Canada, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, USA202181 minEnglish and various languages with English subtitles Animation, Drama, Family, Fantasy, LGBTQ+ Filmmakers, Non-binary Filmmakers, Women Filmmakers
Sing along to this collection of short films featuring characters who find themselves confronting systemic, structural, and personal challenges, all while defying conventional narratives and reconstructing alternative possibilities of storytelling.
Canada, USA202114 min English, Mandarin, Cantonese with English subtitlesToronto PremiereDrama, LGBTQ+ Filmmakers, Non-binary Filmmakers
Tenderly dedicated to their chosen family, Sky, a non-binary Chinese American drag sensation, returns to their hometown and ends up confronting their estranged father about childhood memories that continue to haunt them.
An Active Listener will be available to offer one-on-one peer support for viewers who may find the content of this presentation triggering. More info on how to access here.
This film contains the potentially triggering topics of implied domestic aggression, family separation, and queerphobic parents.
Jess X. Snow
Jess X. Snow is a non-binary film director, artist, poet, and community-arts educator who creates queer, Asian, immigrant stories that transcend borders, binaries, and time.
South Korea202115 min Korean with English subtitlesNorth American PremiereAnimation, Women Filmmakers
Director Boyoung Kim takes us into a world where everything you need can be rented from huge vending machines. A girl does whatever she can to become a guitarist, despite others choosing otherwise.
This presentation has English subtitles.
Boyoung Kim
Boyoung Kim is a Korean animator and independent filmmaker. She is the creator of animated short films Replacement (2013), Impersonation (2014), Prey (2015), and The Levers (2018).
Philippines202116 min Tagalog with English subtitlesCanadian PremiereDrama
Set to an expressive soundtrack, Vangie is a miserable contractual sales lady who uncovers the ultimate jaw-dropping secret to regularization in a desperate attempt to save her job.
This presentation has English subtitles.
Sonny Calvento
Sonny Calvento is a writer, director, and producer from the Philippines. Reflective of the Filipino psyche in finding humor in tragedies, Calvento is interested in tackling the sometimes-farcical life in the Philippines.
Canada20214 min Tagalog with English subtitlesLGBTQ+ Filmmakers, Music, Women Filmmakers
Commissioned by the Polaris Music Prize to honour the 2020 shortlist nomination of Pantayo’s self-titled debut, Huwag Mataranta! follows BB, who finds her power in a mystical night market run by figures of Filipino folklore.
Tricia Hagoriles
Tricia Hagoriles is an award-winning, Toronto-based filmmaker who received the inaugural Inside Out + OUTtv Outspoken Documentary Financing Fund for her upcoming work, The Archivist.
Myanmar, USA202115 min English, Burmese with English subtitlesCanadian PremiereDrama, LGBTQ+ Filmmakers
Imperfectly Complete features a resonating performance from Burmese American Chrissy Aung in the role of Lucy, who struggles whether to reveal the truth of herself when the blind guitarist she cares for is about to regain his vision.
This presentation has English subtitles.
Bruce Chiu
Born and raised in Taiwan, Bruce Chiu is a writer, director, and cinematographer based in Los Angeles. Chiu is passionate about telling stories for social issues.
Canada, Pakistan202017 min English, Urdu with English subtitlesDrama
It’s 1978 in Pakistan, amid guitar riffs and late-night shows, rockstar Lenny from the Christian community is offered the chance to reinvent himself as a state-sanctioned singer.
This presentation has English subtitles.
Hamza Bangash
Hamza Bangash is an award-winning Pakistani Canadian director, screenwriter, and producer. An alumnus of both the Locarno and Asian filmmakers academies, his artistic practice is based out of Karachi.
10 Nov, 2021
to 19 Nov, 2021
PG
Kea can’t make ends meet, even while working as a luau dancer, karaoke-bar hostess, and elementary school Hawaiian-language teacher. After a violent altercation with her boyfriend, Kea accidentally hits a homeless man with her car. Not wanting to involve the authorities, she decides to take care of the mysterious man herself.
If it had to be summed up, Code Name: Nagasaki is a documentary shot by Fredrik S. Hana, following his close friend and film protagonist Marius Lunde on his journey to connect with his estranged mother, who cut ties with the family when Lunde was a child, and relocated to Japan. The experience of watching the film, however, far exceeds this tidy storyline.
So You Think You Can Pitch is back! Celebrate our 15th year of pitch competitions by supporting your favourite emerging filmmakers in our live event! Featuring a total of five finalist individuals or teams, the winner will walk away with our amazing prize package to kickstart or finish their short film, including a cash award, in-kind support, and the opportunity to premiere their work with us at next year’s festival!
Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, China, Philippines, South Korea, USA202176 minEnglish and various languages with English SubtitlesAnimation, Comedy, Documentary, Drama, Women Filmmakers
Recognizing the in/tangible ways feelings and relations can influence one’s actions, these six films tenderly hold the complexities of characters, places, and memories that are more than enough just as they are.
Canada, South Korea202112 minKorean with English subtitlesDrama
Actors Ahn So-yo and Kim Jae-rok return in director Albert Shin’s latest film as two anonymous strangers who meet in a motel room by the sea.
This presentation has English subtitles.
An Active Listener will be available to offer one-on-one peer support for viewers who may find the content of this presentation triggering. More info on how to access here.
This film contains the potentially triggering topics of suicide.
Albert Shin
Albert Shin is a Toronto-based filmmaker. His films include In Her Place (2014) and Disappearance at Clifton Hill (2019).
Belgium, China202016 minMandarin with English subtitlesNorth American PremiereDocumentary, Women Filmmakers
Wistful and witty, director Viv Li succinctly recounts the nine days she spends in her hometown of Beijing after being abroad for 10 years.
This presentation has English subtitles.
Viv Li
Viv Li is a Chinese filmmaker, writer, and comedian based in Berlin and Beijing. Before turning to film directing, she was an active standup comedian and performed around the U.K. and China.
South Korea20203 minKorean with English subtitlesAnimation, Music, Women Filmmakers
One night, Seolgi is lying on a grass field with friends when a shooting star falls and dark intrusive thoughts hit her, bursting with movement and blooming bright colours.
This presentation has English subtitles.
An Active Listener will be available to offer one-on-one peer support for viewers who may find the content of this presentation triggering. More info on how to access here.
This film contains the potentially triggering topic of suicide.
Sasha Lee
Sasha Lee directs and animates short films that explore the connection between humans, using dramatic motion and vibrant colors. During her free time, she writes idiosyncratic songs that make her happy.
USA20214 minEnglish, Tagalog with English subtitlesToronto PremiereComedy, Women Filmmakers
Looking to pick up something new? In this lesson, Kayla teaches you conversational phrases, common expressions, and much, much more in Tagalog.
This presentation has English subtitles.
Kayla Abuda Galang
Kayla Abuda Galang is a second-ish-generation Filipino American making films rooted in nostalgia, everyday absurdity, and girlhood. She is based in Austin, Texas, with her partner and two cats.
Cambodia202014 minKhmer with English subtitlesOntario PremiereDrama, Women Filmmakers
Amid a textured beauty salon and late-night vibes full of tension, Pich navigates her restrained interest in the delivery man, who spends his evenings driving through Phnom Penh's streets.
This presentation has English subtitles.
Danech San
Danech San has worked on projects with Anti-Archive since 2015, including Diamond Island (2016). Her first and previous short film, A Million Years (2018), won Best Southeast Asian Short at Singapore IFF 2018.
Philippines202027 minTagalog with English subtitlesCanadian Premiere
Set in a rural coastal village in the Philippines, Mona trains under her mother to start work as a professional mourner for hire.
This presentation has English subtitles.Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan
Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan is an independent filmmaker, musician, and poster designer of Ifugao and Visayan descent. Eblahan’s works explore themes of trauma, spirituality, and nature, told through the cosmic lens of post-colonial spaces and Indigenous identities.
10 Nov, 2021
to 19 Nov, 2021
AA
Spanning over a decade from 1984 to 1996, Shooting Indians: A Journey with Jeffrey Thomas is a portrait of Jeffrey Thomas, a self-described “Urban Iroquois” photographer, exploring the influences on his life that led him to his career.
This panel is specifically built for filmmakers working in children’s programming. Join this informative discussion with CBC to learn how to break into and develop a career in the field in a way that can create a better future for kids.
So You Think You Can Pitch is back! Celebrate our 15th year of pitch competitions by supporting your favourite emerging filmmakers in our live event! Featuring a total of five finalist individuals or teams, the winner will walk away with our amazing prize package to kickstart or finish their short film, including a cash award, in-kind support, and the opportunity to premiere their work with us at next year’s festival!
Canada, China, Malaysia, Singapore, USA202174 minEnglish, Mandarin with English subtitles, JapaneseAnimation, Comedy, Fantasy, Horror, LGBTQ+ Filmmakers, Music, Women Filmmakers
Delectably genre-bending, this programme serves up a seven-course meal that will surely leave you questioning whether you were even hungry to begin with.
Canada202111 min English World PremiereHorror, LGBTQ+ Filmmakers, Women Filmmakers
Subverting the body-horror genre, Fresh Blood follows 14-year-old Maya, who is left to process her own fears of entering womanhood alone when she gets her first period.
This presentation has closed captions.
Hayley Wong, Julianna Notten
Hayley Wong is an award-winning cinematographer passionate about collaborating with storytellers to shoot underrepresented subjects in mainstream media.
Julianna Notten is a Toronto-based, award-winning, queer filmmaker and co-founder of Switch Hitter Films.
China202014 min Mandarin with English subtitlesDrama, Fantasy
How much would you put into a relationship? Bubble brings us along on a couple's date that takes a strange plunge into vegetarian cuisine.
This presentation has English subtitles.
Haonan Wang
Haonan Wang graduated with a MFA degree in film production from Art Center College of Design. His past works have won awards at several international film festivals, including SXSW, Warsaw Film Festival, and Sitges Film Festival.
Canada20214 min English World PremiereFamily-friendly, Music, Romance, Women Filmmakers
Sweet Memories is an ode to nostalgic memories of childhood crushes, featuring the 1977 Hawaiian track “Lihue” by Nohelani Cypriano.
This presentation has closed captions.
Jessica JM Wu
Jessica JM Wu is a director and producer based in Toronto. She wrote, directed, and produced her first short film, White Dragon, in 2019. Wu is currently represented for commercial work at Undivided Creative
Singapore20203 min JapaneseAnimation, Women Filmmakers
Sentient and existential, Sushi begins to wonder if there’s more to life than serving himself out to consumers.
This presentation has English subtitles.
Calleen Koh Yee Lin
Calleen Koh Yee Lin is currently in her final year of animation art at LASALLE College of the Arts. In her free time, she enjoys sipping tea, listening to old Chinese folk songs, and petting her three cats: Yuki, Mako, and Momo.
Malaysia201914 min Chinese with English subtitlesNorth American PremiereFantasy, Horror, Women Filmmakers
A fresh take on the Malaysian female monster Penanggalan, Chin is an overworked nurse at the maternity ward who finds joy when she is alone and can finally eat.
This presentation has English subtitles.
Amanda Nell Eu
A graduate of the MA in filmmaking at the London Film School, Amanda Nell Eu has directed short films based in the U.K. and Malaysia. She is developing her first feature film, Tiger Stripes.
USA202114 min English World PremiereComedy, Fantasy, Romance, Women Filmmakers
Mi-Wen, an elderly widow, combs the beach in search of treasure and discovers a gold tooth that magically changes her lonely life.
This presentation has closed captions.
Azumi Hasegawa
Azumi Hasegawa is a New York-based writer, originally from Tokyo. Her articles appear in the Japanese editions of Vogue, Elle and Harper’s Bazaar.
China202114 min Mandarin with English subtitlesNorth American PremiereDrama, Fantasy
A film you won’t forget, One Night Elsewhere takes place in a sleepy rural village, offering a surrealistic countryside night journey with a monk, a villager, and a piece of meat.
This presentation has no captions and no dialogue.
Zhichao Zhu
Zhichao Zhu is a Chinese filmmaker and visual artist based in Shanghai and Hamburg who has exhibited internationally. Zhu works as a registered university lecturer in Shanghai.
10 Nov, 2021
to 19 Nov, 2021
PG
Community Supporters
Join us in conversation with directors and special guests in attendance! ASL interpretation will be made available thanks to Toronto Sign Language Interpreter Services. Ticket holders can watch on the CineSend Reel Asian portal.
November 13, 2020 at 8PM
It starts simple enough. In town on a stopover, years after she transitioned, Kris is meeting her college ex-girlfriend Naomi again for the first time. But seeing an ex is never simple. As the evening unfolds, the past inevitably creeps back into their conversations.
First programmed as part of last year’s festival, this panel continues to reckon with the function of art, festival, and gallery spaces in a time of crisis.
Racialized filmmakers often wrestle with the narrative limits of identity politics when wanting to celebrate and push for complexity and abundance. Join us in conversation with filmmakers working in different mediums for various platforms on how they negotiate their relationships with storytelling and identity politics within Canadian filmmaking.
Canada, Vietnam202180 minEnglish and various languages with English SubtitlesAnimation, Documentary, Drama, Experimental, LGBTQ+ Filmmakers, Sci-fi, Women Filmmakers
Carefully set and intentionally crafted, the site-specificity of these short films recognize the role of place as a character integral to offering layered understandings of self, community, and purpose.
Canada202113 minTamil with English subtitlesToronto PremiereDrama, Experimental, Women Filmmakers
Trina encounters another version of herself as a paramilitary fighter for the Tamil Tigers and begins to question the ways in which we rebel.
This presentation has English subtitles.
An Active Listener will be available to offer one-on-one peer support for viewers who may find the content of this presentation triggering. More info on how to access here.
This film contains the potentially triggering topics of war and intergenerational trauma.
Maya Bastian
Maya Bastian is an award-winning filmmaker and writer with roots in conflict journalism. She specializes in exploring untold stories, integrating the voices of each unique community through active engagement, research, and open dialogue.
Canada20214 minEnglishCanadian PremiereDocumentary, Women Filmmakers
Two Filipino Canadians candidly reflect on how separating from their mothers during immigration has affected their mental health and family cohesion.
This presentation has English subtitles.
Thea Loo
Thea Loo is a producer and director from Vancouver. She is currently producing To Make Ends Meat 結束肉, a documentary project premiering this fall at the Vancouver Asian Film Festival.
Canada202110 minEnglish, Mandarin, Japanese with English subtitlesLGBTQ+ Filmmakers, Sci-fi, Women Filmmakers
In the year 2090, Sam tries to bring her lover back to life.
This presentation has English subtitles.
Lovina Yavari, Lance Fernandes
Lovina Yavari is a Canadian actor, director, artist, fashion designer, and internationally published model in Toronto. She can be seen in DC’s Shazam, Polar, and The Boys.
Lance Fernandes, a graduate of the Toronto Film School, is a commercial director and visual-effects artist.
Canada202011 minNo dialogueAnimation, Family, Reel Asian Award Winner, Women Filmmakers
Oscillating between the past and the present, a woman sits in a hospital room, alone with her dying father.
Jordan Canning, Howie Shia
Jordan Canning, a graduate of the Directors’ Lab at the Canadian Film Centre, has made more than a dozen short films.
Howie Shia is an illustrator, animator, writer, and director whose work combines a love for ancient mythologies with a fascination for modern urban environments.
Canada202110 minNo dialogueToronto PremiereAnimation, Women Filmmakers
A disquieting fable with dark humour, a child tries to gain her father's affection, but the family dog proves to be a fierce rival.
This presentation has no captions and no dialogue.
Alisi Telengut
Alisi Telengut is a Canadian artist of Mongolian descent. She creates animation frame by frame under the camera, with painting as the medium, to generate movement and explore handmade and painterly visuals for her films.
Canada20215 minEnglish, Cantonese with English subtitlesCanadian PremiereDocumentary, LGBTQ+ Filmmakers, Non-binary Filmmakers, Reel Asian Award Winner, Women Filmmakers
Highlighting the rich tenacity of Toronto’s East Chinatown community, this film explores the area’s people, sidewalks, and businesses, giving voice to their experiences of community, identity, anxieties, and hopes for the future.
This presentation has English subtitles.
This presentation has open captions.
Amanda Ann-Min Wong
Amanda Ann-Min Wong (she/they) is a Toronto-based film director, writer, sound artist, and musician exploring themes of loss, nostalgia, and memory, as well as finding purpose and community through the arts.
Canada20205 minEnglish, Cantonese with English subtitlesDocumentary, Women Filmmakers
Filmmaker Christine Wu wayfinds her shifting relationship to Hong Kong, as someone who is now observing the region from afar.
This presentation has closed captions.
Christine Wu
Christine Wu is a Hong Kong-born filmmaker and cultural worker living on the territories of the Williams Treaties First Nations (Whitchurch-Stouffville, Ont.). She creates from a place of self-compassion, reflecting an ongoing process of self-education about systemic injustice and healing.
Vietnam202022 minVietnamese with English subtitlesCanadian PremiereDrama, Sci-fi
On a quest to rebuild home, an alien encounters a reverent worshipper, a cynical construction worker, and a mysterious medium, observing their varying ideas of home.
This presentation has English subtitles.
Ostin Fam
Born and raised in Hanoi, Ostin Fam is a member of Brooklyn Filmmakers Collective, the first and largest collective of independent filmmakers in New York, and a 2017 recipient of Sony Pictures’ IFP Marcie Bloom Fellowship in Film.
10 Nov, 2021
to 19 Nov, 2021
PG
This panel is specifically built for filmmakers working in children’s programming. Join this informative discussion with CBC to learn how to break into and develop a career in the field in a way that can create a better future for kids.
So You Think You Can Pitch is back! Celebrate our 15th year of pitch competitions by supporting your favourite emerging filmmakers in our live event! Featuring a total of five finalist individuals or teams, the winner will walk away with our amazing prize package to kickstart or finish their short film, including a cash award, in-kind support, and the opportunity to premiere their work with us at next year’s festival!
Ann Kaneko’s Manzanar, Diverted invokes this history to tell the story of generations of women: Native American, Japanese American WWII incarcerees, and environmentalists, fighting for the future of the valley. Through a mix of testimonials, archival, and aerial photography, Kaneko weaves intersectional histories with the urgency of the present.
Canada, Malaysia, USA202182 minEnglish and various languages with English subtitlesComedy, Dance, Documentary, Drama, Family, LGBTQ+ Filmmakers, Sci-fi, Women Filmmakers
Amid the abundance of narratives revolving around kin, this presentation of shorts brings refreshing and surprising takes into the un/intentional family-centric storytelling landscape, offering room for possibilities and reimaginings.
Malaysia202110 minTeochew, Mandarin with English subtitlesNorth American PremiereDrama, Family, Women Filmmakers
While offering a proper funeral to a severed bird’s head, Ah Ger is unexpectedly visited by the ghost of her grandmother, who urges her to help find and care for her egg.
This presentation has English subtitles.
An Active Listener will be available to offer one-on-one peer support for viewers who may find the content of this presentation triggering. More info on how to access here.
This film contains the potentially triggering topic of domestic aggression.
Audrie Yeo
Audrie Yeo is a Malaysian Chinese filmmaker of Teochew descent who graduated from the National Academy of Arts Culture and Heritage with a major in film and video directing.
USA202111 minEnglish, Tagalog with English subtitlesCanadian PremiereDocumentary, Family, Women Filmmakers
76-year-old Arturo Madrid reminisces on the hardships, wonders, and realities of migrating from the Philippines to the United States in this tender and poetic documentary.
This presentation has closed captions.
Keone Madrid, Mari Madrid
Keone and Mari Madrid take an approach to utilizing human movement in visual and emotional ways through their inventive dance vocabulary.
Canada202113 minEnglish, Chinese with English subtitles World PremiereDrama, Family, Reel Asian Award Winner, Women Filmmakers
Struggling with finding her artistic voice, Jessie is an aspiring photographer and art student trying to balance her role as a daughter in her larger family.
This presentation has English subtitles.
Alice Charlie Liu
Alice Charlie Liu is a photographer, designer, and director based in Toronto and New York City. She is an alumni of TIFF Next Wave, Telluride Film Festival’s Student Symposium, and a Tribeca Film Institute Film Fellow.
Canada20203 minEnglishFamily
An endearing portrait of director Ian Bawa’s father as he attempts to give life and marital advice to his bodybuilding and image-obsessed son in this hybrid semi-autobiographical short.
This presentation has no captions.
Ian Bawa
Ian Bawa is a filmmaker from Winnipeg. Bawa is currently adapting Strong Son into a feature film, set to shoot in 2022.
Canada202114 minEnglish, Punjabi with English subtitlesFamily, Sci-fi, Women Filmmakers
When a highly respectable family moves into the neighborhood, Kira grows suspicious of her new neighbors' seemingly flawless daughter.
This presentation has English subtitles.
Jasleen Kaur
Jasleen Kaur is an award-winning filmmaker based in Vancouver, best known for directing Maple and producing the Blumhouse film, Pharma Bro, chronicling the rise and fall of the infamous pharmaceutical CEO Martin Shkreli.
Canada20216 minEnglish, Tagalog with English subtitlesCanada PremiereComedy, Family
Independence Day takes a shallow-end dive in presenting what a picnic might look like within the Filipinx diasporic experience in North America.
This presentation has English subtitles.
Tier Zero is a set of individuals who collectively agree on finding synergies between clients, ourselves, and talent. Expect fun, loose banter, and intention.
USA202114 minEnglish, Mandarin with English subtitlesCanadian PremiereDrama, Women Filmmakers
When Frances and her children come upon a seemingly abandoned little girl, their attempts to help have unforeseen consequences.
This presentation has closed captions.
Courtney Loo, David Karp
Courtney Loo and David Karp are a directing duo based in New York. They co-founded Thrice Cooked Media, a music-management and film-production company, representing Pink Sweat$ and KIRBY.
Canada, USA202111 minEnglishComedy, Family, LGBTQ+ Filmmakers, Non-binary Filmmakers, Women Filmmakers
All cards are on the table when Noor brings Luz home for the first time on the family's annual game night.
This presentation has closed captions.
This presentation has English subtitles.
Fawzia Mirza
Fawzia Mirza is a queer, South Asian, Muslim (she/they) writer and director. Her feature Me, My Mom & Sharmila, inspired by her one-woman play, has been supported by Telefilm Canada and will enter production in 2022.
10 Nov, 2021
to 19 Nov, 2021
PG
Community Supporter
Since the advent of cinema and the forced colonization of the islands, Hawai’i stories on film have too often been told by outsiders. Reel Asian is bringing a spotlight onto two acclaimed Hawai’i-made dramatic feature films, WAIKIKI and I WAS A SIMPLE MAN.
Ann Kaneko’s Manzanar, Diverted invokes this history to tell the story of generations of women: Native American, Japanese American WWII incarcerees, and environmentalists, fighting for the future of the valley. Through a mix of testimonials, archival, and aerial photography, Kaneko weaves intersectional histories with the urgency of the present.
Absence|Presence is a series of panel conversations, screenings, and workshops reintroducing Desh Pardesh to Reel Asian’s audiences and community. Desh Pardesh was a multidisciplinary arts and culture festival that engaged with the political issues of South Asia and its diasporas through a multi-day festival and conference.
Canada2021English and various languages with English SubtitlesWorld PremiereDrama, Experimental, Women Filmmakers
Four fearless emerging filmmakers embarked on a summer-long filmmaking journey online. We’re proud to present their world premiere here, in the landmark 10th edition of Reel Asian’s filmmaking program.
Canada2021 11 minEnglish World PremiereDrama, Family
The echoes of grief linger decades after in a South Asian family that didn’t—couldn’t—get around to talking about it.
This presentation has closed captions.
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.
Canada20218 minEnglish, Punjabi with English subtitlesWorld PremiereWomen Filmmakers
Driving in a rural Albertan neighbourhood, a young woman is stopped by a middle-aged Punjabi woman standing on the side of the road; things take a turn for the uncanny, as the young woman is presented with a choice that will change the course of her life.
This presentation has closed captions.
Harman
Canada20217 minEnglish World PremiereExperimental, Non-binary Filmmakers
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.
This presentation has closed captions.
James Legaspi
James Legaspi is an emerging Filipino Canadian multimedia artist living and working in Brampton, Ont.
Canada20217 min English, Farsi with English subtitles World PremiereDrama, Women Filmmakers
Eager for an escape from family, Safiya moves out to a sublet of an acquaintance, Ahu. Her new place is peaceful, but she soon comes across a journal with entries that take her on a reflective journey—Ahu’s journal.
This presentation has closed captions.
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.
10 Nov, 2021
to 19 Nov, 2021
PG
Join us in conversation with directors and special guests in attendance! ASL interpretation will be made available thanks to Toronto Sign Language Interpreter Services. Ticket holders can watch on the CineSend Reel Asian portal.
November 13, 2020 at 8PM
Mi-yeon seems to be living the perfect life as a choirmaster and the wife of a successful man. In comparison, her sisters Hee-sook and Mi-ok seem to be miserable, making Mi-yeon frustrated. But in the shadow behind her perfect smile, Mi-yeon’s also suffering from the three sisters’ shared childhood trauma that they’ve yet to come to terms with.
Our Opening Night presentation is the in-person screening of ISLANDS on November 10 at 7:30pm at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema. Guests in attendance include director Martin Edralin, and cast members Sheila Lotuaco and Esteban Comilang.
This panel is specifically built for filmmakers working in children’s programming. Join this informative discussion with CBC to learn how to break into and develop a career in the field in a way that can create a better future for kids.
Myanmar66 minBurmese with English subtitlesDrama, Experimental, Women Filmmakers
Guest-programmed by Thaiddhi in partnership with the Minikino S-Express Short Film Program Exchange, this collection of short films showcases young and new voices of independent filmmakers from Myanmar amid the sociopolitical changes of the country.
Myanmar202022 minBurmese with English subtitlesDrama, Women Filmmakers
On a late summer day, Wutt Yee plans to chase a better chance in life at the cost of neglecting her own happiness.
This presentation has English subtitles.
Nay Wunn Ni
At the age of 17, Nay Wunn Ni dropped out of college to pursue filmmaking. Since then, she has eagerly self-learned filmmaking while freelancing with multiple production houses in town.
Myanmar202011 minBurmese with English subtitlesDrama
Confronting intergenerational trauma, two sons of a Karen woman reunite with their father, a former Air Force officer.
This presentation has English subtitles.
An Active Listener will be available to offer one-on-one peer support for viewers who may find the content of this presentation triggering. More info on how to access here.
This film contains the potentially triggering topics of war, intergenerational trauma, and implied rape.
Kaung Myat Thu Kyaw
Kaung Myat Thu Kyaw loves making films and is a learner in the film industry.
Myanmar202010 minBurmese with English subtitlesDrama, Women Filmmakers
A girl is in love with her adopted brother—but he is engaged.
This presentation has English subtitles.
Sxar Kiss
From Shwebo, Sxar Kiss is currently studying filmmaking at the National University of Arts and Culture, Yangon. She made her first film First Phile at the age of 19.
Myanmar202014 minBurmese with English subtitlesDrama
Employees at a plasticware store, Sithu and Min Htet, plan a mission for Sithu to elope with a girl.
This presentation has English subtitles.
Myo Thar Khin
Myo Thar Khin is a final-year film student at the National University of Arts and Culture, Yangon. His previous short, ¼ Wasted, won the New Vision Award at the Wathann Film Festival in 2019.
10 Nov, 2021
to 19 Nov, 2021
PG
Join us in conversation with directors and special guests in attendance! ASL interpretation will be made available thanks to Toronto Sign Language Interpreter Services. Ticket holders can watch on the CineSend Reel Asian portal.
November 13, 2020 at 8PM
Follow Canadian Spotlight artist Ali Kazimi on a deep dive into his archive-infused films Continuous Journey and Random Acts of Legacy. Topics will include technical looks at film preservation, editing, music composition, and creative considerations of perspective and collaboration.
First programmed as part of last year’s festival, this panel continues to reckon with the function of art, festival, and gallery spaces in a time of crisis.
In a society different from what we know, a hotel in Taipei welcomes suicidal people and assists them in committing the act by providing several methods that they can choose from. Over the course of one night, a receptionist starts to defy the rules and develops an unusual friendship with a hotel guest who can't make up her mind if she wants to live or die.
Canada, South Korea, Taiwan65 minEnglish and various languages with English SubtitlesAnimation, Dance, Documentary, Drama, Family, LGBTQ+ Filmmakers, Reel Asian Award Winner, Women Filmmakers
Starting from a place of silence, these five films poignantly position the ways intergenerational trauma is held and healing can begin. Includes winner of Air Canada Short Film or Video Award, Reel Asian 2020 SING ME A LULLABY.
Canada202015 minEnglish with English SubtitlesDocumentary, Family, LGBTQ+ Filmmakers, Open Captions, Women Filmmakers
Rated PG
Pairing personal home videos with audio-recorded stories from Katherine Chun, Wenda Li, Tamai Kobayashi, and Nancy Seto - four queer Asian women recall, relive, and reflect upon their adolescent years.
OFFICIAL SELECTIONS
Inside Out Film Festival, 2020
Iris Prize Film Festival, 2020
AWARDS
Nominated, Iris Prize, 2020
Amanda Ann-Min Wong
Amanda Ann-Min Wong is a filmmaker, writer, and musician originally from Singapore who now lives in Toronto. In her free time, she loves jamming out with her queer alt-rock band, cutsleeve.
Canada20208 minEnglishAnimation, Documentary, Family, Women Filmmakers
Rated PG
Tenderly crafted, director Anne Koizumi recounts a shameful childhood memory spurring conversation and a self-realization that which felt out of reach was there all along.
AWARDS
Honorable Mention – Betty Youson Award for Best Canadian Short Documentary, Hot Docs, 2020
Best Canadian Animation Winner, Ottawa International Animation Film Festival, 2020
Anne Koizumi
Anne Koizumi’s films have screened nationally and internationally. Additionally, Koizumi teaches stop-motion animation workshops across Canada and is currently a media arts educator at the NFB.
Canada20194 minEnglishToronto PremiereDocumentary, Family
Rated PG
Drawing parallels between ikebana and finding belonging, Japanese Canadian elder Kaz Takahashi shares stories of her upbringing.
OFFICIAL SELECTIONS
Seattle Asian American Film Festival, 2020
Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, 2020
Alejandro Yoshizawa
Alejandro Yoshizawa is a filmmaker from Vancouver, British Columbia and currently an Adjunct Professor at the University of British Columbia in the Department of Theatre and Film as well as the Asian Canadian and Asian Migration Studies Program.
South Korea20198 minKorean with English SubtitlesCanadian PremiereAnimation, Documentary, Family, Open Captions, Women Filmmakers
Rated PG-13
Confronting patriarchy and societal gender norms aside, Tiger and Ox is about a fraught yet loving relationship between mother and daughter.
OFFICIAL SELECTIONS
Festival Internacional de Cine de Huesca, 2020
Palm Springs International Shorts Fest, 2020
San Diego Asian Film Festival, 2020
Seunghee Kim
Seunghee Kim has pursued a career as an animation filmmaker since 2014. Her previous films Mirror in Mind and SimSim (The Realm of Deepest Knowing) won awards and screened at numerous international film festivals.
Canada202029 minEnglish, Taiwanese with English SubtitlesDocumentary, Family, LGBTQ+ Filmmakers, Reel Asian Award Winner, Women Filmmakers
Rated PG
A film that began over 15 years ago, Sing Me a Lullaby is a heartachingly touching story of a daughter’s attempt to piece together the missing parts in her mother’s history.
AWARDS
Short Cuts Share Her Journey Award, Toronto International Film Festival, 2020
Air Canada Short Film or Video Award, Reel Asian 2020
Tiffany Hsiung
Tiffany Hsiung is an international award-winning filmmaker based in Toronto, Canada. Her approach to storytelling is driven by the relationship that is built with the people she meets both in front and behind the lens.
12 Nov, 2020 10:00 am
to 19 Nov, 2020 11:59 pm
Join us in conversation with directors and special guests in attendance! ASL interpretation will be made available thanks to Toronto Sign Language Interpreter Services. Ticket holders can watch on the CineSend Reel Asian portal.
November 18, 2020 at 9PM
Canada, China, USA65 minEnglish and various languages with English SubtitlesAnimation, Dance, Documentary, Drama, Family, LGBTQ+ Filmmakers, Women Filmmakers
These six dynamic films touch upon art not solely as a creative practice for self expression but an integral force in making space, along with the responsibilities that come with it.
USA202013 minEnglishInternational Premiere Dance, Documentary, Family, LGBTQ+ Filmmakers, Open Captions, Women Filmmakers
Rated PG
A love letter to the queer Asian community, director Allie Cuerdo finds the strength to come out and rebuild a relationship with her mom with a little help and inspiration from New York’s radical dance party Bubble_T.
OFFICIAL SELECTIONS
Bentonville Film Festival, 2020
Asian American International Film Festival, 2020
Alexandra Cuerdo
Alexandra “Allie” Cuerdo is an award-winning Filipino-American director, writer and producer recently named one of the 100 Most Influential Filipina Women In the World by the Filipina Women’s Network.
USA202010 minEnglishInternational Premiere Documentary
Rated PG
Hardcore and punk to the max, this electric documentary shares the story of Atomic Nancy and the infamous Atomic Café in L.A.
OFFICIAL SELECTION
Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, 2020
Tadashi Nakamura, Akira Boch
Tadashi Nakamura was named one of CNN’s “Young People Who Rock” for being the youngest filmmaker at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and listed as one of the “Top Rising Asian American Directors” on IMDb.
Akira Boch is an Emmy-winning filmmaker and Director of the Watase Media Arts Center at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles.
Canada201914 minEnglishDrama, Family, Women Filmmakers
Rated PG-13
CW: Sexual harassment
A newcomer to the film industry, Margo’s careful and cautious actions make clear the insidious traces of misogyny that permeate through.
Maya Wong
Anthony Caputo
Logan Freeman
Sam
Emily Bolanos
Steffi Tupe
Steffi Tupe is a first-generation Filipino-Canadian writer, director and producer with three dramatic short films under her belt Two Ladies, Sister and Margo.
Canada20202 minEnglish with English SubtitlesInternational Premiere Animation, Family, Open Captions, Women Filmmakers
Rated PG
Created by a community of local Filipinx creatives, Novena is an affectingly crafted poetry animation touching upon grief, mourning, and healing.
Shirley Camia
Born in Winnipeg, Shirley Camia is a Filipina-Canadian poet who has lived across Canada, the Philippines, Japan and Kenya. Novena, based on her poem of the same name, is her debut poetry film.
Canada20195 minEnglishWorld Premiere Documentary, Family, Open Captions, Women Filmmakers
Rated PG
Pakistani-Canadian artist Wahab Jaffer endearingly retells his journey from collector to artist and imparts the lessons he’s learned along the way.
Tanya Hoshi
Tanya Hoshi is a Pakistani-Canadian film and web series producer/director based in Toronto, Canada. When she’s not working, Hoshi is mentoring emerging filmmakers by helping them find their footing in the industry.
China202019 minChinese Sign Language and Shanghainese with English SubtitlesCanadian PremiereDance, Drama, Family, Open Captions, Women Filmmakers
Rated PG-13
CW: Homophobic statements
Beautifully poetic, Handscape tells the story of Xia Qing and his desire to dance despite his mother’s outright disapproval.
Zhenyu Tang
OFFICIAL SELECTIONS
Show Low Film Festival 2020
National Film Festival for Talented Youth, 2020
Yiru Chen 陈伊如
Yiru Chen is a film director, artist, and poet. Her goal is to promote education and art of sign languages – an essential key to Deaf culture, along with members of both communities.
12 Nov, 2020 10:00 am
to 19 Nov, 2020 11:59 pm
Join us in conversation with directors and special guests in attendance! ASL interpretation will be made available thanks to Toronto Sign Language Interpreter Services. Ticket holders can watch on the CineSend Reel Asian portal.
November 16, 2020 at 8PM
Canada, USA55 minEnglishDance, Documentary, Family, Women Filmmakers
In a world that feels ever so divisive, these three documentaries take a closer look at what it means to create new pathways for community mobilizing, recognize shortcomings of identity markers, and acknowledge the solidarity work that remains undone.
Canada202022 minEnglishDocumentary, Family, Open Captions
Rated PG
Friend, immigration attorney, father, brother and ultimately a humanist, this inspiring documentary sheds light on the ways El-Farouk Khaki has dedicated himself to creating a world of wellness and oneness.
Jinung Chung
Jinung Chung is the Producer at JbyJ, a team of award-winning documentary artists based in Toronto doing their part to make our world a more inclusive place for all. Chung makes his directorial debut with Accidental Activist.
USA202013 minEnglishToronto PremiereDance, Descriptive Captions, Documentary, Open Captions
Rated PG
Paving their own paths towards freedom and independence, Turf Nation follows the street dancers who perform on BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) trains in Oakland as they navigate their interpersonal relationships, the system, and their burgeoning dance influence.
OFFICIAL SELECTIONS
Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, 2020
Cinequest Film Festival, 2020
Calgary International Film Festival, 2020
Jun Bae
Jun Bae is a Tokyo-born Korean director. His work often centers on dancers, exploring themes of underground culture and freedom of movement. He holds an MFA degree in Documentary Film from Stanford University.
Canada201919 minEnglishDocumentary, Family, Women Filmmakers
Caught between two seemingly isolated worlds, director Danielle Ayow interrogates her own cultural identity as Trini and Chinese with much heart and humour. Sometimes asking is not enough as Ayow’s process makes clear the harm of essentializing identity and ultimately, the limitations of language.
OFFICIAL SELECTIONS
Trinidad + Tobago Film Festival, 2020
Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, 2020
AWARDS
Best Documentary Award, Caribbean Tales International Film Festival, 2020
Danielle Ayow
Danielle Ayow is a Toronto-based writer, actor, and comedian. In 2017, Ayow developed an 8-minute proof of concept version of But You’re Not Black with the help of Reel Asian to secure funding for this 20-minute version. This is her first time directing and writing a documentary.
12 Nov, 2020 10:00 am
to 19 Nov, 2020 11:59 pm
Join us in conversation with directors and special guests in attendance! ASL interpretation will be made available thanks to Toronto Sign Language Interpreter Services.
November 16, 2020 at 1PM
Starting from a place of silence, these five films poignantly position the ways intergenerational trauma is held and healing can begin. Includes winner of Air Canada Short Film or Video Award, Reel Asian 2020 SING ME A LULLABY.
This panel reflects on the necessity and challenges of archives and archival work, inviting members of community archive initiatives to discuss their work and process. This event is part of the Reel Ideas Symposium.
This masterclass explores the narrative construction of A.K.A Don Bonus, contextualizing the film in its era but also situating it in contemporary conversation. This event is part of the Reel Ideas Symposium.
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
