Canada202393 minEnglish, Mandarin, CantoneseCanadian PremiereAvailable Online, Comedy, Drama, First Feature
Shan, an immigrant from Dongbei, China, settles in Markham, Ont., a suburb known for its welcoming Chinese community. There, Kevin, a fellow Dongbei local, pulls him into a scheme to rob a Japanese restaurant stealing business from Chinese locals. After the heist goes horribly wrong, they delve into the streets of Markham in a series of chaotic episodes. Fresh Off Markham functions as a satirical anthology, highlighting experiences and dilemmas that some Chinese immigrants encounter amidst relocation.
Paying homage to the best of modern cinema, Kurt Yuen, Cyrus Lo, and Trevor Choi’s feature directorial debut successfully interweaves stories of the diasporic experience in with Markham. They keep generational history in mind, while providing a meaningful look at greed, interracial conflict, and the cost of immigration. Daring, decisive, and tonally diverse, Fresh Off Markham’s charm is rooted in its bold specificity, bringing an often overlooked Greater Toronto Area community to film.
– Amreen Kullar
Nian Chang
Howard Li
Edmond Clark
Jessica Chan
OFFICIAL SELECTION
Hong Kong International Film Festival, 2024
Beijing International Film Festival, 2024
Kurt Yuen, Cyrus Lo, Trevor Choi
Kurt Yuen was born and raised in Hong Kong, and is a graduate of the Hong Kong Film Director’s Guild Masterclass.
Cyrus Lo strives to tell meaningful stories through film. His debut short Aftershock (2023) was an official selection at Vancouver Asian Film Festival.
Trevor Choi is a graduate of the Hong Kong Film Director’s Guild Masterclass, and his short film Ouroboros (2018) screened at the 42nd New York Asian American International Film Festival.
15 Nov, 2024 5:30 pm
TIFF Lightbox C3AA
Tickets for the in-cinema presentation have gone into advance rush. No more public advance tickets are available. Please join the rush line on the day of the screening when we will release unclaimed holds and reserves.
We can usually get everyone in the rush line in but rush tickets are strictly subject to availability and not guaranteed. Rush lines start an hour before the first screening of the day so the earlier you join the rush line the better your chances.
CONTENT ADVISORY
Nudity, violence, racist language; depictions of blood and gore, smoking, drinking
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This film is scheduled to be presented with subtitles for all spoken dialogue (no sound cues indicated). Wheelchair spaces and step-free seating is available for this screening – click below to book accessible seats.
Join us for a Q&A immediately after the theatrical presentation with directors Kurt Yuen, Cyrus Lo, and Trevor Choi.
Join us for a crafty Happy Hour on Sun, Nov 17, at The Commons, 401 Richmond! Hosted by this year's Festival Creative Artist Agnes Wong, this event features a relaxed journaling and scrapbooking workshop. Bring your own stickers and ephemera to trade, share, or journal with.
Join us for an in-depth conversation about Ann Marie Fleming's CAN I GET A WITNESS?, Reel Asian's opening night film this year. This thought-provoking movie examines a near-future society grappling with climate change, mortality, and the value of life. Fleming draws inspiration from her personal experiences, including her time in Vancouver's West End and the environmental upheaval of Stanley Park.
Creatura is a multimedia stream of programming that draws inspiration from the strange, wild, and untamed: descriptions historically used to label, discipline and exclude people. Whether it be for unrecognizable ways of being, or unacceptable actions and behaviours, to be a creature is to exist at the edge of what it means to be human. Creatura programming aims to engage with all variations of this label across the spectrum, from the mystical and uncanny to the unruly and abhuman.
Founded in Toronto in 1997, Reel Asian is Canada’s largest pan-Asian film festival and a year-round cultural organization dedicated to championing Asian and Asian diasporic artists and storytellers. What began as a grassroots film festival has grown into a national platform supporting filmmakers and audiences through screenings, education, industry initiatives, artist development, and community programming presented across Toronto, the GTA, and online across Canada.
401 Richmond Street West, The Commons (Suite 448)
Toronto, Ontario, M5V 3A8 Canada
(416) 703 – 9333
info@reelasian.com
Charitable number: 870021383RR0001
