Digital Sameer and the Giant SamosaDirected by Faroukh Virani Written by Meenakshi Ramamurthy, Faroukh Virani <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.faroukh.com/" style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">faroukh.com</a> linkedin: <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/meenakshi-ramamurthy-50ab3ba/" style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">Meenakshi Ramamurthy</a>&quot;Sameer and the Giant Samosa&quot; is a dark comedy about a newlywed Indian couple and their diverging views on marriage and tradition. A surreal turn of events reveals the groom&#39;s true, hidden appetites.2016 | Narrative | USA | 5 mins | English | Digital What I Am Today:&nbsp;Maa Maa DeiDirected by Ian Szetho <a fr-original-style="" href="https://ianszetho.com/" style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">ianszetho.com</a>Jessica &quot;Jaye&quot; Fong started her pop-up, Maa Maa Dei, to capture the experience of growing up as an Asian-American restaurant kid in the Midwest. From growing up as a Third Culture restaurant kid to pursuing a career in &nbsp;architecture/engineering in Chicago, this story ultimately showcases how our lineage can impact our trajectory in life and can shape what we aspire to do with the time we are given.IG: <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.instagram.com/maa.maa.dei/" style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">@maa.maa.dei</a> and <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.instagram.com/threetopproductions/" style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">@threetopproductions</a>2025 | Documentary | USA | 19 mins | English | Digital

HAIBAYO Cares

Past events

Past events

FAAIM First Thursday’s AAPI Film Night: Second Helpings

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