#FIRSTLOOK: 29TH TORONTO REEL ASIAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL PROGRAMMING ANNOUNCED

The 29th Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival (Reel Asian), Canada’s largest pan-Asian film festival, announced its 2025 programming lineup today. Opening this year’s festival is Space Cadet, directed and scored by Canada’s own Kid Koala, based on his graphic novel of the same name. Fresh off its North American premiere at TIFF, the film launches an exciting edition of Reel Asian, which runs from November 5 to 15, 2025. Selected feature films and all shorts will also be available online across Canada from November 10 to 23, 2025. Reel Asian celebrates contemporary Asian cinema, uniting cultures and connecting communities through the power of storytelling.

The 2025 lineup spotlights 17 film features and 45 short films, showcasing diverse voices and stories from Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Malaysia, Norway, Pakistan, the Philippines, Romania, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, the United States and Vietnam.

Homegrown highlights include: Finch & Midland by Timothy Yeung, which follows four families who immigrated from Hong Kong in Scarborough, Montréal, ma belle starring Joan Chen (Didi, The Home Song Stories) explores the complexities and conflicts of being a middle-aged Chinese mother in Montreal, and There Are No Words, by award-winning returning filmmaker Min Sook Lee (Migrant Dreams, The Real Inglorious Bastards), is a brave mediation on grief, loss, memory and longing.

The Centrepiece Gala presents the Toronto premiere of Akashi, the romantic debut feature by Vancouver-based actor, writer and director Mayumi Yoshida. The festival will also host a Special Singalong Presentation of Netflix’s global hit K-Pop Demon Hunters, followed by a meet and greet with creator and director Maggie Kang and co-director Chris Appelhans.

This year, Reel Asian has partnered with the Inside Out Film Festival, which is celebrating 35 years, to present Let’s Do The Time Warp Again!, a bold lineup of animated shorts that push boundaries and reimagine 2SLGBTQ+ storytelling. The Shorts programme also includes the categories: the rebellious Charged Up, the heartfelt Family Style, the imaginative Otherworlds, the curious Unquenchable and Unsung Voices 14 featuring six emerging Canadian filmmakers who took part in a months-long filmmaking workshop with Reel Asian this past summer. Wee Asian returns offering free drop-in programming and activities for all ages, accompanied by storytelling, arts and play bringing generations together.

The official festival commissioned animation Muse by Janet Mac will be on view at Sankofa Square, playing on rotation from October 9 to November 23. Janet Mac will also take part in an artist talk ahead of the festival opening.

“We are incredibly proud of this year’s lineup, which reflects the richness and diversity of voices from emerging talent to returning and established filmmakers,” said Deanna Wong, Executive Director of Reel Asian. “As we approach our 30th anniversary, Reel Asian continues to be more than just a film festival. It is a space for community, dialogue and discovery where audiences can connect through screenings, workshops, panels and conversations that celebrate Asian storytelling in all its forms”.

Festivalgoers can participate in immersive workshops and panel discussions, including the RA:X multi-day symposium, featuring the Sari-Sari Xchange, which explores how XR and emerging media can shape creative practices. The Reel Ideas programme offers audiences a behind-the-scenes look through a special masterclass on the workplace comedy 18 to 35 presented by creator Rahul Chaturvedi (Producer, Bollywed; Writer, Late Bloomer); an in-depth conversation with director Kid Koala and Head of Story and Production Design Lillian Chan about their new animated feature Space Cadet; an artist talk with filmmaker Ian Tuason and OCAD President Ana Serrano on the journey of The Undertone – from its origins to securing a major distribution deal with A24. To close the festival, audiences are invited to join the fun and cheer on the finalists in the annual live So You Think You Can Pitch? competition, hosted by Rakhee Morzaria (Run the Burbs, Dinner with Friends).

Please see Reel Asian’s programming highlights below. For the full Festival programme and schedule, please visit reelasian.com or view the Programme Guide here.

FEATURES
[*] indicates expected attendance

SPACE CADET (Opening Night)
Dir. Kid Koala* | Canada 2025 | 86 min. | No Dialogue | GA
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.
WED, NOV 5 AT 7:30PM, HOT DOCS CINEMA
RELAXED SCREENING: SAT, NOV 8 AT 10AM, TIFF LIGHTBOX CINEMA 3

MY UNCLE JENS
Dir. Brwa Vahabpour | Norway, Romania 2025 | 98 min. | Kurdish, Norwegian with English subtitles | PG
Akam’s comfortable routine as a literature teacher in Oslo is disrupted by an uncle he’s never met, Khdr, who overstays his welcome on an unannounced visit from Iranian Kurdistan. Familial obligations take hold as Akam offers his uncle a space to stay in the cramped room of his shared co-op flat. Overlooking the unspoken rules of life in the West, Khdr becomes more comfortable than his nephew would like in shared spaces and while interacting with his roommates. The tense stay grows even more strained when Akam learns authorities are after Khdr, and that his uncle may not be who he says he is.

With cleverly timed situational comedy, Brwa Vahabpour’s feature directorial debut puts a finger on the diasporic experience of being sheltered from the challenging realities of life in our ancestral lands. My Uncle Jens playfully depicts situations familiar to first- and second-generation youth in predominantly white societies, examining assimilation and borders with levity and heart.
THURS, NOV 6 AT 6PM, TIFF LIGHTBOX CINEMA 4

VILLAGE ROCKSTARS 2
Dir. Rima Das | India 2024 | 98 min. | Assamese with English subtitles | PG
Reuniting with the cast of her highly acclaimed 2017 festival hit, Village Rockstars, Rima Das returns with a standalone sequel centering Dhunu, now a teenager, who lives in a small village in Assam, India, and dreams of becoming a musician. While Dhunu and her friends navigate the vulnerable transition between childhood and adulthood, weighing new responsibilities and priorities, the elders around them face harsher circumstances brought on by predatory land developers and climate change, affecting their livelihoods and sense of community.

The impeccable camerawork of director and cinematographer Das oozes poetic beauty and electric energy at every turn, in this intuitive and lyrical story showcasing the rich and diverse cultural landscape of Assam, where ancient traditions meet contemporary aspirations. Evocative, tender, and deeply human, Village Rockstars 2 solidifies Das as a singular voice in independent Indian cinema, committed to capturing the bittersweetness of life and the understated courage of daily survival with profound authenticity and grace.|
FRI, NOV 7 AT 5:30PM, TIFF LIGHTBOX CINEMA 4

BURY US IN A LONE DESERT
Dir. Nguyễn Lê Hoàng Phúc | Vietnam 2025 | 63 min. | Vietnamese | PG
A man’s attempt at burglary goes wrong when he’s overpowered and captured by the apartment’s elderly owner. Things take a turn for the curiouser when it’s revealed there is a human-sized plaster cast in which the old man has encased his dead wife. To win his freedom, the burglar merely has to accompany the owner to the desert to bury him along with his wife.

Macabre, peculiar, and lensed with visual flair in two distinct sections, Nguyễn Lê Hoàng Phúc’s Bury Us In A Lone Desert remarkably peels away at its grisly premise to satisfy our hearts’ need for unique bonds and timeless relationships in unexpected places.
FRI, NOV 7 AT 6PM, TIFF LIGHTBOX CINEMA 3

MONTRÉAL, MA BELLE
Dir. Xiaodan He* | Canada 2025 | 116 min. | French, Mandarin | AA
Feng Xia, 53, lives a modest but decent life in Montreal: She has a house and is married with two children. But she finds herself growing dissatisfied with her loveless marriage and cloistered life of obligation. After taking a conversational French class, Feng Xia finds the city has opened up to her in new ways, including curious dalliances with dating apps. There, she meets Camille, a Quebecois woman who challenges her spiritually and sexually. Their affair awakens Feng Xia’s long-buried desires during a glowing Montreal summer.

The iconic Joan Chen fearlessly takes on the challenging role of Feng Xia, dexterously shifting between timid matron and sensuous explorer. Director Xiaodan He creates no easy answers, though, determined to show the complexities and conflicts of being a middle-aged Chinese mother in Montreal who yearns to break out. For those like Feng Xia who carry the weight of life’s duties, self-discovery can have collateral damage.
FRI, NOV 7 AT 8:15PM, TIFF LIGHTBOX CINEMA 3

NARMADA: A VALLEY RISES
Dir. Ali Kazimi* | Canada 1994 | 87 min. | English, Hindi, Bhilali, Marathi, Gujarati | GA
Director’s Note: Narmada: A Valley Rises launched my career as a documentary filmmaker — but more importantly, it was the film that transformed the way I see the world. Made against all odds, the film stands as a testament of endurance and persistence.

Researching, shooting, and completing this film fundamentally changed my point of view as a socially committed filmmaker. It took me into the heart of a people’s struggle and forced me to reckon with the realities and brutalities of large-scale development projects in India. It taught me that filmmaking can be an act of solidarity, not just observation. And yet it is also a film that could only have been made in Canada, and one that was also informed by my engagement with Indigenous issues as a diasporic filmmaker.
SAT, NOV 8 AT 10:15AM, TIFF LIGHTBOX CINEMA 4

MAKE IT LOOK REAL
Dir. Danial Shah | Pakistan 2024 | 67 min. | Urdu, Pashto, Hazaragi | PG
Situated in a modest retail complex in Quetta, Pakistan, is a small photo studio plastered with framed images of clients posing with women they don’t know, guns they don’t own, and motorcycles they’ve never ridden. “Make it look real” is the instruction given to the photo studio owner, Muhammad Sakhi, who earnestly captures his clients’ desires and ambitions through staged, saturated, and heavily doctored photographs. Conversations between customers and Sakhi reveal that, although the photos may be fake, the desire and delight behind them are very real.

Serving as a portal to imagined realities, each photograph emerges as a reflection on ideas of gender expression, power, and success, revealing the delicate interplay between identity and longing. As documentary director Danial Shah builds an effortless bond with Sakhi, we’re invited into a welcoming space that offers a compelling observation of the empowerment and sense of freedom possible when identities are allowed to be constructed and reworked.
SAT, NOV 8 AT 12:30PM, TIFF LIGHTBOX CINEMA 3

THIRD ACT
Dir. Tadashi Nakamurah* | USA 2025 | 93 min. | English | PG
Robert A. Nakamura a.k.a. Bob is a legend of Asian American media as an educator, activist, and filmmaker. His frequent collaborator, Tadashi Nakamura, or Tad, has always known he wanted to make a film about his dad’s life. But when Bob is diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, the urgency to make the film becomes more pronounced.

As Tad digs deeper into the documentary, they process the ghosts of his father’s past — his incarceration during the Second World War, the traumatic catalyst that drove him to success in his career, but also Bob’s depression, personal failings and self hatred, for which only film and community could serve as a salve.

A lovingly honest tribute, Third Act continues Tad’s commitment to community storytelling, this time from the inside out, making this his most personal and challenging film thus far. It is another reminder of the power of our elders and ancestors, that we may move forward, carrying them with us, bravely.
SAT, NOV 8 AT 2:30PM, TIFF LIGHTBOX CINEMA 3

MANOK
Dir. Yu-jin Lee* | Korea 2025 | 122 min. | Korean | PG
Pride celebrations are coming up, and Manok, the feisty owner of a venerable lesbian bar in Seoul, is preparing for the annual party. Except the younger organizers want a new vibe, leaving Manok’s bar on the fringes. Irritated at her obsolescence, Manok closes the bar out of spite and moves back to her rural hometown with a fresh start on her mind. But is that possible in a town run by her ex-husband? If anybody can do it, Manok can.

Featuring an endearing ensemble of country characters led by Mal-bok Yang as Manok, Manok is a chaotic fish-out-of-water comedy with musical numbers, political campaigns, and a little romance. As zany as it sounds, it never strays from its heartfelt journey of redefining oneself through life’s challenges, and of finding (and keeping) friends and lovers along the way.
SAT, NOV 8 AT 3:30PM, TIFF LIGHTBOX CINEMA 4

DIAMONDS IN THE SAND
Dir. Janus Victoria* | Philippines, Japan 2024 | 126 min. | Tagalog, Japanese | PG
In Japan’s aging society, kodokushi — the lonely death of the elderly — has become disturbingly common. Divorced salaryman Yoji (Lily Franky) is confronted with this reality when he discovers his neighbour’s decomposing body. The shocking experience forces him to face his solitude, deepened by his own mother’s aging. Seeking escape and connection, he follows a caretaker to Manila, where his choice takes an unexpected turn.

Diamonds in the Sand explores the contrasts between two distinct Asian cultures. While reflecting on the isolation faced by many people in modern society, the film also captures the warmth, vitality, and complexity of family life in the Philippines. Within this vibrant setting, bonds bring both joy and hardship, connection and obligation. This is a bittersweet story of acceptance, the courage and impact of our personal choices, and the search for meaning within oneself and community alike.
SAT, NOV 8 AT 5:15PM, TIFF LIGHTBOX CINEMA 3

FUCKTOYS
Dir. Annapurna Sriram | USA 2025 | 106 min. | English | AA
She’s been cursed. Literally. And she needs $1,000 for the hex-breaking cure. AP (played by director Annapurna Sriram) embarks on a sex worker’s odyssey through pre-millenium Trashtown, U.S.A., where the grass is brown and the cops are kinky. Desperate for a life reset, AP embarks on a scooter-driven adventure with her always-and-forever-tethered ex-lover Danni. Through strip clubs, celebrity mansions, and fortune tellers around every corner, fans of John Waters and 1990s Gregg Araki films will love Sriram’s world-building and her campy, crude, queer take on the buddy film genre.

Fucktoys is a darkly humorous tale about the uphill battle of carving out a new life for oneself and the risks it takes to do it. Sriram’s directorial debut kicks down the door for a new wave of American sexploitation films, while its anarchist spirit is a call to challenge mainstream American filmic conventions.
SAT, NOV 8 AT 8:30PM, TIFF LIGHTBOX CINEMA 3

FINCH & MIDLAND
Dir. Timothy Yeung* | Canada 2025 | 110 min. | English, Cantonese, Mandarin | 14A
Finch and Midland, an intersection in Scarborough, is like many others in the suburbs of Canada’s largest city. But every intersection has a story to tell. Timothy Yeung’s Finch & Midland focuses on four stories from the wave of Hong Kong immigrants who came to Canada in the 1990s hoping for a new life: a former pop singer trying to reconnect with his daughter; a woman caring for her elderly mother while yearning for love; a single mother who works in a massage parlour and dreams of becoming a realtor; and a factory manager confronted with a glass ceiling.

Through strip malls, harsh lights, and dark nights, Finch & Midland reinterprets the stories of the community Yeung grew up in, and stars an impressive ensemble cast led by Anthony Wong Chau‑sang. Yeung’s film is an important addition to the recent movement of local cinematic stories from Scarborough that connect to universal themes.
SUN, NOV 9 AT 3:30PM, TIFF LIGHTBOX CINEMA 2

AKASHI (CENTREPIECE GALA)
Dir. Mayumi Yoshida* | Canada 2025 | 105 min. | English, Japanese with English subtitles | PG
Kana, a struggling visual artist, returns to Japan after years away in Vancouver to attend her beloved grandmother’s funeral. The familiar cadence of family dynamics endure and yet, everything feels different. While in Tokyo, Kana discovers her grandfather had a love of his life outside of his arranged marriage to her grandmother. Meanwhile, Kana reluctantly confronts her own messy romantic past with old flame Hiro to see if the embers of their love still flicker.

Adapted from a play and short film of the same name, powerhouse actor-writer-director Mayumi Yoshida presents an impressively romantic first feature, beautifully lensed across two timelines. Yoshida deftly balances swooning, dreamlike nostalgia with the universal realities of distance, time, and circumstance.
SUN, NOV 9 AT 7:00PM, TIFF LIGHTBOX CINEMA 2

K-POP DEMON HUNTERS
Dir. Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans | USA 2025 | 96 min. | English, Korean | PG
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”.

MON, NOV 10 AT 7:30PM, HOT DOCS CINEMA

YEAR OF THE CAT
Dir. Tony Nguyen* | USA 2025 | 98 min. | English, Vietnamese | PG
How far would you go to uncover a family history that has been purposefully buried? What are the consequences of resurfacing these stories to fulfil your own?

In an extremely candid documentary, filmmaker Tony Nguyen embarks on a scrappy investigation to reconnect to his father, who was estranged from his family due to the Vietnam War. Challenging family members who don’t want to disturb the dust, Nguyen is determined to find the potential truth, and the value of it. Nguyen’s film is a rollercoaster ride of DIY detective work to uncover family secrets, ultimately questioning the role and power of a filmmaker.

On the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, Year Of The Cat offers a sincere look at piecing together a family story post war, offering a personal reflection of how displacement and trauma gets passed down to a generation who are now parents.
TUES, NOV 11 AT 7:30PM, INNIS TOWN HALL

HUMANS IN THE LOOP
Dir. Aranya Sahay | India 2024 | 72 min. | Hindi, Kurukh | PG
Nehma belongs to the Oraon tribe and lives with her children on the outskirts of Jharkhand, India. Embroiled in a custody battle and a messy divorce, she secures a job at an AI data-labelling centre under the supervision of a stern manager. As we watch her navigate the steep learning curve of her new job and quickly confront the stark realities of biased data, the distortions in the very systems designed to help us become impossible to ignore.

In this remarkably fresh and timely narrative, director Aranya Sahay invites us to consider the volume of marginalized labour and detailed proficiency required to uphold the current growth of AI and our reliance on it. Serving as a cautionary reminder that technology may never replace human wisdom and indigenous knowledge systems, Humans in the Loop is as bold as it is urgent in its depiction of the cracks in widely held perceptions of progress and modernity.
WED, NOV 12 AT 7:30PM, INNIS TOWN HALL

THERE ARE NO WORDS
Dir. Min Sook Lee* | Canada 2024 | 99 min. | English, Korean | PG
In There Are No Words, award-winning filmmaker Min Sook Lee searches for stories of her mother, Song Ji Lee, who died by suicide when Lee was just 12 years old. Through an intimate archive, Lee confronts public, private, and imagined histories in the wake of trauma while negotiating her relationship with her aging father, who met her mother while serving in the Korean Counterintelligence Corps under dictator Park Chung Hee in 1960s Korea. Despite being an unreliable narrator with a history of abuse, Lee’s father is her last direct tie to her mother.

Lee turns the camera on herself to trace her experiences from Toronto to her birthplace in South Korea’s Hwasun County and back, documenting tender efforts to speak her mother into collective memory. There Are No Words is a brave meditation on grief, loss, memory, and longing, reminding us that even when language fails us, there is still so much to say.
THUR, NOV 13 AT 7:30PM, INNIS TOWN HALL

SHORTS

This year’s Shorts programming includes:

LET’S DO THE TIME WARP AGAIN!: Through animation’s unique ability to push boundaries and reimagine narratives, this programme reflects the formative dreams that continue to shape Inside Out and Reel Asian. Step into this chaotic but tender journey with us. Featuring three-time Canadian Screen Award winner Vivek Shraya (How to Fail as a Popstar).
THURS, NOV 6 AT 8:30PM, TIFF LIGHTBOX CINEMA 4

CHARGED UP: Defiance can loudly turn heads around, or remain subtle and carefully camouflaged. Between these styles, this programme sees longings vary from self-preservation, justice, vengeance, and spectacle.
FRI, NOV 7 AT 8:30PM AT TIFF LIGHTBOX CINEMA 4

FAMILY STYLE: We each bring our own style to the table — whether that’s upholding tradition or breaking it, following the rules or bending them. These films explore familial complexity through play, transformation, agency, and hope.
SAT, NOV 8 AT 1PM, TIFF LIGHTBOX CINEMA 4

OTHERWORLDS: Enter worlds that feel both impossibly extreme and unsettlingly real. Thrust against the grain, these protagonists take back control of their narrative, despite forces that seek to define them otherwise. Filmmakers include Natalie Murao.
SAT, NOV 8 AT 6:30PM, TIFF LIGHTBOX CINEMA 4

UNQUENCHABLE: These films explore desire, both interpersonally and intrapersonally. Between quietly blossoming desires and glowing inner temptations, this collection strides toward you with a sly wink, a shy smile, and a glimmer in its eye.
SAT, NOV 8 AT 9PM, TIFF LIGHTBOX CINEMA 4

UNSUNG VOICES 14: Six emerging filmmakers embarked on a months-long filmmaking workshop this past summer. We’re proud to present their world premieres here in the 14th edition of Reel Asian’s filmmaking program.
SUN, NOV 9 AT 1PM, TIFF LIGHTBOX CINEMA 2

RA:X

RENDER ME IN YOUR WORLDS
Storytelling beyond the screen.Render Me in Your Worlds is a multi-day symposium that highlights the Sari-Sari Xchange and Reel Asian’s shared mission of amplifying Asian representation in the creative emerging media industries. The programme explores how XR, or extended reality, and emergent media can shape relational creative practices based on unique stories, desires, and experiences, rendered as “worlds” within “a world of many worlds.

SARI-SARI XCHANGE “ASSETORY”: 3D ASSETS FOR STORYTELLING AND COMMUNITY
This workshop spotlights the Sari-Sari Xchange Assetory, a storytelling-led virtual asset library prototype created with and for the Asian diaspora. Participants will be asked to bring an object with a personal meaning, which they will learn how to scan and create a 3D reproduction of. They will also be able to share what memories, stories, and histories the object holds and contribute to the SSX Assetory if they wish.
FRI, NOV 7, 2PM–5PM | ASIATIC ITINERARIES RESEARCH CENTRE, OCADU AT 205 RICHMOND

SARI-SARI XCHANGE “ASSETORY” RECEPTION
Celebrate the launch of the Sari-Sari Xchange Assetory, a storytelling-led virtual asset library prototype created with and for the Asian diaspora, and play with mobile resource units designed to facilitate the making and exhibition of XR creative works.
FRI, NOV 14, 6PM–9PM | OPEN SPACE GALLERY, 49 MCCAUL

RE-RENDER LOCAL EMBODIED HISTORIES WITH XR
Three panellists based in China and Hong Kong share their diverse practices in preserving and revitalizing culturally significant sites through emerging media. From augmented reality projects reactivating rural Chinese areas to virtual reality works shaping collective memory, this roundtable opens a dialogue on how emerging media can tell local stories and convey lived experiences.
THURS, NOV 13, 11AM–12:30PM | BACHIR YEREX PRESENTATION SPACE, 401 RICHMOND (HYBRID)

FLOW BETWEEN WORLDS: PRACTISING AND CAPTURING TAI CHI MOVEMENTS
This immersive workshop will introduce the practice of traditional tai chi. Participants will experience its calm, flowing movements under the guidance of Mr. Zuo, a sixth-generation successor of traditional Yang-style tai chi. Participants will then explore Rokoko Vision, an accessible motion capture tool, recording and translating their movements into digital form. By merging ancient Chinese embodied philosophy with cutting-edge technology, participants are invited to move between the physical and virtual realms, transforming meditative practice into dynamic, interactive data.
THURS, NOV 13, 2PM–4PM | BACHIR YEREX PRESENTATION SPACE, 401 RICHMOND

PERFORMING XR WORLDS: MEDIA ARTISTS ON EMBODIMENT, PERFORMATIVITY, AND THE REAL
Explore the XR worldbuilding practices of media artists working at the confluence of body, space, and technology. Learn how their respective modes of knowing and making drive them to create XR worlds and performance experiences that rethink the self, rationality, technology, the dichotomies of the actual/virtual, and what constitutes reality in the digital age. Together, we will speculate on a vision for XR world-making that celebrates unique worldviews, practices, and traditions.
FRI, NOV 14, 3:30PM–5PM | BACHIR YEREX PRESENTATION SPACE, 401 RICHMOND

WEE ASIAN
From sharing meals to counting planes and planting beans, these films lead us through stories of unexpected vulnerability, resilience, and companionship.

With free drop-in programming for all ages and all generations to come together, Wee Asian returns with free relaxed screenings accompanied by storytelling, arts activities, and play! More information on activities at reelasian.com/weeasian.

This year’s Wee Asian short film lineup includes:

BUGSICK – Canada
NIHAL’S GARDEN – Canada
I AM A FLOWER – Germany
SERENE HUES – Canada
FAMILY DINNER (家庭晚餐) – USA
A NIGHT AT THE REST AREA (パーキングエリアの夜) – Japan

REEL IDEAS
Reel Ideas presents a rich programme of conversations, panels, and networking sessions for filmmakers and artists at every stage of their careers. Go behind the scenes of projects like the workplace comedy 18 to 35 and Kid Koala’s animated feature Space Cadet, discovering the craft, creativity, and collaboration that bring these stories to life. Hear from experienced writers, animators, and filmmakers, and gain practical insights for advancing your career and developing your creative practice. Sessions also explore important topics such as accessibility, advocacy, and sustaining a creative practice.

From cheering on finalists in this year’s So You Think You Can Pitch? competition to participating in behind-the-scenes masterclasses, Reel Ideas is a space to connect, learn, and celebrate the many ways our communities create meaningful stories.

IMAA MINI-CONFERENCE
In collaboration with the Independent Media Arts Alliance, Reel Ideas will co-host a three-day mini-conference focused on artist advocacy, fair pay, and building an equitable arts ecosystem.

Tues, Nov 11 – 6:30PM | The Commons @ 401 Richmond
What’s Brewing Panel: A discussion on artist labour conditions and funding challenges, followed by a reception and mingling portion.

Wed, Nov 12 – 11:00AM | The Commons @ 401 Richmond
Fee Schedule & Resource Access Network Workshop: Practical guidance on compensation standards and navigating support systems.

All sessions aim to strengthen the skills and networks of arts administrators and cultural workers, offering tools to navigate an industry with systemic barriers while supporting underrepresented filmmakers.

SPACE CADET: ARTIST TALK WITH KID KOALA AND LILLIAN CHAN
Join us for an in-depth conversation about Space Cadet, a moving animated film that speaks volumes without a single word of dialogue. Director Kid Koala will share how a memory of watching Charlie Chaplin films with his grandmother became the north star that guided this deeply personal story. That early connection to silent cinema — bridging cultural and language barriers — inspired the creation of Space Cadet as a work of solace, imagination, and reflection.

Kid Koala and Lillian Chan, Space Cadet’s head of story and production designer, will discuss the journey from book to film, exploring how to translate vulnerability into craft — through storytelling, visual design, and music — and how to make authenticity come through in every frame. Together, they’ll reflect on how Space Cadet found its voice without dialogue, and how its journey reveals the power of art in connecting past, present, and future.
THURS, NOV 6 AT 2PM | CINECYCLE

IMPACT PRODUCING WITHOUT ACCESS: WHEN CRITICAL FILMS STRUGGLE TO FIND DISTRIBUTION
In partnership with the DOC Institute, Reel Ideas will host a panel as part of the speaker series Truth Matters – Critical Dialogue in a Post-Truth Era, supported by the Toronto Arts Council.

This panel will explore how racialized and independent creators bring their films to communities often excluded from mainstream distribution. The conversation will shed light on the barriers to access and the inventive strategies filmmakers use to ensure their stories are seen and heard. Whether you are a filmmaker, producer, or audience member interested in the future of documentary, this event will provide valuable insight into how stories find their way into the world.
TUES, NOV 11 AT 3PM | CINECYCLE

ACCESSIBILITY AND FESTIVALS: RETHINKING HOW WE ENGAGE AUDIENCES AND ARTISTS
Reel Ideas presents a panel featuring leaders from the Disability Screen Office, Toronto Metropolitan University’s School of Disability Studies, and the Unify Deaf Film Festival. The discussion will explore how festivals can better support accessibility — from accommodating filmmakers with disabilities and reaching diverse audiences, to guiding creators on inclusive practices like budgeting for captioning. This session will offer practical strategies for making film culture more equitable and inclusive.
TUES, NOV 11 AT 4:30PM | THE COMMONS @ 401 RICHMOND

18 TO 35: BEHIND-THE-SCENES MASTERCLASS
Join us for a special presentation of 18 to 35, a bold new workplace comedy created by Rahul Chaturvedi and executive produced by Andrew Phung. Key collaborators will pull back the curtain on this homegrown production, crafted on a small budget but with big ambitions. They’ll share how the series moved from idea to pitch to screen, highlighting lessons in building a writers’ room, navigating production and post-production, giving attendees an end-to-end crash course on making a series.
WED, NOV 12 AT 6:30PM | CINECYCLE

BUILDING SUSTAINABLE CAREERS IN SCREENWRITING
Reel Asian and the Writers Guild of Canada present a candid conversation on the pathways and pitfalls of building a sustainable career in screenwriting. With Asian Canadian writers at the forefront, this session will explore the realities of navigating writers’ rooms, landing representation, and making sense of the business side of TV and film.

Panellists will reflect on their own journeys — from making an impression to handling notes and rewrites — while demystifying the structures of television writing. Beyond the craft, this discussion will explore strategies for self-promotion, building meaningful industry relationships, and understanding what producers and commissioning editors are really looking for. The conversation will also address larger systemic barriers writers face, and how community and resilience play a vital role in sustaining long-term careers.
WED, NOV 12 AT 2:30PM | CINECYCLE

THE UNDERTONE: ARTIST TALK WITH DIRECTOR IAN TUASON AND OCADU PRESIDENT ANA SERRANO
Filmmaker Ian Tuason’s debut feature The Undertone, recently acquired by A24, transforms the intimacy of caregiving and the eerie power of audio into a chilling, single-location horror story. The film traces its origins from an experimental podcast idea. Drawing on his personal experiences and love of the genre, Tuason crafts a work that balances vulnerability, innovation, and fear.

Tuason will be joined by his former mentor, OCAD University president & vice-chancellor Ana Serrano, to reflect on the creative journey behind The Undertone. Together, they’ll explore the film’s evolution — from its early drafts to its visual and sonic design — while also discussing how collaboration, mentorship, and digital storytelling practices shaped Tuason’s approach. By examining how a deeply personal story can resonate with audiences and attract a major distributor, this session will offer insight into the intersections of craft, risk, and support systems in independent filmmaking.
FRI, NOV 14 AT 7:30PM | OCAD AUDITORIUM MCA 190

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN PITCH?
Join us for the live So You Think You Can Pitch? competition at the 29th Reel Asian Film Festival, where five emerging filmmaking teams will go head-to-head for a prize package to help bring their short films to life. Cheer the finalists on as they pitch their stories to a panel of distinguished jurors — and get a first look at the talented voices shaping the future of Asian Canadian cinema.
SAT, NOV 15 AT 7PM | ANNEX THEATRE

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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 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.