Join us for the Fire Horse Award Gala and Fundraiser in support of Reel Asian’s 30th Anniversary

Tickets are now off sale.

For tickets, sponsor inquiries, or table purchases, email:
DEVELOPMENT@REELASIAN.COM

Take part in the 5th Annual Fire Horse Award Gala & Fundraiser, in support of Reel Asian’s 30th anniversary.

Marking Asian Heritage Month and coinciding with the Year of the Fire Horse, this event raises critical funds for Reel Asian’s year-round programming and annual festival while honouring an industry icon, Ana Serrano, President and Vice-Chancellor of OCAD University.

We are excited to welcome comedian, actor, and writer Ali Hassan as the host of the gala. The evening will feature a formal dinner, live and silent auctions led by our auctioneer for the night, award-winning actor, comedian and writer Andrew Phung, a performance by DATU, and custom name cards and auction paddles featuring artwork by painter and comics artist Lis Xu.

Join us in celebrating 30 years of Reel Asian and fuel the future of bold pan-Asian storytelling.

Become a sponsor, purchase a table, or buy tickets to our inaugural Fire Horse evening event with notable Asian Canadian talent and industry leaders. Raise a glass at the largest Fire Horse Award celebration yet and help champion Asian diasporic voices.

See the recap of last year’s event here, where we awarded Ali Kazimi, the fourth annual Fire Horse Award recipient.

“By honouring trailblazers of the Asian Canadian media arts community, we are recognizing ourselves. It deeply matters who makes our images, and to these pioneers we owe a debt—and our promise to keep striving to tell our stories to the world.” – Fire Horse donor, Sandra Oh 

Ana Serrano, President and Vice-Chancellor of OCAD University, is the recipient of the 2026 Fire Horse Award. An award-winning producer, visionary leader, and innovator in Canada’s arts and creative industries, she has continually pushed boundaries in media while expanding opportunities for artists across the country.

Her work bridges creativity, technology, and cultural leadership, shaping new ways stories are made, shared, and experienced.

Ana Serrano was selected by the 2026 Fire Horse Committee for the fifth annual award. Their statement follows:

Few individuals have had a greater impact on Canada’s digital media landscape than academic leader, producer, mentor, and visionary Ana Serrano. The 2026 Fire Horse Committee is honoured to present her with the 5th annual Fire Horse Award.

Some people build careers — Ana builds ecosystems. For more than two decades she has expanded the boundaries of storytelling, technology, and leadership—creating opportunities for artists, students, cultural entrepreneurs, and innovators while reimagining what the future of media could be.

This year holds special meaning for the Fire Horse Award. We arrive at its fifth anniversary in the very year of the Fire Horse—a symbol of boldness, independence, and transformation. The Fire Horse represents those who challenge convention, move fearlessly into new territory, and ignite change within their communities. Ana Serrano fully embodies that spirit.