Fresh off its world premiere at TIFF, Amar Wala’s Shook serves as an ideal case study for filmmakers, particularly those transitioning from shorts to feature films. Set in Scarborough, Ont., the film captures the area's multicultural essence and reflects on identity, place, and personal growth through rich, site-specific details. This panel explores the craft of the film, the intricate score, and the writing process, capturing a slice of life that local audiences can resonate with. As a family story, Shook presents a narrative that showcases the beauty of everyday life, balancing complex personal narratives with broader cultural commentary. By examining Wala’s experience with Shook, we'll shed light on how an honest love letter to a city and its diverse communities can be crafted.
Saffron Maeve
Critic, Curator
Saffron Maeve is a Toronto-based critic and curator. Her writing has appeared in Film Comment, The Globe & Mail, Sight and Sound, MUBI Notebook, Reverse Shot, Cinema Scope, Hyperallergic, Toronto Star, and Screen Slate. She is the curator of CONTOURS at Paradise Theatre, a monthly series of films which thematize visual art. Saffron is an active member of the Toronto Film Critics Association and GALECA: the Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics, as well as a past guest speaker and moderator for TIFF, International Film Festival of Ottawa, Dave Barber Cinematheque, Wavelengths, and Mark S. Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies.
Amar Wala
Filmmaker
Amar is a Mumbai born, Toronto based filmmaker whose works include his first feature documentary The Secret Trial 5, which received a Jury Prize at Hot Docs and was named one the Best Docs of the Decade by Real Screen Magazine, and Shook, his scripted feature debut which premiered at TIFF in 2024. His body of deeply human and richly visual work has led to a CSA nomination, and the prestigious Vanguard Award from the DOC Institute. Amar has also produced and directed numerous acclaimed series for CBC, Vice, and Bell Media among others, his latest being the CBC doc series Witness (Hot Docs, Doc NYC ‘23), which he also created. Amar is also the founder of Scarborough Pictures, an award-winning production company based in Toronto.
Kalaisan Kalaichelvan
Composer
Named as one Playback’s 10 to Watch, Kalaisan’s compositional practice spans multiple disciplines, drawing from film, dance, theatre, installation and deals with themes of translation and transference. He was a 2021 Fellow of the prestigious Sundance Composers lab and an alumna of the Canadian Film Centre as one of the 2021 Slaight Music residents. Kalaisan has scored films that have premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, TIFF and AFI FIlm Festival. He is currently working on various commissions and scoring a new Netflix series directed by Simon Barry.
Adnan Khan
Co-Screenwriter
Adnan Khan is a screenwriter, novelist, and journalist. His debut novel, There Has to Be a Knife, was named a best Canadian novel of 2019 by the CBC. His second, The Hypebeast, will be published spring 2025. He was the recipient of the 2022 National Magazine Award for best profile, and has taught screenwriting at the University of Guelph. His first feature film, Shook, premiered at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.
14 Nov, 2024 5:30 pm
TIFF Lightbox C5Due to a quirk in our ticketing system, you will be prompted to select seats for this event; however this event will have open seating. You may sit in any available seat without a reserved sign or hood on it, except the front row which is reserved for people with disabilities.
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Wheelchair spaces and step-free seating is available for this event – click below to book accessible seats.
Join us for an exclusive Work-In-Progress presentation of SPACE CADET, a captivating animated film directed by Eric San (Kid Koala). Work-In-Progress events at Reel Asian give audience members a chance to explore the development stages of a piece of work. In this session, we will hear insights from the creative team of SPACE CADET, including director Kid Koala, producer Ginette Petit, head of story and production designer Lillian Chan, and artistic director Corinne Merrell, who will guide us through the artistic process and illustrate how animation brings this heartfelt narrative to life.
21 Nov. 7:00 pm
Sit in on this exclusive screening and deep dive of LATE BLOOMER, the groundbreaking series from the creative mind of Jasmeet Raina (Jus Reign). Centred on Jasmeet Dutta's life, the show unpacks family expectations, intergenerational relationships, and racial identity in ways rarely seen on Canadian TV. We’ll screen Episode 1: "Nudes" and Episode 4: "The Turban," offering a glimpse into Jasmeet’s complex journey as he navigates personal desires that go against familial pressures. Stick around to hear from the creative team about how Late Bloomer has landed in the community, and how it will continue to shape these conversations in real life.
17 Nov. 10:00 am
CREATURA is a multimedia cross-programming stream at the 28th Reel Asian Film Festival, spotlighting the strange, wild, and untamed — concepts historically used to marginalize. This session will explore how these concepts manifest through stories of endangered traditions and reimagined realities. The documentary THE LAST OF THE SEA WOMEN provides a vivid portrayal of South Korean fisherwomen preserving an ancient practice amidst modern developments. Meanwhile, UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE, set in a reimagined Canada where Farsi and French are official languages, presents a surreal world where societal norms are upended and loneliness is a common experience. Both films vividly embody the spirit of CREATURA by pushing the boundaries of human experience and challenging conventional perspectives.
20 Nov. 4:30 pm