In partnership with the DOC Institute, Reel Ideas will host a panel as part of the speaker series Truth Matters – Critical Dialogue in a Post-Truth Era, supported by the Toronto Arts Council.
This panel will explore how racialized and independent creators bring their films to communities and audiences. The conversation will shed light on how creators might navigate through barriers and challenges and the strategies and partnerships filmmakers use to ensure their stories are seen and heard, while also reflecting on the artistry, intention, and creative decisions that shape how these films connect with viewers. Whether you are a filmmaker, producer, programmer, or audience member interested in the future of documentary, this event will provide valuable insight into how stories find their way into the world.
Chrisann Hessing
Filmmaker
Chrisann Hessing is an award-winning Toronto-based documentary filmmaker and founder of Culture Shift Media, a boutique company creating films that inspire social change. Guided by the belief that storytelling is healing, she collaborates with filmmakers and changemakers to spark meaningful dialogue and drive lasting impact.
Min Sook Lee
Director, THERE ARE NO WORDS
Min Sook Lee is an award-winning director whose work explores themes of labour, migration and social justice. Her acclaimed documentaries include Migrant Dreams (2016), named Best Labour Documentary by the Canadian Journalists Association and recipient of the Canadian Hillman Prize; The Real Inglorious Bastards (2012), winner of a Canadian Screen Award; Tiger Spirit (2008), which won the Donald Brittain Gemini Award; Hogtown (2005), named Best Canadian Feature at Hot Docs; and the Gemini-nominated El Contrato (2003). She is a recipient of numerous awards, including the Cesar E. Chavez Black Eagle Award, and the Alanis Obomsawin Award for Commitment to Community and Resistance. Canada’s oldest labour arts festival, Mayworks, has named the Min Sook Lee Labour Arts Award in her honour. Lee is an Associate Professor at OCAD University, where her area of research and practice focuses on the intersections of art+social change in labour, border politics, migration and social justice movements.
Tony Nguyen
Director, YEAR OF THE CAT
Tony Nguyen is an Oakland filmmaker whose work explores the Vietnamese refugee experience (Enforcing the Silence, Giap’s Last Day at the Ironing Board Factory) and the overlooked stories of individuals and communities that make up the fabric of the Town (Fresh Frozen, I See Me).
11 Nov, 2025 3:00 pm
CineCycle129 Spadina Avenue (coach-house down the lane behind), Toronto, ON M5A 1J7
This venue is not accessible to people using wheelchairs, and would present significant challenges to people with moderate to severe mobility difficulties. This venue is not suitable for those with low vision.
A discussion on artist labour conditions and funding challenges. The IMAA team will present on the Alliance’s resources including the Fee Schedule, the Resource Access Network and the Advocacy Toolkit, followed by a reception and mingling portion. Attendees will have the opportunity to connect with the Alliance team, industry leaders, artists, and peers. Free and open to the public!
In collaboration with the Independent Media Arts Alliance, Reel Ideas will co-host a three-day mini-conference focused on artist advocacy, fair pay, and building an equitable arts ecosystem.
Reel Asian and the Writers Guild of Canada present a candid conversation on the pathways and pitfalls of building a sustainable career in screenwriting.
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, Asian diasporic, and Asian Canadian filmmakers and artists. 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
