When the San Diego Asian Film Festival gets under way next Thursday it will mark 25 years of artistic achievement and a quarter-century of growth into an international event.
That growth, says Alex Villafuerte, executive director of the festival-presenting Pacific Arts Movement, has been the result of “grit and determination. Lee Ann Kim assembled a great team that took the festival through its formative years. From there it became an institution that filmmakers from around the world look to to showcase Asian cinema.”
“That very first year, in 2000, we were in classrooms and auditoriums at (the University of San Diego). We’ve grown to a 10-day festival now showing 170 films, making us one of the largest showcases of Asian cinema in the country.”
This year’s festival, with screenings at Regal Edwards Mira Mesa and at the Museum of Photographic Arts at the San Diego Museum of Art in Balboa Park among other venues, will include films from 35-plus countries in 40-plus languages. The schedule is comprised of full-length features, shorts, documentaries, classics and more.
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The opening-night screening at the San Diego Natural History Museum will be of “Cells At Work!”, Hideki Takeuchi’s live-action adaptation of a popular manga series by Akane Shimizu. Takeuchi will be on hand for a discussion after the 7 p.m. screening.
For star power, look no further than Yen Tan’s “All That We Love,” screening Nov. 10 and starring Margaret Cho. “It’s a film about a divorcee whose family dog passes and she uses that to reassess her relationship in her life,” said Villafuerte.
That film comes with a note of symmetry: Director Tan had once been a volunteer graphic designer for the SDAFF, and comedian Cho was part of the very first festival 24 years ago. For details, visit sdaff.org/2024.
Tessa Auberjonois will star in “Joan,” a play about the live of late comedian Joan Rivers, at South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa. (Binney)
Theater
Another comedian and another pioneer in the business, Joan Rivers, is the focal point of a world premiere play by Daniel Goldstein at South Coast Repertory Theatre, just north of us in Costa Mesa. It’s simply titled “Joan.”
The production running through Nov. 24 and starring Tessa Auberjonois is part of South Coast Rep’s “American Icon” series, and Rivers was certainly that. This is not a one-person show re-creating Rivers’ act. It’s a full-cast play that concerns itself not only with Rivers’ career but with her life as a mother, to Melissa Rivers.
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That it’s advised that the play contains “adult language” should come as no surprise.
Kirk Franklin performs during the BET Awards on Sunday, June 30, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Gospel music
Kirk Franklin has been performing his brand of urban contemporary gospel for decades and has earned 20 Grammys along the way. In case you’re wondering where he’s been lately, you can catch up with Franklin when his “Reunion Tour” comes to SDSU’s Viejas Arena on Saturday night.
Franklin, now 54, is bringing some special guests with him: Yolanda Adams, the Clark Sisters, Marvin Sapp and Fred Hammond. The presence of Adams on the bill is a special treat for those who are already fans of the performer known as the “Queen of Contemporary Gospel Music.”
Tickets start at $36 and go up. Way up.
Author Jane Muschenetz. (Ingo Muschenetz)
Book event
San Diego’s women authors will be celebrated on Monday at the Mingei International Museum in Balboa Park, when the museum’s “Community Mondays” program teams up with the San Diego Writers Festival for an event titled “Women Powered.”
Besides a book fair, the evening is a launch party for poet Jane Muschenetz and her collection “Power Point.” The free event runs from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Registration is required at sandiegowritersfestival.com.
A scene from the Mel Brooks comedy “Young Frankenstein,” featuring Gene Wilder, left, Teri Garr, Marty Feldman and Cloris Leachman. (20th Century Fox)
Movie screening
It takes a lot to get me to a movie theater at 11 o’clock in the morning. It takes a lot to get me to do almost anything (besides working) at 11 o’clock in the morning. But with Mel Brooks’ classic “Young Frankenstein” being currently unavailable on either Netflix or Prime Video, I’m tempted to head to Media Arts Center San Diego’s Digital Gym Cinema on Saturday.
That’s when, at 11 a.m., “Young Frankenstein” will be screened, an event in partnership with the San Diego Public Library. Brooks’ 1974 spoof of Mary Shelley’s 1818 horror story is the best film he ever made and it features iconic comic performances from a great cast led by two gone too soon: Gene Wilder and Madeleine Kahn. Marty Feldman’s Igor and Cloris Leachman’s Frau Blucher are also unforgettable, as is Peter Boyle as the monster and Gene Hackman in a side-splitting cameo as a blind man serving soup and a cigar for that same monster.
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U-T arts stories you may have missed this week
Tartare di Pomodoro, one of the new dishes on the menu at Michelin-honored Ambrogio by Acquerello restaurant in La Jolla. (Dee Sandoval)
UCTV
University of California Television invites you to enjoy this special selection of programs from throughout the University of California. Descriptions courtesy of and text written by UCTV staff:
“Gene Perry & Rumba Ketumba”
Watch the electrifying performance of Gene Perry & Rumba Ketumba recorded at UC San Diego’s Park & Market. Perry, a fixture in San Diego’s music scene since 1974, was born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, and is a pioneer of Afro-Cuban and Afro-Caribbean music. His ensemble, Rumba Ketumba, features a vibrant mix of San Diego natives and international musicians. The group delivers high-energy Afro-Latin, Caribbean and Spanish Rumba rhythms that will keep you moving. “Gene Perry and Rumba Ketumba’s extraordinary musical talent and personalities are hard for audiences to resist,” says host Yael Strom, who has collaborated with the group on several groundbreaking cross-genre projects.
“Storytelling for the Screen: ‘The Citizen’”
Writer/director Sam Kadi and actors William Atherton and Rizwan Manji join moderator Juan Campo for an engaging discussion about “The Citizen.” The film tells the story of Ibrahim Jarrah, an immigrant from the Middle East who arrives in New York City one day before the tragic events of Sept. 11. The panel explores their experiences making the film, drawing inspiration from real Arab American stories, and its continued relevance. They discuss themes of citizenship, the immigrant experience, racial prejudice, and the right to protest, as well as the representation of Arab Americans on-screen. “The Citizen” offers a compelling look at the struggles and triumphs of pursuing the American dream in challenging times.
“AI for Security, Security for AI”
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How secure are computers, and how does artificial intelligence impact security? In this program, Christopher Kruegel, professor of computer science at UC Santa Barbara, addresses two important questions in security and AI. First, how AI can enhance security? For decades, traditional machine learning models have been used in security solutions, but recent advances in AI are opening up new and exciting opportunities. Second, the security of AI systems themselves. Like any other software, AI systems are vulnerable to exploitation. Given their critical roles, it is essential to secure AI against attacks such as training data poisoning and adversarial inputs. Join Kruegel as he explores both the promises and the vulnerabilities of AI in today’s digital landscape.
And finally, top weekend events
Dia de los Muertos celebrations, with colorful colors, costumes, and honoring of loved ones, will take place throughout San Diego County this weekend. (eve orea – stock.adobe.com)
The best things to do this weekend in San Diego: Nov. 1-3.
Padres roster review: Miguel Andujar – San Diego Union-Tribune
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MIGUEL ANDUJAR
Position(s): Third base, left field, first base
Bats / Throws: Right / Right
2026 opening day age: 31
Height / Weight: 6-foot / 211 pounds
How acquired: Signed as a free agent in February 2026
Contract status: Will make $1.5 million in 2026, with the opportunity to earn another $2 million-plus in performance bonuses; his $4 million guarantee includes a $2.5 million buyout against an $8 million mutual option for 2027.
.986 — Andujar’s OPS against left-handed pitching in 2025, the second-highest mark of his career and well above his career .807 OPS against southpaws. Andujar had been below .600 in 2021 and 2022 before jumping to .871 in 2023 and a career-high .995 in 2024.
TRENDING
Up — Signed for $700,000 out of the Dominican Republic as a 16-year-old in the international amateur market, Andujar needed two years to get out of the Yankees’ rookie-ball affiliate in the Gulf Coast League and finally cracked top-100 lists ahead of the 2018 season — No. 59 at Baseball America and No. 65 at MLB.com — after reaching Triple-A following a 16-homer season (.850 OPS). Andujar even made his MLB debut as a 22-year-old in 2017 and looked like he’d be a big part of the Yankees’ future after pairing 27 homers and 92 RBIs with an .855 OPS in finishing second to Shohei Ohtani in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2018. But a right shoulder labrum tear derailed Andujar in 2019 and Andujar was never able to grab a starting job again in New York. The Pirates claimed him late in 2022 and then the Athletics claimed him after the 2023 season. By then, he’d developed into a platoon player with defensive limitations. Andujar had a .697 OPS in 75 games in his first year with the Athletics and a .765 OPS in 60 games last year when, after missing time with a right oblique strain, he was shipped to the Reds for a minor league pitcher. Andujar went on to hit .359/.400/.544 with four homers and 17 RBIs in 34 games to help the Reds lock up a wild-card spot. He was 0-for-4 with a walk and a strikeout in the NL Wild Card Series sweep at the hands of the Dodgers.
Miguel Andujar #41 of the San Diego Padres participates in drills during spring training workouts at the Peoria Sports Complex on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026 in Peoria, Ariz.(Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
2026 OUTLOOK
The need for right-handed balance in the lineup was painfully obvious in the Padres’ NL Wild Card Series loss to the Cubs, so Andujar became a target after 1B/OF Ryan O’Hearn walked as a free agent. Expect Andujar to get at-bats against lefties as either a DH, first base, third base or left field — the spots he’s been playing in spring training.
Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of the Chaldean Catholic bishop of San Diego, California, a decision announced Tuesday by the Vatican after the bishop was arrested on embezzlement charges. The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office said last week it had arrested Bishop Emmanuel Shaleta on Thursday at San Diego International Airport as he tried to leave the country, reports the AP. The office said it acted after someone from Shaleta’s church provided a statement and documentation “showing potential embezzlement from the church.” Shaleta was being held on $125,000 bail on eight counts of embezzlement, money laundering, and aggravated white collar crime, the statement said. Shaleta pleaded not guilty on Monday, reports NBC San Diego.
“He was on his way to Germany,” prosecutor Joel Madero said. “Given his access to funds, the fact that he had over $9,000 in the bag when he was stopped, and the fact that he has these international ties … I do believe that some bail to ensure he shows up is appropriate.” There was no immediate reply to an email sent to Shaleta’s parish, St. Peter Chaldean Church, seeking comment and contact information for his attorney. The Vatican said in its daily bulletin Tuesday that Leo had accepted Shaleta’s resignation under the code of canon law for eastern rite churches that allows for the pope to agree if a bishop asks to step down.
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Leo actually accepted the resignation when Shaleta presented it in February, but an announcement was not made until Tuesday, according to the Vatican embassy in Washington. The Holy See appears to have waited to announce the decision to avoid interfering with the police investigation. Leo named Bishop Saad Hanna Sirop as a temporary administrator. Shaleta, 69, was ordained a priest of the Chaldean Catholic Church in Detroit in 1984. He was named to the San Diego branch of the eastern rite Catholic Church in the US in 2017.
36.9 — The percentage of groundballs that Márquez yielded in 2025, a career low and significantly below his career average (48%). Márquez’s groundball rate was regularly above 50% before requiring Tommy John surgery in early 2023. He made one start in 2024 and struggled mightily while making 26 starts last year.
TRENDING
Down — Márquez had a 4.40 ERA through his first seven years in the majors, not bad considering he pitched roughly half his games at one of the best hitting environments in the majors. In fact, Márquez has a 5.17 ERA in his career at Coors Field and a 4.22 ERA in road environments. But Márquez underwent Tommy John surgery early in 2023, made one start in the majors in mid-July in 2024 (4 IP, 3 ER) and struggled throughout his first full year back in the Rockies rotation. The season was so difficult for Márquez that he was actually worse on the road (7.32 ERA) than he was in 11 starts at Coors Field (5.98 ERA). His strikeout rate (5.9 per nine innings) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (1.73) were the worst of his careers, as was his walk rate (3.4 per nine innings), while his hit rate (12.0 per nine innings) was the second worst of his career. On top of that, Márquez’s groundball rate was also the lowest of his career (see stat to note) and ranked in the bottom 22nd percentile of the league and his hard-hit rate (48.5%) and average exit velocity (91.7 mph) both ranked in the bottom 2 percentile of the league. One reason: a 94.8 mph four-seamer is down a few ticks than the height of his effectiveness. Márquez reached free agency after the season and signed with the Padres in February.
2026 OUTLOOK
Márquez has a big-league deal with the Padres, but he’ll have to rediscover his pre-elbow-reconstruction form to hold onto a roster spot, as RHP Griffin Canning (Achilles) is expected to push for a spot at some point this season and the likes of LHP JP Sears, RHP Matt Waldron and minor league signees like Marco Gonzales could warrant looks if Márquez’s struggles continue into 2026.
German Marquez #33 of the San Diego Padres participates in drills during spring training workouts at the Peoria Sports Complex on Monday, Feb. 16, 2026 in Peoria, Ariz.(Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
