Six months ago, we got married in the city! It was sunny and sweet and perfect. Our ceremony was officiated by JP’s dad, and all of our family + Dan (who is family) shared their words of love and friendship with us. So grateful to be surrounded by people who love and care for us.
Huge thanks to @beautywithcherie@rayflorets and @helenaandlaurent 💕
Joy and laughter filled the air at Friday's premiere of our newest Oakland Originals short documentary at CAAMFest, GILBERT GONG - THE HEART OF LINCOLN SQUARE.
As filmmakers toil through the often months- or years-long shooting and editing process – even for a short documentary – they dream of how the premiere will go and what the film will mean to the audience. They wish for an evening like this.
The sold-out house (more on that below) packed with many friends and family set the stage for the evening of short docs and fiction films. All the films selected by CAAMFest for Friday's SHIFTS AND DREAMS shorts program were beautifully crafted and intimate, personal stories.
Then the outpouring of joy at seeing Oakland, Chinatown and familiar Lincoln Square kids, teens and seniors on the big screen took over the room. The love for Gilbert, the gratitude for his many years of service to Oakland Chinatown, and the appreciation for his core message of uplifting community and looking out for one another bubbled over after the screening.
There was one unfortunate blemish on the evening. Somehow tickets for the screening were significantly oversold. Over 30 ticket-holders, some of whom had traveled from far corners of the Bay Area, were sadly turned away due to lack of space. Our hearts go out to them. We will work to provide them with another opportunity soon.
This just reinforces our urgency to have a big Oakland premiere to bring the whole community together in celebration and solidarity.
For updates, join our mailing list in our bio or at our website.
But first, we look forward to a little rest and recovery after a few months of intense filmmaking.
Finally, for now, huge thanks to Gilbert and the Lincoln Square Recreation Center staff for their willingness to share their stories with us. We also send our endless grattitude all those who made ths wonderful evening possibile.
#CAAMFest2026
#Lincolnsquareoakland
#Oaklandchinatown
#shortdocumentaries
My staff attended CAAMFest to support Gilbert Gong – The Heart of Lincoln Square, directed by J.P. Dobrin, a moving documentary celebrating the incredible impact of Gilbert Gong and the legacy of Lincoln Square Recreation Center in Oakland Chinatown.
The film tells the story of how a neglected park in Oakland’s historic Chinatown became the unlikely stage for a neighborhood’s renewal as recreation director and local son Gilbert Gong rallied seniors, teens, and children to confront growing fear and division by restoring safety, connection, and pride in their community.
For generations, Lincoln Square has been more than just a recreation center. It has been a safe and welcoming gathering place for families, seniors, and youth across Oakland. Through programs such as Tai Chi, cultural arts, volleyball, dance, music, and intergenerational activities, the center has brought people together across cultures and generations. Gilbert Gong’s leadership helped transform the space into a vibrant community hub focused on wellness, belonging, and violence prevention.
Located in the heart of Chinatown, Lincoln Square continues to serve as one of Oakland’s busiest and most beloved community spaces where families build connections, seniors stay active, and young people find support and opportunity. It was inspiring to see Gilbert’s decades of service and community-building recognized through this film and at CAAMFest.
Thank you to everyone who continues to uplift stories that remind us how community spaces can truly change lives.
@oakland@friendsoflincolnsquarepark@caamedia@oaklandoriginals@jpdobrin
Congratulations to Lincoln Square Recreation Center Director Gilbert Gong on being featured in the 2026 @caamedia film festival in Gilbert Gong: The Heart of Lincoln Square — a powerful documentary highlighting the role Lincoln Square plays in Oakland Chinatown and the generations of community members who continue to shape and protect it.
For decades, Gilbert has helped make Lincoln Square more than a recreation center. It’s a gathering place, cultural anchor, and second home for thousands of Oakland residents — from seniors and families to youth and longtime Chinatown community members.
This recognition also reflects the incredible network of people who continue to support Lincoln Square, including @friendsoflincolnsquarepark , community advocates, volunteers, artists, families, and residents who show up year after year to build connection, belonging, and joy in Oakland Chinatown.
And the work continues.
Lincoln Summer Nights 2026 is returning this summer with free community programming, performances, activities, and opportunities to celebrate Oakland Chinatown together. Huge appreciation to everyone helping bring this vision to life.
Thank you, Gilbert, for your decades of leadership, care, and commitment to Oakland. 💙
#Oakland #OaklandChinatown #LincolnSquare #CAAMFest #AsianAmericanHeritageMonth
Sf Bay Area come to @caamedia ‘s film festival this upcoming weekend May 7-10th!! if you’re a media maker or filmmaker and interested in #AAPI stories this is this one of the most important organizations the #BayArea has. Thank you @aadocnetwork for sponsoring fellows to join!! And shout out to my #filmmaker collaborators with their beautiful #films @oaklandoriginals@_nishabee_@rekh_creation
We're thrilled to announce that our newest Oakland Originals short documentary, "Gilbert Gong - The Heart of Lincoln Square" will premiere at CAAMFest 2026 in San Francisco!
This film has been several years in the making, so we are excited to finally share this story about Gilbert and Oakland Chinatown with audiences at the Kabuki theater in Japantown on Friday May 8 at 7:30pm. See the link in the bio for tickets or CAAMFest.com.
This documentary was made possible by an East Bay Fund for Artists grant from the East Bay Community Foundation @eastbaycf , the Weylin and Roselyn Eng Family Fund, community sponsors and many generous individual contributors.
@caamedia@friendsoflincolnsquarepark@videoconsortium
Producers: Jim McSilver & J.P. Dobrin @jpdobrin
Director: J.P. Dobrin
Editor: Jim McSilver
Music by: William Ryan Fritch @williamryanfritchmusic
Post sound mixer: Philip Perkins
Drone videography: Nick Stone Schearer @nickstoneschearer
#oaklandChinatown
#oaklandstory
#shortdocumentary
Most of my documentary work didn’t come from job boards, it came from real connections. 🙏🏾 Nurture your network. Stay in touch, celebrate others, and show gratitude you never know which door will open next. Grateful to reconnect with @jpdobrin and thanks for the opportunity, especially as fellow UC Berkeley Journalism grads. 🎓❤️
Scenes from CAAMFest Opening Night
Thank you to everyone who’s turned out so far! We have two more days of films at the AMC Kabuki, Roxie, and SFMOMA — plus the Industry Hub at Japan Center.
Come out and celebrate stories from Asian America and beyond…
🎥 Videogeaphy by @jpdobrin@tadashinakamurafilms@roxie_theater@sfmoma@kohosf
