Rent A Plus-One, one of the first vertical series to receive funding from the Independent Production Fund (IPF) and the Canada Media Fund (CMF), offers a case study in what happens when filmmakers build for a vertical frame. Its creators unpack their journey from traditional web series to vertical, exploring what changes when you write, block, direct, and produce for the format, from creative choices to budgets and shooting schedules. The session examines how filmmakers can use verticals to work within limited resources, reach audiences online, and open new pathways to financing and distribution.
Alice Wang
Creator, Director & Writer
Alice Wang is a former psych student, casual beatboxer, and life-long soccer player turned filmmaker. A CFC Writers’ Lab resident, they’re the creator/director of Rent a Plus-One and currently developing their first feature film.
John Tan
Producer
John Tan is a Toronto-based producer and creative professional working across film, television, and digital content, with a passion for bold storytelling and diverse voices.
Ariel Yang
Producer
Ariel Yang is an independent Film and Television Producer specializing in development, packaging, financing, and production. With a background spanning studio-backed comedy TV series and independent feature films, Ariel partners with writers and directors to shape distinctive voices into culturally resonant, market-positioned projects built to move from concept to screen.
16 Nov, 2026 6:30 pm
401 Richmond St. W (Commons Lobby, 4th Floor)IN PERSON ACCESSIBILITY
This presentation will feature improved air quality by our use of a HEPA-filter ambient air purifier. Reel Asian is a mask-friendly festival.
Drawing on the Disability Screen Office’s newly launched REFRAMING ACCESS: A BEST PRACTICES GUIDE ON DISABILITY INCLUSION IN CANADA'S SCREEN INDUSTRY, this conversation will explore how filmmakers can establish inclusive accessibility practices across all stages of production and beyond.
17 Nov. 6:30 pm
Ashley Duong’s BA'S BOOK, Reel Asian’s opening night film, begins with her father’s memoir and unfolds with the process of recreating her family’s history of war, displacement, and migration from Vietnam.
12 Nov. 2:00 pm
Celebrating 20 years of Reel Asian’s pitch competition, five finalist filmmakers will take the stage to pitch their projects to a live jury and audience.
21 Nov. 7:00 pm
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, Asian diasporic, and Asian Canadian 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
