Announcing the 2022 Unsung Voices Participants

The Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival is excited to announce this year’s Unsung Voices participants! The Unsung Voices Summer Youth Video Production Workshop will provide young Asian Canadians who have a keen interest in film and media art the chance to express themselves as artists, learn from professionals in the field, and to produce a distinctly Asian Canadian story on screen. The films made will receive a world premiere at the 26th Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival in November 2022.

We asked this year’s cohort to answer the following questions: What about Unsung Voices are you most excited for? Why do you want to get into filmmaking? Read their responses below!

What about Unsung Voices are you most excited for? Why do you want to get into filmmaking?

“Unsung Voices gives me the opportunity to share my voice and create work from the perspective of a Kurdish artist, a voice we don’t often see in the media. Unsung Voices allows me to create work from a west asian perspective that doesn’t focus solely on war and conflict and highlights actual experiences and the culture of western Asia.”

What about Unsung Voices are you most excited for? Why do you want to get into filmmaking?

“I started writing my film two years ago. I didn’t think I’d ever feel ready to make it, so finally being in the process of bringing it to life feels surreal. I’m excited that I get to work with one of my close friends on the project, as we’ve collaborated together in the past and always inspire each other in unexpected ways.”

What about Unsung Voices are you most excited for? Why do you want to get into filmmaking?

“I am especially looking forward to challenging and exploring my identity as a filmmaker in the structured space that Unsung Voices provides, with the support of a talented community of peers from across the country and the invaluable guidance of industry mentors. I’m drawn to filmmaking because for me, it represents the perfect medium that can best allow me to amalgamate the myriad of interests and curiosities that keep me up at night. Filmmaking is the collaborative, tangible application of storytelling that I crave after spending so much time in my mind during the writing process, which can often feel quite lonely. Film never ceases to feel like a form of magic to me – and I really want to be able to create that magic myself!”

What about Unsung Voices are you most excited for? Why do you want to get into filmmaking?

“I’m excited to spend a summer exploring and expanding on an idea I’m passionate about, as well as engaging with musical elements in a short film! I’m interested in filmmaking as I would love to translate my inner cinematic vision to a tangible experience for others to share. As well, the collaborative aspect of film feels precious to me.”

What about Unsung Voices are you most excited for? Why do you want to get into filmmaking?

“Unsung Voices is a platform to express hidden narratives, those of international adoptees, who are also part of the Asian diaspora. Filmmaking has always been part of my practice in anthropology and literature, but I was scared to fully dive in. It is a way to access unconscious memory, trust the image, let it evoke, without words, and create a new language. Thanks to Reel Asian, I am excited to explore new forms of documentaries by mixing performance and archiveology.”

What about Unsung Voices are you most excited for? Why do you want to get into filmmaking?

“Through the Unsung Voices program, I am ready to learn more about filmmaking professionally. The resources and mentorship we are given access to are unparalleled. Too used to being a one-person crew, this will be my first time writing and directing a film on a bigger scale. I’m also excited to jump out of my comfort zone and bring my vision to life along with this year’s cohort – healing broken hearts, one story at a time. There will never be too many queer diaspora stories.”