18 Oct, 2023
As we approach the 27th edition of the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival, running from November 8–19, 2023, we’re excited to introduce this year’s Festival Creative Artist, Ben Luu!
In our commitment to uplift and showcase Asian Canadian voices, stories, creativity, and art, we’ve commissioned a talented local artist to craft the visual identity for our 27th year. Read more about Ben and see his full animation, Flower Pot before every screening at this year’s festival!
Ben Luu is a graphic designer and artist based out of Tkaronto/Toronto. He is interested in image-making, type design, editorial design, and the intersection of design and dance. His practice encompasses illustration, design, writing, and dance, touching upon topics of wellness, queer identity, technology, and the environment.
I use flowers in my personal work to symbolize beauty, life, queerness, and celebration. Here, the stylized flowers are a take on the flower motif found in traditional ceramics. In ceramics, stylistic influences, motifs, and natural resources travel between cultures and people, amalgamating human histories—not unlike filmmaking.
There is a lot of uncertainty in a world that is ever automating, attempting to fade artists into obscurity for profit, and I feel that now it is most important to celebrate these practices, like ceramics or filmmaking, where the craft intrinsically captures the human spirit.
aaronraays aka RAAYS is a producer, multi-instrumentalist, and sound architect, always approaching music through a lens of curiosity. It’s from this intuitive sense of wonder he synthesizes earthly fragments with cosmic soundscapes, reflecting it all back as shimmering ambient, experimental jazz and radiant left-field electronic beat music.
In our remarkable 27-year journey, Reel Asian has brought you the authenticity and diversity of Asian cinema, culture, and storytelling. We’ve celebrated countless moments of inspiration and connection, sharing the magic of film with our wonderful community. However, today we find ourselves facing an unprecedented challenge.
Without adequate funding, we are forced to make painful decisions – not only can we not host the hybrid festival we envisioned, but we are also compelled to cut back on our programming and events. This translates to fewer stories told, fewer voices heard, and fewer chances for Asian talent to be recognized on a global stage.
The financial constraints across the industry have never been this severe, and we are compelled to reach out to you, our cherished supporters, for help.
If you’ve ever found solace, joy, or enlightenment through the films and experiences we’ve brought to Toronto—and in recent years across Canada— if you’ve felt the profound impact of Asian stories on your life, or if you believe in the importance of a platform like Reel Asian, we warmly ask for your support.
Your donation, no matter the size, will make a tremendous difference in ensuring that Reel Asian continues to be a beacon of Asian cinema, culture, and artistry for generations to come. With your help, we can overcome these obstacles and continue to inspire, educate, and connect our community through the power of film.
Your support is not just financial; it’s a testament to the enduring spirit of Reel Asian and the importance of the stories we share.
No amount is too small. Donating even just $20 dollars will go a long way in helping us reach our goal of $50,000.
How You Can Help:
Donate: Every dollar makes a difference. Your donation directly contributes to the future of Asian cinema and sustains a diverse, working environment in the industry.
Spread the Word: Share our urgent call for support with your network. Help us reach those who share our passion for diverse storytelling.
Advocate for Change: Join us in advocating for increased support for arts and culture, ensuring our creativity continues to thrive.
Let’s rally for Reel Asian. Together, we can ensure that this festival that has touched the hearts of so many continues to thrive for years to come.
With heartfelt gratitude,
Deanna Wong, Executive Director
Jennifer Shin & Austin Wong, Co-chairs, Board of Directors
Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival
Please note: If you are unable to donate through our website’s ticketing platform, Elevent, an alternative way to donate is through CanadaHelps.
Thank you so much for your support.
Reel Asian is happy to announce the inaugural recipient of the Kalabaw Bursary, Patrick de Belen! Juried by Romeo Candido, Shasha Nakhai, and Martin Edralin, the $5,000 bursary award is presented annually to a Filipinx emerging artist with a strong voice, clear vision, artistic approach and a story to tell.
Patrick de Belen is a Toronto-based Filipinx-Canadian storyteller, arts educator, spoken word poet, writer, and filmmaker.
He is most known for his poetic collaborations with the Toronto Raptors, the NFL, CBC, his 2 spoken word EPs and multiple cine-poems he wrote and directed himself.
He was the youngest poet to win a national poetry slam championship, awarded both the national Canadian Poet of Honour and Youth Poet of Honour title, and a few more storytelling accolades throughout his career. He has shared the stage with notable performers like The Roots, Shayne Koyczan, and The Halluci Nation. PDB’s short documentary Tell Me A Story About Someone You Miss was selected as a finalist for the TVO Short Doc Competition (2023), and he is currently in post for his debut feature documentary Last Note.
When he is not writing or sharing, he is an educator and youth mentor, partnering with many institutions like addiction centres, mental health focused organizations, libraries, schools, jails and more – advocating for storytelling opportunities in as many spaces as possible.
We had the distinct privilege to be witness to the incredible depth of talent and compelling narratives within the Filipino community during our selection process. Each applicant brought something special to the table, and although we couldn’t financially support everyone, we wholeheartedly encourage all to persist in bringing your stories to life.
After comprehensive debates and thoughtful reflections, we are awarding the bursary to Last Note by Patrick de Belen. This film courageously explores a personal narrative while addressing an often-silenced issue within our community. Its innovative and experimental approach will be emotional, metal, poetic, honest and while specifically Filipino, promises to resonate beyond our own cultural spheres. Timely and topical, Last Note will bring to light an innovative new voice in Mr. de Belen.
We’re therefore pleased to award the inaugural Kalabaw Bursary to this exceptional project. Our hope is that this funding propels Last Note towards completion, reaching an audience that will be moved by it as profoundly as we have.
We would also like to announce that the focus of year two of the Kalabaw Bursary is to be a fund that will support the creation of a script. More details to come.
With much respect / Labis na paggalang,
Martin Edralin, Romeo Candido, Shasha Nakhai
6 Jun, 2023
The Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival is excited to announce this year’s Unsung Voices participants! The Unsung Voices Summer Youth Video Production Workshop will provide young Asian Canadians who have a keen interest in film and media art the chance to express themselves as artists, learn from professionals in the field, and to produce a distinctly Asian Canadian story on screen. The films made will receive a world premiere at the 27th Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival in November 2023. Read more about the selected participants and program mentors below!
Melvin Daligdig
Hi my name is Melvin Daligdig and I am a Filipino multidisciplinary artist specializing in film, photography, stunts and dance in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Instagram: M3lbean
Corinne Langmuir
Corinne Langmuir is a Taiwanese-Canadian writer, filmmaker, and student. With a strong passion for the arts, Corinne’s interest in media has become a vehicle for her creative expression. She is fascinated by the various forms that storytelling can take—whether through literature, film, or internet culture commentaries. Corinne’s past work has been in the realm of dance film. The Unsung Voices program serves as her first experience directing a narrative film with dialogue. Corinne co-created two dance shorts, Zì Jǐ (2020) and Something To Forget Me By (2022), which have gone on to screen at international festivals. The latter film recently won the 2022 Audience Choice Award at F-O-R-M (Festival of Recorded Movement). Corinne has also written pieces for various online zines and reviewed films at TIFF for the student-run newspaper, The Varsity. She is thrilled to be a part of this year’s Unsung Voices program and is grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow—both personally and professionally.
Twitter: corinnelangmuir
Instagram: corinnelangmuir
Carthy Ngo
Carthy is a Vietnamese-Chinese-Canadian from Southern Ontario who is exploring filmmaking for the first time while working as a speech-language pathologist by day. She is inspired by the stories of love and loss that she has come across through her work and in life, and hopes to provide comfort with her art.
Instagram: carth
Kevin Matthew Wong
Kevin Matthew Wong (he/him) is a Hakka Chinese-Canadian theatre creator, producer, performer, projection designer, and emerging filmmaker whose work blends documentary media with personal and conversational storytelling.
www.kevinmatthewwong.com
Instagram: kevinmatthewwong
Satrio Prahasto
As an emerging filmmaker based in Toronto, Satrio is interested in how influences from East and Southeast Asian cinemas can not only inform, but also shape how we tell our respective diasporic stories in a North American setting.
Instagram: satrioprahasto
Christopher Yip
Filmmaker
Christopher Yip (he/him) is a Queer Chinese Canadian writer & director based in Toronto whose works examine love, family, and sexuality through a distinct diasporic lens. His latest film FISH BOY had its World Premiere at the BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival and was 1 of 8 projects selected for the Frameline Completion Fund. His series Streams Flow From a River, produced by Fae Pictures, had its International Premiere at the Cannes International Series Festival and its Digital World Premiere at the Canadian Film Fest. It is now streaming on Super Channel, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV in Canada. Christopher is represented by Jennifer Irons at META Talent Agency.
Kenya-Jade Pinto
Photographer & Filmmaker
Kenya-Jade Pinto is an Indo-Kenyan-Canadian storyteller and National Geographic Explorer. Her hyphenated worldview informs her work where she focuses on non-fiction and narrative projects that navigate themes of displacement, belonging, and access to justice.
Kashif Pasta
Film Director
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. He is the co-founder of Dunya Media, a production company that empowers filmmakers of color to tell stories with joy, wonder, and purpose, where he recently won the 2022 SXSW Grand Jury Prize and Audience Awards – Music Video for producing. Kashif’s most recent directorial work, the South Asian Muslim sci-fi drama short DESI STANDARD TIME TRAVEL, is currently playing at festivals around the world. He plans to go to camera on his directorial debut feature, LIKE BROTHERS in 2024.
Albert Shin
Filmmaker
Albert Shin is an award-winning Korean-Canadian filmmaker, whose work as a director, writer and producer has been featured at major festivals around the world, including the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), South by Southwest (SXSW), San Sebastian (SSIFF), Locarno and the Berlinale. His work as a writer-director includes his award-winning Korean-language breakout feature, IN HER PLACE (2014), as well as DISAPPEARANCE AT CLIFTON HILL (2019).
In addition, Albert founded the Toronto-based production company, TIMELAPSE PICTURES along with fellow filmmaker, Igor Drljaca. Through the company, he’s produced the features, KRIVINA (2012), THE WAITING ROOM (2015), THE STONE SPEAKERS (2018) and THE WHITE FORTRESS (2020), the last of which was Bosnia-Herzegovina’s selection for the Foreign Language Academy Award in 2021.
Martin Edralin
Filmmaker
Martin Edralin is a Filipino-Canadian, Toronto-based filmmaker. His first short film, HOLE (2014), won the Grand Prize at Clermont-Ferrand, jury prizes at Locarno and Seattle, and screened at Sundance, TIFF, and BFI London. His second short, EMMA (2016), was selected in TIFF Canada’s Top Ten and won Best Live Action Short at the Rhode Island IFF. His debut feature, ISLANDS (2021), premiered at SXSW and was awarded Special Jury Recognition.
Renuka Jeyapalan
Film Director
Renuka Jeyapalan is a Toronto-based writer/director and graduate of the Canadian Film Centre’s Director’s Lab. She has directed episodes of SORT OF (HBOMax), WORKIN MOMS(Netflix), GINNY & GEORGIA (Netflix), THE 410 (CBC), and KIM’S CONVENIENCE (CBC). She has also directed the pilots for CHILDREN RUIN EVERYTHING (Roku) and SON OF A CRITCH(CBC). Recently, she wrapped on the upcoming ABC Signature/Onyx Collective series HOW TO DIE ALONE, created by and starring Natasha Rothwell. Renuka’s short film BIG GIRL (‘05) screened at the Berlinale, Tribeca, and TIFF, where it was awarded Best Short Film. Her other short films include ARRANGED (‘14), A BICYCLE LESSON (‘16), and LIFE SUPPORT (‘19), which screened at TIFF. More recently, she wrote and directed her first feature film, STAY THE NIGHT (‘22), which had its World Premiere at SXSW. Renuka has an Honours Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry from the University of Toronto.
On May 31st, Reel Asian wrapped up Asian Heritage Month with its second annual Fire Horse Award reception and ceremony, celebrating film editor Mary Stephen.
Stephen’s work is extensive, with over 52 credits and four best editing nominations to her name. Most well known for being the film editor and occasional co-composer for renowned French New Wave director Eric Rohmer, Mary has always followed her intuition across borders, taking storytelling beyond convention, and approached her work expansively with care and connection.
Through several anecdotes in her acceptance speech, Stephen takes us through moments that remind us to be fearless in exploring the complex tapestry of our being without being defined only by our differences.
“We’ve come a long way, but there is still a long way to go! And as we all know, we are constantly being shoved back to the starting block. Reel Asian provides a precious, safe place and a mutually motivated community to keep us going strongly and bravely on this long journey. This award will certainly motivate me to continue my work in exploring our specific heritage but also our way of belonging to a larger human community.”
Stephen’s artistry, grit, constant mentorship, and collaboration with the next generation of filmmakers is something to both celebrate and emulate. For her career and ongoing work as a mentor, filmmaker and trailblazer, we at Reel Asian are honoured to present Mary Stephen with the 2023 Fire Horse Award.
The Fire Horse award honours an Asian Canadian individual who has made an extraordinary contribution to the film and media-arts community. It was created on the occasion of Reel Asian’s 25th Anniversary in 2021 to honour Reel Asian founder Anita Lee, whose groundbreaking work and determination has made Reel Asian a staple in Canada’s festival landscape.
Watch Mary Stephen’s tribute video below.
Watch Mary Stephen’s acceptance speech below.
View all speeches from the 2023 Fire Horse Award Ceremony here.
20 Sep, 2022
Our Reel Asian TIFF reception brought all kinds of people from the film community together to mingle and snack on the 401 Richmond rooftop patio. Honourable guests such as directors Hirokazu Kore-eda (Broker, TIFF 2022) and Deepa Mehta, TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey, Consul General Mr. Orontes V. Castro of the Philippine Consulate General in Toronto, and Consul General Mr. Takashi Miyata of The Japanese Consulate were present to celebrate our love of film with us.
We kicked off our reception with a few words from Deanna Wong (our executive director), Anita Lee (TIFF’s chief programmer officer and the founder of Reel Asian) and Arshad Khan (MISAFF’s festival director) who spoke of how the power of community can support Asian creatives on their journey.
RA board member Michael Fukushima (and retired executive producer of NBF’s Animation Studio) together with creative director and RA alum Jason Lee announced a new initiative, what will be known as the Reel Asian Alumni Network (RAAN).
In Fukushima’s words, “it’s going to be our way to make you, our alumni filmmakers, integral parts of the festival family — even when you don’t have a film in the festival.”
Find out more at Reel Asian this November!
There were many faces of emerging and established filmmakers, creatives, producers, and film lovers. If you were present, you may have been caught in a photograph by our photographer Mike Tjioe! Sift through our photos on Flickr from the reception to relive or simply experience the fun vibes.
We’re big fans of Lainey Lui (eTalk Host, founder of LaineyGossip) here at Reel Asian and to say we were excited to have her rocking our new canvas tote bag and crewneck sweater is a total understatement.
Our merch was revealed for the first time to hundreds of people at our reception, but Lainey had come early before covering the Emmys to show her support. Lainey was the first to see, try on, and take our #ReelAsian26 merch home.
With beautiful artwork by Bree Jiang printed on the back and “Reel Asian” embroidered in red yarn on the front, this year’s sweater embraces a minimal yet vibrant aesthetic that will pair nicely with the green tote that it’s bundled with (while supplies last).
Even the legendary Hirokazu Kor-eda took our #ReelAsian26 canvas tote home at our reception! In the image above he’s posed amongst Reel Asian staff who were excited to meet him.
Shop for our #ReelAsian26 merch before our festival on November 9 — 20 so that you can be a part of the #ReelAsian26 crew. Don’t forget to take a picture with your new merch and tag us on socials at @reelasian!
We couldn’t have done this reception without the support and love we received. Reel Asian is able to consistently provide a space for Asian filmmakers, creatives, and film lovers because of the sponsors and event partners who support and believe in us.
We want to thank the Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council, Telefilm, and Ontario Creates.
Thank you as well to our Festival Partner, Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival (MISAFF), and our Hospitality Partners, Steam Whistle, Ren Premium Vodka, and Karahi Boys, as well as our DJ Chiss Miss Cherry (@chissmisscherry on IG).
None of this could be possible without our community who always shows up, so thank you to all our guests who attended our reception as well.
24 Aug, 2022
Minikino Film Week 8 presents A Starting Point by Reel Asian. A Starting Point is a collaboration between Reel Asian and Minikino to showcase short film festivals from around the work. As part of Minikino’s special programme, seven shorts from Reel Asian’s Unsung Voices will be screened to present a mini history behind our production workshop.
“Where does a filmmaker’s journey begin? And, can we revisit this moment? A Starting Point recognizes the value of beginnings and wonders how we might return to “first films” as a place for regrowth. This programme places short films from the four cohort members of Unsung Voices 10 (2021), Reel Asian’s free summer production workshop for first-time or emerging filmmakers, in conversation with retrospective “first films” by Unsung Voice’s founder, Aram Collier, and program coordinators, Haaris Qadri and Jennifer Su.”
– Kelly Lui, Reel Asian’s Shorts Programmer
September 5 at 5:45PM (WITA)
SKA (Rumah Film Sang Karsa)
September 6 at 8:15PM (WITA)
UMA SEMINYAK
THE ORCHID AND THE TREE // Ganesh Thava / Canada / 2021
The echoes of grief linger decades after in a South Asian family that did not, could not, get around to talking about it.
WAVE HANDS LIKE CLOUDS // Jennifer Su / Canada / 2018
Tai Chi practitioners explore their connection to the martial art in this hybrid documentary music video set in Toronto’s Grange Park and Scarborough.
CHAKAR (ਚੱਕਰ) // Harman Kang / Canada / 2021
A young woman is stopped by a middle-aged Punjabi woman. Things take a turn for the uncanny, as the young woman is presented with a choice that will change the course of her life.
GOREE // Haaris Qadri / Canada / 2016
A 9-year-old Pakistani-Canadian girl struggles to understand her mother’s cultural expectations of beauty.
watering // James Legaspi / Canada / 2021
Watering is a semi-autobiographical short film through which the filmmaker reflects on the passing of their childhood dog, and how it continues to inform their navigation of daily life.
EXPRESS LANE // Aram Siu Wai Collier, Rudy Chong / Canada / 1997
Express Lane is an adrenaline-laced, technically virtuosic thrilling chase throughout urban San Francisco, somewhere between a pedestrian Bullitt and an under-21 Pulp Fiction.
AHU’S JOURNAL // Weeda Azim / Canada / 2021
Eager for an escape from her family, Safiya moves out to a sublet of an acquaintance, Ahu. She soon comes across a journal with entries that take her on a reflective journey—Ahu’s journal.
18 Aug, 2022
Toronto Reel Asian International Festival is excited to announce our Unsung Voices 10’s shorts will be presented at the 19th Cheongju International Short Film Festival! Taking place August 18 – 22, four incredible short films by Ganesh Thava, Harman Kang, James Legaspi, and Weeda Azim will be screened as part of Cheongju International Short Film Festival’ special programme on August 20th. Reel Asian’s very own shorts programmer Kelly Lui served on the jury for this year.
The Unsung Voices Summer Youth Video Production Workshop provides young Asian Canadians who have a keen interest in film and media art the chance to express themselves as artist, learn from professionals in the field, and to produce a distinctly Asian Canadian story on screen. In the 10th edition of Unsung Voices, our four filmmakers embarked on a summer-long filmmaking journey online. For more information on our Unsung Voices 10, click here.
Interested in being part of Unsung Voices in the future? Applications open up every Spring; click here for more information.
August 20 at 1:00PM KT
CGY Yullyang Theater No.4
Ganesh Thava
Ganesh Thava is a Tamil Canadian writer, director, and actor working in film, TV, and theatre. He takes mundane everyday stories like family feuds or love affairs and shows them through a BIPOC and LGBTQ+ lens.
Harman Kang
Harman Kang‘s passion for writing was spurred by a desire to entertain herself and her friends, and a lifelong attitude of “I can do that.” Currently based in Edmonton and working in the non-profit sector, Chakar is Kang’s debut short film.
James Legaspi
James Legaspi is an emerging Filipino Canadian multimedia artist living and working in Brampton, Ont.
Weeda Azim
Weeda Azim is an Afghan Canadian writer and filmmaker based in Toronto. Her ultimate goal is to embrace chaos and failure in her work, to create in order to understand herself, and to meet like-minded individuals along the way.
27 Jul, 2022
As the 26th edition of the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival nears on November 9 — 20, we’re ecstatic to share #ReelAsian26’s official Festival Creative Artist, Bree Jiang!
By commissioning a local Asian Canadian artist to illustrate the identity of our 26th year, we strive to uplift and showcase Asian Canadian voices, stories, creativity, and art by providing support and a consistent platform. Read more about Bree and their work, as well as the animation they’ve conceptualized for this year’s festival.
Bree Jiang (they/them) is a queer interdisciplinary artist of Chinese descent based in Tkaronto aka Toronto. Their multidisciplinary arts practice comprises of painting, illustration, animation and design. Bree’s work explores topics such as speculative worlds, the natural world, identity and community-building. They hold a Bachelors of Design (Major in Illustration) from OCAD University. Bree has created work for clients such as LinkedIn, the City of Toronto, Toronto Fringe Festival, UofT Med Magazine, Xpace Cultural Centre, Pride Toronto, and more. Bree and their work can be found on Instagram @_breejiang.
Bree’s animation titled Consonance is entirely their own conceptualized storyline. The lush, vibrant colours of forest green and orange-red Bree has chosen for the carps and the dragon – the characters of Consonance that depict the storyline of individual versus community – extend our identity beyond our year-round red, charcoal and beige to pave way for our 26th year as a film festival.
Consonance is an animation inspired by the collective power of community organizing and activism. This animation reinterprets the Chinese mythological tale that states, if a carp swam upstream and made the final leap over the waterfall to reach Dragon’s gate, it would be rewarded by being transformed into a dragon. In this reconstructed narrative, a single carp struggles to swim upstream a waterfall and falls to the bottom. However, through the support of it’s fellow carp friends, they’re able to swim and push together to reach the top of the falls where they merge to become a single powerful dragon. This reinterpretation of the ancient tale encapsulates how the whole (community) is greater than the sum of its parts (individuals).
Founded in Toronto in 1997, Reel Asian is Canada’s largest pan-Asian film festival and a year-round cultural organization dedicated to championing Asian and Asian diasporic artists and storytellers. What began as a grassroots film festival has grown into a national platform supporting filmmakers and audiences through screenings, education, industry initiatives, artist development, and community programming presented across Toronto, the GTA, and online across Canada.
401 Richmond Street West, The Commons (Suite 448)
Toronto, Ontario, M5V 3A8 Canada
(416) 703 – 9333
info@reelasian.com
Charitable number: 870021383RR0001
