Ana Serrano
Fifth Annual Fire Horse Award Recipient

Ana Serrano photographed by Mike Tjioe

In celebration of Reel Asian’s 30th anniversary, join us in honouring Ana Serrano at the fifth annual Fire Horse Award Gala & Fundraiser on June 2

Reel Asian is pleased to announce OCAD University president & chancellor Ana Serrano as the recipient of the 2026 Fire Horse Award.  Ana is an award-winning producer, visionary leader, and innovator in Canada’s arts and creative industries. Join us as we honour her incredible contributions to the digital media landscape at the fifth annual Fire Horse Award Gala & Fundraiser, taking place on Tuesday, June 2, 2026 from 6–10PM at the Delta Hotels Toronto.

The Fire Horse Award celebrates an Asian-Canadian individual who has made an extraordinary contribution to the film and media arts community. This year’s presentation carries profound symbolic weight, coinciding with the Year of the Fire Horse – an alignment that amplifies the award’s recognition of boldness, independence, and the courage to spark transformation. Much like the Fire Horse itself, Ana Serrano represents those who challenge convention, journey into uncharted territory, and ignite lasting change within their communities.

Honouring a leader and innovator in Canada’s arts and creative industries

Ana Serrano, this year’s honouree, 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.

Ana’s impact on Canada’s arts landscape is profound. In 1997, she founded the CFC Media Lab, the Canadian Film Centre’s innovation hub, and over the next two decades transformed it into one of the country’s most influential engines for digital storytelling and media experimentation. At a time when immersive media and nonlinear storytelling were still emerging, Ana was already producing groundbreaking work such as Late Fragment, North America’s first interactive feature film.

Recognizing that creators would also need new tools to navigate a rapidly evolving industry, she launched IDEABOOST in 2012—Canada’s first digital entertainment accelerator. More than a hundred digital media ventures and countless immersive projects were developed, helping to establish Toronto and Canada as leaders in digital media innovation.

As a board member at the Kapisanan Philippine Centre for Arts and Culture early in its development, she has been instrumental in cultivating the vibrant Filipino arts scene in Toronto and across Canada.

But beyond the institutions she has built, Ana is equally known for the way she uplifts artists. She has been a mentor to generations of creators, offering the kind of thoughtful and individualized support that helps ideas grow into lasting work. One example is her collaboration with filmmaker Romeo Candido on the musical web series Prison Dancer, which later evolved into a celebrated stage production at both the Citadel Theatre and the National Arts Centre.

Throughout her career, Ana has also championed equity and inclusion through initiatives such as OPEN IMMERSION, supporting Indigenous storytellers in virtual reality, and Fifth Wave, Canada’s first feminist business accelerator for women entrepreneurs in digital media.

Ana’s leadership also extends beyond the arts and into civic life. In 2016, she co-founded
DemocracyXChange, an annual lab and conference that brings together artists, thinkers, and changemakers to explore how we can design the kind of society and democracy we want to live in.

Today, as President and Vice-Chancellor of OCAD University, she continues to lead with
vision—championing creativity, innovation, and the next generation of artists and thinkers. For her visionary leadership, her groundbreaking contributions to Canada’s media landscape, and for the countless creators whose work she has helped bring into the world, the committee is proud to present the 2026 Fire Horse Award to Ana Serrano.