The screening for Encounters will be shown at TIFF Bell Lightbox 4.
Canada, Iran, USA72 minutesEnglish and other languages with English subtitlesAnimation, Documentary, Drama, Experimental, LGBTQ+ Filmmakers, Women Filmmakers
Missed chances, unspoken conversations, fated meetings, connections sparked in the most unexpected places: these shorts delve into the weight of all our relations in their fullness and in their absence.
Canada202216 minutesEnglish, Arabic and French with English subtitlesDrama, Family
Amid the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in Montreal, Leila, who has been keeping a secret from her family, finds herself in a predicament after her father falls ill and she is called back home.
ACCESSIBILITY
This film is presented with open captions in-person and closed captions digitally.
RATING
RATED PG
Content warning: Death
Farhad Pakdel
Farhad Pakdel is a Montreal-based filmmaker whose work explores identity (de)construction, liminality, absence, place, and memory.
USA20228:00EnglishDrama, LGBTQ+ Filmmakers, Romance, Women Filmmakers
Maggie and Celine meet in the bathroom of a Chinese restaurant while having dinner with their respective families.
ACCESSIBILITY
This film is presented with open captions in-person and closed captions digitally.
RATING
RATED PG
Emily Jampel
Based in New York City, Emily Jampel is a filmmaker from Oʻahu who currently works as a development executive at the Oscar-nominated and Peabody Award-winning production company, the Department of Motion Pictures.
Canada20229 minutesEnglish, Japanese with English SubtitlesAnimation, Documentary, Women Filmmakers
Filmmaker Natalie Murao asks her mother, “Why have I never liked tomatoes?” It’s a simple question that leads to an unearthing of a Japanese Canadian fisherman’s story during the World War 2 internment.
ACCESSIBILITY
This film is presented with open English & Japanese subtitles in-person and digitally.
RATING
RATED PG
Content warning: Trauma, racist situation
Natalie Murao
Natalie Murao is a Yonsei filmmaker and educator from unceded xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) territories, whose work explores themes of generational disconnect, personal memory, and communication.
Iran202110 minutesPersian with English subtitlesComedy, Drama, Women Filmmakers
A young boy feels obliged to write a will for a dying woman who lives alone.
ACCESSIBILITY
This film is presented with open English subtitles in-person and digitally.
RATING
RATED PG
Content warning: Death and dying
Ilnaz Kheyrkhah
Born in Iran, Ilnaz Kheyrkhah has a law degree from the International University of Ghazvin. Company is her first film.
Canada202213 minutesEnglish and Tagalog with English subtitlesDrama, Family, Women Filmmakers
Musician and songwriter Kimmortal stars as Gracie who meets the younger version of herself as the two share a common thread.
ACCESSIBILITY
This film is presented with open captions in-person and closed captions digitally.
RATING
RATED PG
Stephanie Sy
Stephanie Sy is a Filipino Chinese Canadian artist born and raised on Treaty 1 Winnipeg. Knots is Sy’s debut work as a writer and director.
Canada202220:00English and Urdu with English subtitlesComedy, Drama, Family, Sci-fi
When Imran suddenly loses his dad, an opportunity to travel back in time for an evening gives him a chance to face him again.
ACCESSIBILITY
This film is presented with open English subtitles in-person and digitally.
RATING
RATED PG
Kashif Pasta
Kashif Pasta is an award-winning director, writer, and producer using film and storytelling to tell character-driven stories centered on South Asian and Muslims with a sense of joy and wonder.
12 Nov, 2022 7:00 pm
OnlineThe screening for Encounters will be shown at TIFF Bell Lightbox 4.
This shorts programme will also be shown as an online screening from Nov 14 – 20. Purchase the shorts VOD pass to watch this programme online and all other shorts in selection at the festival.
Rated PG
Join us for a Q&A immediately after the theatrical presentation with attending guests from this shorts programme, moderated by Kelly Lui.
Taking a wide scope, Canadian documentary filmmaker Karen Cho’s Big Fight in Little Chinatown traverses Chinatowns in New York City, Montreal, Vancouver, Toronto, and San Francisco, shining a light on the twin legacies of displacement and resistance that characterize these neighbourhoods.
CBC and Reel Asian are proud to present a special evening celebrating the traditions and spirit of Tết beautifully shown in “Li Xi”, season 1, episode 9 of Run The Burbs.
Festival favourite Midnight Snack returns for another bite! This time, 2.0 features six talented female directors who cook up tales full of intrigue and awareness, boldly confronting themes that are often left indigestible.
The Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival is Canada’s largest pan-Asian film festival, showcasing bold contemporary cinema by Asian and Asian diasporic artists from Canada, the U.S., Asia, and around the world. Held each November in Toronto, Reel Asian presents a dynamic lineup of film screenings, panels, and special events, with programming and education initiatives continuing throughout the year. Founded in 1996, Reel Asian celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2026, marking three decades of championing underrepresented voices and fostering dialogue through film and media arts.
401 Richmond Street West, The Commons (Suite 448)
Toronto, Ontario, M5V 3A8 Canada
(416) 703 – 9333
info@reelasian.com
Charitable number: 870021383RR0001
