Canada202586 minNo dialogueAnimation

Ever since astronaut-in-training Celeste was a child, Robot has served as a surrogate parent while her mother explored the galaxy. When Celeste starts a months-long mission after graduation, the pair must explore the unknowns of life without each other.

On her mission, Celeste stumbles upon a clue to her mother’s disappearance. Back on Earth, without Celeste to take care of, Robot’s mission goes from straightforward to existential. Separately but together, the two explore their purpose — inside and beyond the stars.

World-renowned scratch DJ and artist Kid Koala adapts his graphic novel of the same name into a dream cinema project. Working with a long list of collaborators from his extensive career (including songs by Karen O and Digable Planets’ Ladybug Mecca), Kid Koala evokes classic movies of the silent film era by using no dialogue and only beautiful images and sound driven by his original scratch soundtrack.

An independent, animated film adventure 14 years in the making, Space Cadet is a true accomplishment of gritty determination and soaring creativity. It is a beautiful testament to dreaming of possibilities while grounded with love.

– Aram Siu Wai Collier

Directors Bio

Kid Koala

Kid Koala (Eric San) is a Montreal-based DJ, composer, and visual artist. Creator of five solo albums and the graphic novels Nufonia Must Fall and Space Cadet, he has collaborated with Gorillaz and Radiohead. His first animated feature, Space Cadet, premiered at the Berlinale and screened at the Toronto International Film Festival.

USA202596 minEnglish, Korean

Special Singalong Presentation with Special Guests

K-pop? Yes, please. Demons? Sure! Hunters? OK, what?

Here’s the story: Rumi, Zoey, and Mira are HUNTR/X, a world-renowned K-pop group who ALSO hunt demons to protect humans from the underworld. But one of them has a secret that could disrupt all they’ve worked for.

The disparate elements of the global sensation K-Pop Demon Hunters don’t seem like they’d work, but they're what make it perfect. The devil (or demon) is in the details, featuring a specificity that distinguishes it from the crowd through a celebration of Korean culture with its relatable characters, animation motifs, and absolute bangin' soundtrack.

It’s all the brainchild of creator and co-director Maggie Kang, who grew up in Toronto and attended Sheridan College. And we’re proud to have her join us in a hometown singalong celebration of K-Pop Demon Hunters. So grab your little "Soda Pop" and show them "How It's Done", cuz we’re gonna be "Golden".

– Aram Siu Wai Collier

Join us for an exclusive Work-In-Progress presentation of Space Cadet, a captivating animated film directed by 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, 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.

Space Cadet tells the story of Robot, a guardian programmed to protect Celeste, the sweetest astronaut on this (or any) planet. When Celeste embarks on a solo mission into the vast unknown, Robot is left behind, grappling with loneliness and the passage of time. As Celeste faces unforeseen challenges in space, memories of her childhood with Robot resurface, revealing the deep emotional bond they share.

This tomorrow-days lullaby is not just about outer space adventures. It also delves into themes of aging, destiny, and the significance of our memories.

Don’t miss this opportunity to travel the richly textured, imaginative world of Space Cadet and explore its journey.

Canada2024110 minEnglishDirected By Women, Drama

What would you give up to ensure a world with no war, no poverty, and a stable climate? Your phone? Your car? Your life? That’s the question that looms over Ann Marie Fleming’s near-future fable, where the solution to our world's ills is for humans to die by their 50th year.

It’s not all doom and gloom. For teenage Kiah (Keira Jang), it’s her first day of work as a Documenter. Her world of peace in sun-soaked Powell River, B.C., is all she knows, and she's getting trained by Daniel (Joel Oulette), a seasoned convener of death ceremonies. Meanwhile, Ellie (Sandra Oh) puts on a parent’s brave face for Kiah’s venture into adulthood while making her own empty-nest arrangements.

Veteran director and Reel Asian alum Fleming tackles this existential yarn with warmth and charm, while never avoiding the tough questions: What would you give up? And how do you reconcile the horrors with the beauty of this remarkable world?
– Aram Siu Wai Collier

CBC and Reel Asian are proud to present a special evening celebrating the traditions and spirit of Tết beautifully shown in “Li Xi”, season 1, episode 9 of Run The Burbs. Tết is the most important annual holiday in Vietnamese culture, gathering families and friends in the celebration to usher in the new year. This moderated discussion will explore the behind-the-scenes research and decisions made in authentically portraying the music, decor, food and celebrations of Tết in the Pham household, alongside the episode’s cultural consultant. What does authentic representation mean? What are considerations in representing the family values of a Southeast Asian-South Asian Canadian family?

Looking ahead to its season 2 premiere, the Run The Burbs team takes pause to provide audiences an opportunity to gather for an intimate screening and discussion about the series' thoughtful and inclusive approach to telling a family sitcom.

Canada2022117 minutesEnglish, Korean with English subtitles Drama, Family

Set in the 1990s, South Korean immigrant and single mother So-young looks to make a fresh start in a West Coast Canadian suburb with her son Dong-hyun. Despite encountering the challenges of immigrant life at every step, they try their best to fit in at school and at work. As the angstful Dong-hyun grows up and grows apart from his mother, events propel them to deal with unspoken truths from the past.  

 A deeply personal second feature from writer-director-actor Anthony Shim, Riceboy Sleeps features dynamic performances from Seung-yoon Choi and Ethan Hwang as So-young and Dong-hyun, respectively. Their performances are enabled by precise but organic 16 mm compositions by Shim and cinematographer Christopher Lew. A commanding performance of Canadian film, Riceboy Sleeps is epic yet intimate, and ambitious yet simple in its truths that belonging is more important than fitting in.  

- Aram Siu Wai Collier