Reel Asian and the Writers Guild of Canada present a candid conversation on the pathways and pitfalls of building a sustainable career in screenwriting. With Asian Canadian writers at the forefront, this session will explore the realities of navigating writers' rooms, landing representation, and making sense of the business side of TV and film.
Panellists will reflect on their own journeys — from making an impression to handling notes and rewrites — while demystifying the structures of television writing. Beyond the craft, this discussion will explore strategies for self-promotion, building meaningful industry relationships, and understanding what producers and commissioning editors are really looking for. The conversation will also address larger systemic barriers writers face, and how community and resilience play a vital role in sustaining long-term careers.
Nathalie Younglai
Writer-Director
Lakna Edirisinghe
Writer/Producer
Lakna Edirisinghe is a Sri Lankan-Canadian writer/producer based in Toronto. She’s written for a wide variety of shows, including hour-long dramas like Diggstown (CBC), half-hour comedies like Late Bloomer (Bell/Crave), and kid’s comedies like Odd Squad (PBS), for which she was nominated for an Emmy. She’s won a WGC Award and a Canadian Screen Award.
Romeo Candido
Director, writer, composer, and producer
Romeo Candido is an Emmy-nominated director, writer, composer, and CSA-winning producer whose dynamic career spans film, television, theatre, and music. He was the showrunner and series director for Gangnam Project S1(CBC/BBC) and co-showrunner for The Next Step (BBC). His directing credits include Workin’ Moms (Netflix/CBC), This Hour Has 22 Minutes (CBC), Popularity Papers (YTV), Second Jen (Rogers), and the Emmy-nominated Circuit Breakers(Apple TV). As a writer, he has contributed to Son of a Critch (CBC/CW) and Another Life (Netflix). He is the creator and showrunner of the CSA-nominated Topline for CBC Gem, and the writer-composer of the Sterling Award–winning theatrical musical Prison Dancer which enjoyed sold out runs at the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton and the National Arts Centre in Ottawa.
JP Larocque
Screenwriter and Producer
JP Larocque is an award-winning screenwriter and producer with experience in comedy (CBC’s Sort Of and North of North, CTV’s JANN), drama (CBC’s Allegiance, SkyMed, Dig
They are creator and executive producer of the digital comedy series Gay Nerds on OUTtv. In 2024, The Globe and Mail listed them among “the 25 most influential people in Canadian television.”
As a journalist, JP has bylines in Maclean’s, The Walrus, The Toronto Star, Flare, This Magazine, Xtra, and The Beaverton, with additional work in the anthologies City Voices: A Book of Monologues by Toronto Artists (2012), and The Secret Loves of Geeks (2018).
12 Nov, 2025 2:30 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.
Filmmaker Ian Tuason’s debut feature The Undertone, recently acquired by A24, transforms the intimacy of caregiving and the eerie power of audio into a chilling, single-location horror story.
This panel will explore how racialized and independent creators bring their films to communities and audiences.
The discussion will explore how festivals can better support accessibility — from accommodating filmmakers with disabilities and reaching diverse audiences, to guiding creators on inclusive practices like budgeting for captioning.
Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival is a unique showcase of contemporary Asian cinema and work from Asia and the Asian diaspora. Works include films and videos by artists in Canada, the U.S., Asia and all over the world. As Canada’s largest pan-Asian film festival, Reel Asian provides a public forum for Asian media artists and their work, and fuels the growing appreciation for Asian cinema in Canada.
401 Richmond Street West, The Commons (Suite 448)
Toronto, Ontario, M5V 3A8 Canada
(416) 703 – 9333
info@reelasian.com
Charitable number: 870021383RR0001
