Deanna Wong
Executive Director
Originally from Winnipeg, Deanna spent many years volunteering and working in the not-for-profit cultural arts sector in Winnipeg prior to moving to Toronto in 1996. She has sat on the boards of Dreamwalker Dance Company and the Regent Park Film Festival and has participated in various film and arts council juries over the years. Most recently, she was the administrative director at REEL CANADA, and previously served as Reel Asian’s executive director from 2005 to 2008.
Aram Siu Wai Collier
Artistic Director
Aram is a filmmaker, educator, and film festival programmer. Based in Toronto, Aram is a mixed race Asian Canadian/American (Chinese and English/Dutch/German) and a San Francisco native who has a BFA and MFA in Film Production from the University of California at Santa Cruz and York University respectively.
Chris Chin
Senior Operations Manager
The 28th edition will be Chris’ twenty-first festival with Reel Asian, having started out as a Front-of-House volunteer back in 2003. He has been an Associate Programmer at the Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film Festival and has worked and volunteered at other festivals including the Toronto International Film Festival, Images Festival, Calgary International Film Festival, and Frameline San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival. In addition to his festival commitments, he has provided event management and operations support to organizations including the Center for Asian American Media (SF), Pride Toronto, and the Canadian Film Centre. Chris sings with the band …somethingforothers and is always up for a night of karaoke.
Christine Vu
Director of Creative Marketing & Communications
As director of creative marketing and communications, Christine primarily focuses on creative direction, strategy, and managing the marketing team in executing campaigns for the festival and year-round programming. Her favourite part about working at Reel Asian is working with artists under the growing Festival Creative Artist portfolio which she started in 2019. In addition to her role at Reel Asian, Christine is also a CFMDC board member. She is also an actor, writer, and director. Most recently, she was nominated for a 2024 Canadian Screen Award for her work on the 2022 Reel Asian Awards.
Kelly Lui
Shorts Programmer
At any point, you can probably find Kelly with a camera in hand. She resonates with both photography and film as an active medium and accessible space to reclaim archive and documentation. She is a graduate from the Masters of Environmental Studies program at York University with research on placemaking, spaces of intimacy, citizenship and storytelling through food. Her favourite food is any kind of noodle soup.
Jasmine Gui
Special Projects Programmer
Jasmine Gui (@jaziimun) is a Singaporean-born interdisciplinary artist and programmer living and working in Tkaronto. She is co-founder of TACLA, founder of Project 40 Collective and managing editor at LooseLeaf magazine. Her work includes two chapbooks and writing featured in sineTheta, GUTS, The Spectatorial, Panorama Journal, Hart House Review amongst others. She did her MA in English, Diaspora and Transnational Studies at the University of Toronto. Outside of the arts, she is widely known as a tea lady.
Samir Ballou
Industry and Education Programmer
Samir is a film festival programmer, educator, screenwriter and producer based in Toronto. Currently, he is the Industry and Education programmer at the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival, where he continues his efforts to strengthen the inclusion of Asian Canadian filmmakers in the media industry.
June Kim
International Programmes
Based in Toronto and Seoul, June is a film festival enthusiast and a subtitle translator. She has a long history with Reel Asian starting with her internship at the festival during her undergrad years at the University of Toronto. After volunteering and interning at festivals such as Images, Hot Docs, TIFF Kids, and Toronto Singapore Film Festival, she co-founded the first Toronto Korean Film Festival in 2012. She has worked for Toronto International Film Festival and Udine Far East Film Festival, specializing in programming films from East Asia and Southeast Asia.
Mariam Zaidi
Programmer
Mariam Zaidi is a South Asian filmmaker, film programmer, and arts manager based in Toronto. Zaidi’s work has been funded and supported by the CBC, LIFT, TAC, OAC, CCA, BravoFACT! FACTOR Canada, and the NFB. Alongside her independent film work and programming at Reel Asian, Zaidi is currently Associate Programmer at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival.
Kyra Tudlong
Development & Partnerships Manager
Kyra Tudlong is a mixed-race (Filipinx and German) fundraiser and yoga enthusiast based in Toronto/Tkaronto. With a BASc in Family & Community Social Services and Graduate Diploma in Fundraising Management, her passion lies in advocacy and relationship building to support intersectional, community-based approaches to effecting change.
Abby Ho
Senior Marketing Coordinator
Abby Ho is a multidisciplinary artist working in Tkaronto. Her artistic practice uses sculptural drawings, paper cuts, and paintings to create alternative scapes of rediscovering “home” or as meditations on memory.
Samuel Oh
Graphic Designer
Samuel is a visual storyteller that primarily uses graphic design and photography to convey human experiences. Based in Tkaronto, he has a Bachelor of Design from York University & Sheridan College and hopes to continue amplifying the voices of marginalized communities through his creative work.
Joseph Chung
Unsung Voices Coordinator
Joseph Chung graduated from York University in Cinema Media Studies and has produced, directed and worked on films such as Mother’s Tongue (2018), Table for Three (2023) and Plantemic (2021). He has been previously involved for Unsung Voices from 2018 – 2019 and is excited to return this year. Outside of his time at Common Factor Media, Joseph is also an independent producer at Staircasewit. Joseph is very involved in the film community and wishes to work with new and seasoned artists to continue his craft.
Carthy Ngo
Unsung Voices Coordinator
Carthy is a Vietnamese-Chinese Canadian emerging filmmaker who wrote and directed her first short film last year with the Unsung Voices 2023 cohort. As she writes her next film, she continues to work as a speech-language pathologist by day and take dance classes by night. She is excited to return to the program to support this year’s cohort in telling their stories.
Amanda Low
Volunteer Coordinator
Amanda (she/they) is an arts administrator working in the volunteer management sector. She is passionate about supporting young BIPOC in the arts. In the past, they have worked with Luminato Festival, DesignTO Festival, the Textile Museum of Canada. She was the Horse Girl in your high school class.
Chantal Leong
Executive Assistant
Chantal Leong is a graduate from York University with a BA in Cinema and Media Studies and a Minor in Humanities. Having worked on set in a variety of production roles, Chantal is currently getting started in the film festival circuit and looking forward to what the journey will teach her. When not exploring the city in hopes of finding her new favorite cafe, Chantal often finds herself writing films about the human impulse towards self-destruction, power, and violence
Rea Zala
Programming Coordinator
Rea is a Toronto-based multidisciplinary artist. Through tangible, performance, and interactive mediums, she explores the cosmic enchantments and hindrances of digitality, circling between intimacy, identity, and the imagination.
Amir Khoshnevis
Graphic Designer
Amir is a graphic designer based in Tkaronto pursuing his Bachelor of Design at OCAD. He is intrigued by systems, language and the intersection of code and design. Amir is making strides to predicate his practice on experimental publishing, book design, interactivity and web.
Yanling Shi
Partnerships & Stewardship Coordinator
Yanling is an arts worker with a BA degree in Arts Management and Art History from the University of Toronto. With film and art festival being two of her favourite things, she is excited to support Reel Asian in sponsorships and memberships. Currently, Yanling is interested in experiements with analog photography and she remains an eternal Asian food enthusiast.
Angela Sweeting
Festival Operations Coordinator
Angela has been haunting cinema & theatre spaces in Toronto since 2004, and is excited to be officially working with Reel Asian 15 years after she first hosted them when she was the manager of The Royal Cinema. Often tucked behind the scenes, Angela has worked in programming, production, and operations with organizations such as the Toronto International Film Festival, Pride Toronto, Luminato, Mirvish Productions, Indigenous Peoples Day Live, FringeMTL, South Asian Visual Arts Centre, North by Northeast, Harbourfront Centre, Regent Park Film Festival, Nuit Blanche, Wavelength, Summerworks, Toronto Fringe Festival, Sappyfest, Queer Songbook Orchestra, and imagineNATIVE. Outside of her work in the arts, Angela is a community builder, bird watcher, photographer, citizen scientist, D&D enthusiast and poet. Bird facts are her favourite facts.
Katharine Mussellam
Festival Delegate Manager
Katharine Mussellam has worked and volunteered with various film festivals in Toronto and the GTA, with experience contributing to different aspects such as marketing and communications, film selection, and customer relations. She has also contributed reviews and essays to various online film and TV publications and has worked as a subtitle editor. She has an MA in Cinema & Media Studies from York University and a BA in English from Bishop’s University. When she’s not working or watching movies, you may find her writing short stories, attending the theatre, trying a new recipe, or engrossed in a good book.
Kiana Kazemi
Festival Hospitality Steward
From arts management to volunteering with arts and film festivals in Toronto, Kiana has engaged in arts and community building in various capacities. She brings a diverse background in architecture and international relations and has many passions. She cares deeply about addressing the misconceptions and misrepresentation of West Asian/Middle Eastern societies and celebrating shared cultures and colorful diversities in communities hailing from all corners of Asia. As a member of the Reel Asian team, She is excited to be contributing to the promotion of pan-Asian representation in the Canadian film industry. When away from work, Kiana is throwing clay at a pottery studio and trying to understand how glazing works.
Alexandra Jiang
Delegate & Guest Services Intern
Alexandra is an Arts Management and New Media student at the University of Toronto. Passionate about film and event coordination, she brings hands-on experience from Toronto arts festivals and various roles focused on audience engagement. This is her first time working with Reel Asian, and she is excited to support its mission of amplifying Asian storytelling. She looks forward to helping create a welcoming and enriching festival experience for all.
Kelvin Rabella
Box Office Captain
Kelvin Rabella is a storyteller, weaving together poetry, film, and the art of observation to turn the world’s quiet echoes into vibrant tales.After spending years in the heart of India’s film industry, he’s now based in Toronto, where his knack for capturing life’s hidden magic has only deepened. Kelvin’s passion doesn’t stop at storytelling; he’s equally invested in community, often joining forces with non-profits to create unforgettable events that ignite creative sparks. Always chasing new ideas and perspectives, he’s a curious soul, constantly evolving his art and exploring the endless stories waiting to be told
Yasya Sokolova
Box Office Assistant
Yasya is a film student at TMU, sound design enthusiast, and aspiring documentary filmmaker in her second year working at the Reel Asian Film Festival. She is passionate about cinematic storytelling, exploring unique character profiles, and creating immersive audio experiences. She is a (sometimes) spontaneous traveler, a (usually) curious learner, and an (always) dedicated coffee lover.
Ellen Reade
Festival Operations Driver
Ellen is a freelance festival worker, and has worked in a variety of roles at over 35 festivals including Hot Docs, Toronto Fringe, TIFF, NXNE, and more! This is her third year as a driver at Reel Asian Film Festival.
Khanh Tudo
RA:X and Digital Content Intern
Khanh Tudo is a multidisciplinary artist, straddling between film tech-ing, film festival programming, and sculpture work. They are drawn to the magic and spontaneity DIY and low budget artmaking can possess when working from a relationship forward and care-centric framework.
Eric Benson
Senior Theatre Rep
This is Eric’s third festival with Reel Asian. He also works in similar capacities with other film festivals, including Inside Out, Hot Docs, and TIFF. Originally from Saskatchewan, by way of Halifax, when not at film festivals he works in Toronto’s independent theatres, as an actor and a director.
Hannah Wilson
Senior Theatre Rep
Hannah is a background actor, film enthusiast, and festival freelancer. She is passionate about diversity in film, equitable opportunities in creative spaces, and storytelling in all its forms. She is a (sometimes) adequate dancer, a (usually) good cook, and an (always) enthusiastic karaoke singer.
Nicola Saikali
Junior Theatre Rep
Nicola is a graduate of York University’s Cinema and Media Studies program, an actor, and a lover of film. She has previously worked at TIFF, Hot Docs, and Regent Park film festivals as well as Luminato Festival Toronto. She is also a selection committee member for Planet in Focus and Forest City Film Festival. She is excited to be a part of the team for another year at Reel Asian!
Chirag Prabhu
Senior FOHA
Chirag is an Indo-Canadian emerging storyteller based in Vaughan. He discovered a passion for creativity while volunteering at a senior’s center when they needed flyers to promote their annual Christmas market; he obliged and hasn’t looked back since. Chirag holds a BA in English from York University and has worked at various film festivals, including TIFF, TO Short Film Festival, Canadian Film Fest, and Future of Film Showcase.
Yoojin Kim
Junior FOHA
Yoojin’s passion for film flowed from the shore of a Korean island, journeying through the vibrant landscapes of Toronto to reach Reel Asian. A graduate of York University in Film Studies, she thrives at various film festivals, championing diversity. Her unwavering commitment will elevate the film festival scene to new heights.
Prajj Vermal
Junior FOHA
Prajj, a Business Analytics and Management graduate from Seneca Polytechnic, has volunteered at festivals like TIFF, HotDocs, and Toronto Outdoor Art Fair. Passionate about film and community engagement, he is committed to creating welcoming experiences at Reel Asian and loves meeting new people while supporting Toronto’s vibrant festival scene.