#FIRSTLOOK: 2025 REEL ASIAN WINNERS ANNOUNCED

The Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival (Reel Asian), Canada’s largest pan-Asian film festival, is pleased to announce that Montréal, ma belle directed by Xiaodan He has won the RBC Best Canadian Film Award at the 2025 Festival. Also, I Am A Flower directed by Ariel Victor Arthanto was awarded the Wattpad WEBTOON Studios Best Short Film Award. The Reel Asian Awards will be celebrated with an Awards brunch on Sunday, November 9, bringing together filmmakers, jury, and industry partners in attendance. The Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival has begun and runs until November 15 and online from November 10 – 23, 2025. For more details, visit reelasian.com.

“As we approach Reel Asian’s 30th year, we’re inspired by the incredible quality and creativity of the submissions we continue to receive,” said Deanna Wong, Executive Director of Reel Asian. “The unprecedented number of entries reflect the festival’s continued growth and impact on Asian cinema globally. Congratulations to all the award winners whose artistry continues to raise the bar.”

The 2025 Features Jury includes Elizabeth Wijaya, Assistant Professor in the Department of Visual Studies and the Cinema Studies Institute at the University of Toronto and producer of Mongrel (Directors’ Fortnight, Caméra d’Or Special Mention, Cannes 2024), Viet and Nam (Un Certain Regard, Cannes 2024) and Taste (Special Jury Award, Berlinale 2021); Lucius Dechausay, Executive in Charge of Production at CBC Documentaries and an award-winning director, producer, and editor; and filmmaker Zarrar Kahn, whose debut feature, In Flames, won the John Dunning Best Debut Feature at the Canadian Screen Awards and represented Pakistan at the 2024 Academy Awards®.

The 2024 Shorts Jury includes writer, programmer and cultural worker Winnie Wang; director, producer, editor, and Diaspora Film Festival programmer Ksan Lee (Miracle on Jongno Street); and 2021 Reel Asian’s So You Think You Can Pitch? winner and award-winning filmmaker Nedda Sarshar (Unibrow).

Reel Asian continues its commitment to supporting diverse voices with the annual Fire Horse Award, recognising an Asian Canadian in the media arts or screen-based industries who have dedicated their energy and talents to breaking down barriers, uplifting Asian Canadian communities, and sparking cultural change. Past Award recipients include Keith Lock, Mary Stephen, Paul Wong and Ali Kazimi. Reel Asian is currently accepting nominations for next year’s Fire Horse Award recipient. More details can be found here.

The 29th Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival will wrap up its in-person events with the annual So You Think You Can Pitch? Live Finale on Saturday, November 15, hosted by Rakhee Morzaria (Run the Burbs, Dinner with Friends). Five emerging filmmaking teams will go head-to-head, presenting their short film ideas to a panel of distinguished jurors for a prize package to help bring their project to life. This exciting finale celebrates the innovative and creative stories that define the future of Asian Canadian cinema.

The festival will continue to screen select films online until November 23, extending access to audiences across Canada.

Full list of Reel Asian award winners for the 29th edition:

RBC Best Canadian Feature Film Award
MONTRÉAL, MA BELLE by Xiaodan He

Xiaodan He’s sophomore offering is a deeply-felt portrait of womanhood, family and identity. Joan Chen is nothing short of a revelation as Feng, a character imbued with delicate power. The film is a window into contemporary Montreal, capturing the romance of the city and the rich intersectionality of its citizens. Xiaodan He crafts a tender poem of a film, that aches with a beating passion — for love, for family, and for being true to oneself. The jury is compelled to award the RBC Best Canadian Feature Film Award to Montréal, ma belle.

Dipchand LLP Best Feature Film Award
FUCKTOYS by Annapurna Sriram

This glistening film uses confident and inventive film language to create a hilarious and luscious, alternate but familiar world that is tender and cruel, and irreverent yet deeply critical. It builds beautifully messy vignettes that shine a light on people who are usually made invisible. It pushes cinema forward, reminding the audience of how storytelling can transform and challenge perspectives. The film is a wild, rollicking ride from start to finish, with stellar performances, production design, costumes and cinematography. The multi-hyphenate director establishes themselves as a revolutionary voice, while paying homage to the trailblazing artists who came before them — part John Waters, part Gregg Araki, part something that feels intangibly fresh and exciting. The jury awards Best Feature to Annapurna Sriram’s Fucktoys.

Osler Best First Feature Award
AKASHI by Mayumi Yoshida

In this beautifully crafted film, our protagonist Kana struggles with her sense of duty, place and worthiness of love after leaving those who cared for her to chase her own dreams. She can rest assured that because of her art she holds a fond place in the hearts of the jurors.

With its picturesque cinematography, graceful characterisation and mature storytelling, the jury is happy to award the intimate yet ambitious Akashi with the Osler Award for Best First Feature.

Reel Asian–DOC Institute Best Documentary Award
THERE ARE NO WORDS by Min Sook Lee

At once brave, beautiful, and heartbreaking, there are no answers in this investigation of transgenerational silences intertwined with personal and political histories of migration, violence, and family secrets. This haunting film is a moving ode to living on in the face of grief and difficult inheritances. The jury awards the Reel Asian–DOC Institute Best Documentary Award

Air Canada Short Film or Video Award
KARUPY by Kalainithan Kalaichelvan

MOTEL GRAND-PRÉ by Calvin Liu

HAIR! by Sara Jade Alfaro-Dehghani

BUGSICK by Silverfish Pictures

WE WERE THE SCENERY by Christopher Radcliff

The jury put a great deal of thought into the selection of the five films for this year’s Air Canada Short Film or Video Award. The final selection represents the diversity of talent, vision and form behind all films selected at the festival. From a matriarch’s rebellious stance at a family gathering to an intimate portrayal of a family-run business in eastern Quebec to a ritualistic hair removal merging culture and sisterhood to a sad bug’s healing process after a breakup to a refugee couples venture into film, this selection brings an experience that delivers the heart and truth of the human experience, and the bravery needed to deliver it.

Wattpad WEBTOON Studios Best Short Film Award
I AM A FLOWER by Ariel Victor Arthanto

This film presents a profound story of self-affirmation and the embracement of others, showing a compelling narrative of both conflict and reconciliation. Above all, this film serves as a crucial political message calling for respect for diversity in an era of rising far-right extremism. For recreating these essential virtues with such bold and lucid strokes, we proudly present the Wattpad WEBTOON Studios Best Short Film Award to director Ariel Victor Arthanto for I am a Flower.

SAMANSA Short Film Award
THERE WILL COME SOFT RAINS by Elham Ehsas

This year’s SAMANSA Short Film Award recognises There Will Come Soft Rains as the winner for its tender yet unwavering depiction of the looming threat of climate change that haunts both the living and even the dead; the great lengths our protagonist takes to protect her beloved father from rising sea levels and ensure posterity is a powerful testament to love amidst a sinking world.

Directors Guild of Canada–Ontario and WIFT+ Toronto Film Award
SAME TIME NEXT YEAR? by Anushay Sheikh

In their debut fiction work, Anushay Sheikh brilliantly crafts a world shared by two former lovers through words that are spoken and unspoken, gazes that are returned and unreturned, and touches that must be deferred to an uncertain future. Within the affordances and limitations of the short film format, Sheikh shows great promise as a director who locates cultural specificity, conveys emotional depth, and above all, understands that what is on screen is equally important as what is left off-screen. For these reasons, we are pleased to grant Same Time Next Year? the DGC Ontario & WIFT+ Toronto Film Award.

Armstrong Acting Studios Outstanding Performer in a Canadian Short Film
SUMATHY BALARAM for Karupy

It is the jury’s pleasure to name the Armstrong Acting Studios Outstanding Performer in a Canadian Short Film Award to Sumathy Balaram for her portrayal of the main character, Karupy. The jury was beyond impressed by her subtle and restrained performance that conveyed the rage simmering beneath her character’s stoicism. Her remarkable chemistry with the ensemble, as well as the commanding presence she brings to solitary moments on screen, make her performance unforgettable. As the manipulative matriarch at the story’s core, Balaram delivers a portrayal that is somehow chilling, hilarious and deeply human—an extraordinary achievement that left us in awe.

Michael Fukushima AnimAsian Award
THANK YOU FOR YOUR LOVE by Jin

It is not easy to recreate personal stories through film. Yet, this short film fiercely reconstructs inner struggles and competing identities – all with a hand drawn touch. In doing so, the director freely expresses the vitality of their identities and affirms the complexities of selfhood. We highly commend the director’s artistic courage by presenting this year’s Michael Fukushima AnimAsian Award to director Jin for Thank You For Your Love.

Canadian Society of Cinematographers Best Cinematography Award
Winner of Best Cinematography: Calvin Liu for MOTEL GRAND PRÉ

With evocative, emotional and patient cinematography, Motel Grand-Pré’s images served the narrative in every way, making it the jury’s unanimous choice for this award. This short documentary is told with immersive compositions and lighting that support its subject matter with remarkable restraint. Liu perfectly pairs his imagery with the storyline to set a mood and tell a story without being self-conscious. An inspiring film, from a strong auteur-driven voice – Liu is a filmmaker to keep an eye on!

Special Mention: Rita Tse for SERENE HUES

A visually stunning, experimental film that provoked discussion and questioned the definition of cinematography. The analog techniques used and unexpected images created were visually transcendent, resulting in a captivating and meditative final piece that defies typical boundaries of cinematic expression.

So You Think You Can Pitch? Awards:

The 2025 Pitch Jury will announce the winner of the Silver Prize Award and Gold Prize Award during the live event on November 15 from 7:00pm ET. The Pitch Jury includes producer Eman Pathan, filmmaker Meelad Moaphi and filmmaker Yung Chang.

Audience Choice Film Awards

The winners of the Blue Ant Media Audience Choice Feature Award and the Audience Choice Short Film Award, sponsored by BFL Canada and Sutton Entertainment will be determined on Sunday November 23.

Click here for a list of 2025 Reel Asian Award Winners and for more information on the Festival, visit reelasian.com.

Reel Asian celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2026 and is generously supported by Telefilm Canada, Canada Media Fund, Canada Council for the Arts, Toronto Arts Council, Ontario Arts Council, Province of Ontario, and Government of Canada.

About Reel Asian
The Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival (Reel Asian) is a unique showcase of contemporary Asian cinema and work from the Asian diaspora. As Canada’s largest pan-Asian film festival, Reel Asian® provides a public forum for Asian media artists and their work, and fuels the growing appreciation for Asian cinema in Canada. This year’s festival runs November 5–15, 2025 all over downtown Toronto and online across Canada, Nov 10–23, showcasing special projects featuring prominent artists, content creators, up-and-coming filmmakers and will also include the “Reel Ideas” program for creative minds in the industry to connect online. Works presented at Reel Asian include films, videos, and presentations by artists in Canada, the U.S., Asia and all over the world. Reel Asian celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2026.