This film by South Asian Canadian director Nisha Pahuja was recently selected as one of TIFF’s Top Ten. Pahuja was a panelist at our Canadian Films Shot in Asia Industry Series session (the precursor to our Reel Ideas stream of programming) in 2015.

Ann Shin‘s powerful and unnerving documentary opened the 2021 Hot Docs Festival and the work is up for two awards. Shin has been a friend and advisor to the festival many times over the years.

This dramedy airing on CBC Gem stars South Asian performer Bilal Baig as Sabi Mehboob, a non-binary millennial trying to balance their roles as a child of Pakistani immigrant parents, a bartender at an LGBTQ bookstore and café, and a caregiver to the young children of a professional couple. Among its nominations, the series has a pair involving Reel Asian alumni.

The TallBoyz troupe appeared in the anti-piracy messages of the 2021 festival and were featured in an artist talk in the 2019 Reel Ideas stream of programming. Troupe member Franco Nguyen is also a filmmaker whose works have been screened at the festival.

Montréaler Michael Fukushima was the former executive producer of the National Film Board‘s English Animation Studio before retiring recently. He was our Canadian Spotlight Artist in 2012 and after serving as a Pitch Juror for us for many years, he currently sits on Reel Asian’s Board of Directors, where he helps spearhead our Reel Asian Alumni Network activities. In what he describes as probably his last nomination for a Canadian Screen Award, he is being recognized for his work as an executive producer for THE ORCHID AND THE BEE.

Vancouver-based creative Paisley Smith was part of RA2018 with her VR project HOMESTAY the focus of that year’s RA:X stream of programming. She is nominated for her work on the immersive piece UNCEDED TERRITORIES.

TOKENS, now in season 2, is the creation of Winnifred Jong, whose microshort MILK played the Food For Thought: Short Eats programme at our 2017 festival. The web series is a tongue-in-cheek comedy about the actors who find themselves randomly sent to productions desperate to hit their diversity quotas and features tons of BIPOC creatives & talent both in front of and behind the camera.

Nathalie Younglai is the recipient of the Academy’s 2023 Humanitarian Award. Younglai has been involved with Reel Asian in various capacities since 2012; most recently she inaugurated the Nathalie Younglai Award at RA2022 for emerging Asian creatives aged 40+ who are looking to accelerate or change the path of their career.

Crave is the recipient of the Academy’s 2023 Industry Leadership Award. Crave has been identified as Reel Asian’s top-tier festival sponsor since 2020.

Toronto-based producer Teresa M. Ho is being nominated in for her role as showrunner on THE DEPARTURE. Ho served on Reel Asian’s finance committee in 2009-2010 and both she and her independent production company 100 Dragons have been strong supporters and friends of the festival ever since.

Veteran filmmaker Gloria Ui-Young Kim‘s first film at Reel Asian was the short A SOLITARY SILENCE back in 2000. Her most recent Reel Asian screening was her feature QUEEN OF THE MORNING CALM in 2020, and she has screened numerous works in between. She is nominated for her work on the dramatic series HEARTLAND.

Actor Paul Sun-Hyung Lee is best known for his role as Appa on CBC’s much beloved (and sadly departed) series KIM’S CONVENIENCE. He participated in two marqeee Reel Ideas live events along with other KIM’S cast members in 2016 and 2017 and can always be counted on to keep coming out to support the festival. He is being nominated for his hosting work at the 2021 SCOTIABANK GILLER PRIZE.

Ng is a long-time friend and supporter of the festival. An accomplished cinematographer, she was among our very first mentors in the inaugural cycle of our Unsung Voices program all the way back in 2012. She also served on the Features Jury for us that year. She is nominated for her work in the quirky comedy STRAYS.

Pornel co-hosted our digital Awards Show in 2021 with Angela Sun and will join the cast of RUN THE BURBS for season 2. She has come out to numerous festival events and screenings and she is nominated for the hosting gig that made her a household name, THE GREAT CANADIAN BAKING SHOW.

Acclaimed director Warren P. Sonoda has been an awards presenter at Reel Asian on behalf of the Director’s Guild of Canada and Reel Asian was actively involved in promoting an online screening of his work THE THINGS I DO FOR MONEY, the first successful wide-release genre film to feature Japanese Canadian leads. He is nominated for his work on the kids series ODD SQUAD MOBILE UNIT.

Wei hosted the artist talk with Midi Onodera as part of the Reel Ideas Conference in 2019 and has more recently DJ’d the 2022 Festival Launch Party. They are co-nominated (along with Ann Tipper) for their work on SEX WITH SUE.

Ye is a prolific and highly-renown director and cinematographer. She generously agreed to participate as a mentor in the 11th cycle of our Unsung Voices program in 2022. She is nominated for her work in the comedy series DETENTION ADVENTURE.

Young has appeared as an actor in several films that have screened at Reel Asian and he was a Pitch juror for us in 2021. He is nominated for his work on the children’s series DINO RANCH.