The festival recognizes that certain programming may include content that is triggering and have listed content advisories for films if appropriate. These content advisories appear on the website as well as on-screen before the film. We offer a list of peer support resources that you can access if you are feeling impacted.
Reel Asian welcomes service animals at all festival venues, free of charge.
The festival has made every effort to include open captions for in-theatre and digital screenings; there are a few films/programmes that only offer subtitles but these have been clearly noted on their film/programme detail pages on our website. There are a few works which are either historical or contain no dialogue; these works are being presented without captions.
The festival is offering ASL interpretation for the intro and Q&A at the in-person presentation of:
These three programmes are all fully open-captioned for all dialogue and sound cues..
ASL interpreters will not appear on-screen for the intro and Q&A. A selection of seats near the interpreter in the front row will be kept available for d/Deaf or hard-of-hearing patrons who need clearer lines of sight. They can move to these seats during the intro and Q&A if they wish. For d/Deaf or hard-of-hearing patrons with intersectional disabilities that make moving around the theatre difficult, please click on the BOOK ACCESSIBLE SEATING button for these screenings and request via the intake form to be seated in these front-row seats directly.
The festival is providing live captioning for the UNSUNG VOICES 14 Shorts Programme, 1:00PM in C2 on Sunday, November 9, 2025. This programme includes d/Deaf content and talent on screen and on stage.
All screening venues are accessible to wheelchair users or mobility aid users who need barrier-free access. We offer advance ticketing in barrier-free sections of the theatre. To book tickets for accessible seating, click the BOOK ACCESSIBLE SEATING button on the webpage of the film you are interested in. You will be taken to an intake form and a box office representative will follow up with you directly about your ticket purchase.
Reel Asian is now part of the Easter Seals of Canada‘s Access 2 Card Program. This initiative offers companions or attendants of people with disabilities free tickets. The person with a disability pays full price for their ticket but can register for a free ticket for their companion or attendant through the intake form. Please bring your valid Access 2 card to the venue box office when picking up your tickets.
As part of our wraparound care service, you have the option of providing details about your drop-off and pick-up transportation details. You can specify if you would like to have a festival representative meet you at your drop-off location on the way in and/or escort you to your pick-up location on your way out. A festival representative can stay with you until you are rescheduled if you miss your paratrans pickup.
We will also ask you for your cellphone number in case we need to contact you if you haven’t shown up when we are expecting you – your seats will be held no matter when you show up, but we just want to have a way to check if you’re still on your way. Finally, you will be given an opportunity to let us know about any other accessibility accommodations we should know about to help serve you better.
We understand that people with invisible disabilities such as sensory issues and/or social anxiety will be in attendance, and we are so happy to have you. These events often feature bright flashing lights, loud music, and busy crowds and if you are feeling overwhelmed, we will be providing a calm & quiet respite space at our CSI Spadina and 401 Commons venues that are set apart from the main area to rest, relax, or recharge. Please use the intake form to let us know if you may need to access this spaces.
The festival has made an effort to make our website compatible with screenreader technology, including providing image description tags for most images and intuitive page design. Our website features enlarged-type and high-contrast modes for those with low-vision or visual impairment.
At the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival, we are always striving to learn more about the accessibility needs of our patrons so that they can enjoy the show. These initiatives are part of a continued commitment to our d/Deaf and disabled community members, and we plan to upgrade our access for years to come. You can reach our Accessibility Coordinator at accessibility@reelasian.com
Thanks to Andrew Gurza for disability consultancy.
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
