OPENING NIGHT - THIRD ACT
FRIDAY MAY 30, 2025 | 6PM-9:30PM | DOUBLETREE BY HILTON | TICKETED EVENT
OPENING NIGHT (Friday May 30, 2025)
HAAPIFest is honored to present the Houston premiere of Third Act, a deeply moving documentary by acclaimed filmmaker Tadashi Nakamura. This intimate film chronicles the life and legacy of Robert A. Nakamura, revered as the "godfather of Asian American media," through the lens of his son, offering a poignant exploration of art, activism, and family.
Date/Time: May 30th, 6pm-9:30 pm
Location: DoubleTree by Hilton (10609 Westpark Dr, Houston, TX 77042)
Come enjoy a night full of:
Meet & Greet with Tadashi Nakamura
Limited edition swag bags
** This is a ticketed event **
We can't wait to share the magic of Asian American cinema with you! All Access VIP Pass & General tickets are available through our Elevent ticketing system.
MEET & GREET TADASHI NAKAMURA
FILMMAKER
The film Third Act premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival to standing ovations and rave reviews. HAAPIFest audiences will now have a unique opportunity to experience the film and connect with Tadashi Nakamura during a post-screening Q&A and meet-and-greet session.
“This film is more than a tribute to my father—it’s a tribute to Asian American history, to storytelling, and to healing,” said director Tadashi Nakamura.
This intimate film chronicles the life and legacy of Robert A. Nakamura, revered as the "godfather of Asian American media”.
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Tadashi Nakamura
Tadashi Nakamura is an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and one of the leading voices in Asian American documentary cinema. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Tadashi comes from a lineage of storytellers and activists—his father, Robert A. Nakamura, is widely regarded as the "godfather of Asian American media."
Tadashi’s work is known for its intimate and powerful portrayals of Asian American identity, social justice, and cultural preservation. A graduate of UCLA with a background in Asian American Studies and Ethnomusicology, he has directed several acclaimed films, including Jake Shimabukuro: Life on Four Strings (PBS), Mele Murals, and Pilgrimage, which documents the annual return to the Manzanar internment camp site.
Through his work, Tadashi continues the legacy of his family by elevating AAPI voices and histories that have long been overlooked. His unique ability to blend personal storytelling with broader social issues has earned him national recognition, including the “Emerging Filmmaker Award” from the International Documentary Association and screenings at Sundance, SXSW, and on national PBS platforms. His most recent film, Third Act, is his most personal to date—a heartfelt exploration of his father’s legacy and the evolving bond between them. With this work, Tadashi solidifies his place not only as a documentarian but as a cultural bridge-builder and storyteller for the next generation.
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Third Act
DoubleTree by Hilton, 10609 Westpark Dr, Houston, TX 77042
1h 33m | Documentary
Filmmaker Tadashi explores his father Robert A. Nakamura's life as an influential Asian American artist and activist, while grappling with Robert's Parkinson's diagnosis, navigating themes of art, grief, and their father-son relationship.
Storyline
Generations of artists call Robert A. Nakamura “The Godfather of Asian American film,” but his son, Tad, calls him Dad. As the filmmaking son of a filmmaking legend, Tad uses the lessons his dad taught him to decipher the legacy of an aging man who was a child survivor of the WWII incarceration of Japanese Americans, a successful photographer who gave it up to tell his own story, an activist at the dawn of a social movement—and a father whose struggles have won his son freedoms that eluded Japanese Americans of his generation. As Parkinson's Disease clouds his memory, Tad sets out to retrieve his story—and in the process discovers his own. The two have made films together, with Robert always by Tad’s side. THIRD ACT is most likely the last.