Catch Pakistan’s 1st Ever Hand-Drawn Animated Film ‘The Glassworker’ & Other South Asian Films At Reel Asian Festival

Festival opens with Ann Marie Fleming’s poignant drama Can I Get A Witness?

Reel Asian runs November 13 to 24, 2024

Public tickets on sale at reelasian.com

The 28th Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival (Reel Asian), Canada’s premiere pan-Asian festival, runs from November 13 to 24, 2024, embracing diverse stories showcasing contemporary Asian cinema that bridge cultural divides and connect global communities.

This year’s lineup comprises 17 features and 49 shorts spanning all genres and ages from Canada, China, Indonesia, France, Pakistan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. For the first time, Reel Asian introduces Colliders, a new Shorts category in partnership with Indigenous storytellers from ImagineNATIVE. This new initiative invites audiences to explore the solidarity between Indigenous and settler Asian communities through storytelling dialogue.

Watch Trailer Here  

Reel Asian will also present four innovative multimedia experiences through the RA:X programme and welcome several esteemed industry professionals for their Reel Ideas conference. For the full programming lineup and ticket information, visit reelasian.com.

“We are delighted to welcome audiences back to Reel Asian to celebrate the finest in global and homegrown Asian cinema from the diaspora across Canada,” said Deanna Wong, Executive Director of Reel Asian. “This year’s lineup is a testament to the exceptional talent our community brings to the industry, which grows stronger each year. We look forward to presenting these unique and captivating stories that will truly inspire and create deeper conversations in a safe and inclusive environment”.

Please see Reel Asian’s programming highlights below. For the full Festival programme and schedule, please visit reelasian.com or view the 2024 Programme Guide here.

FEATURES

[*] indicates expected attendance

CAN I GET A WITNESS (Opening Night)
Dir. Ann Marie Fleming * | Canada 2024 | 110 min. | English | AA
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.
WED, NOV 13 • 7:00 PM • HOT DOCS TED ROGERS CINEMA

PIERCE
Dir. Nelicia Low | Taiwan, Singapore, Poland 2024 | 104 min. | Mandarin | AA | Toronto Premiere
Trouble seems to follow Jie and his family. Training to be a competitive fencer, Jie is lost, haunted by the childhood memory of a near-drowning incident with his menacing older brother Han. Years later, a teenage Han is imprisoned after killing a competitor during a fencing match (by accident, he swears). Meanwhile, Jie’s mother has been spiteful and distant ever since, with no love to give her younger son. So when Han is finally released from prison, Jie is desperate to have some family love restored — and eager for some helpful fencing and boy-friend dating tips, too. But is Han’s reformed presence for real?
THURS, NOV 14 • 5:30 PM • TIFF LIGHTBOX

THE LAND OF MORNING CALM 아침바다 갈매기는
Dir. Park Ri-woong | South Korea 2024 | 114 min. | Korean | AA | International Premiere
Feeling stuck, young fisherman Yong-su sees no hope in his future – like a fish in a net. As a last resort, he plans an insurance scam by staging his disappearance, hoping to provide a better life for his Vietnamese wife and his ageing mother. At the centre of this scheme is his captain, Yeong-guk (Yoon Joo-sang), who reluctantly reports Yong-su missing. However, when Yong-su’s mother (Yang Hee-kyung) refuses to connect her son’s disappearance with his death, the white lie snowballs into something harder to chew.
THURS, NOV 14 • 8:00 PM • TIFF LIGHTBOX

BORROWED TIME 人海同游
Dir. Choy Ji | China 2023 | 93 min. | Cantonese | PG
While picking juicy lychees on an endless summer day, Ting is uneasy. She’s on the verge of marriage in her hometown in mainland China. Her father will not be there. He long ago left her and her mother to stay with his preferred family in Hong Kong — part of the legacy of men from the region who had extramarital affairs in China in the 1980s and ’90s. Before she ties the knot, Ting ventures to Hong Kong to find the father she’s never known. While on her journey, she finds she has other loose ends to tie up, too.
THURS, NOV 14 • 8:00 PM • TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX

FRESH OFF MARKHAM 敗走麥城
Dir. Kurt Yuen, Cyrus Lo and Trevor Choi * | Canada 2024 | 83 min | English, Mandarin, Cantonese | AA
Shan, an immigrant from Dongbei, China, settles in Markham, Ont., a suburb known for its welcoming Chinese community. There, Kevin, a fellow Dongbei local, pulls him into a scheme to rob a Japanese restaurant stealing business from Chinese locals. After the heist goes horribly wrong, they delve into the streets of Markham in a series of chaotic episodes. Fresh Off Markham functions as a satirical anthology, highlighting experiences and dilemmas that some Chinese immigrants encounter amidst relocation.
FRI, NOV 15 • 5:30 PM • TIFF LIGHTBOX

BEN AND SUZANNE, A REUNION IN 4 PARTS
Dir. Shaun Seneviratne | USA 2024 | 110 min | English | AA
It’s the holidays, and Ben Santhanaraj shows up to Sri Lanka to see Suzanne Hopper, his long-distance partner who works there. Unfortunately, Suzanne’s been informed she now has to work through the holidays, thwarting their dream vacation plans (and his amorous intentions). They decide to go along with their itinerary, her laptop in tow, but nothing seems to work out as planned, leading to candid conversations and chaotic twists. Will their relationship endure — or have they grown too far apart?
FRI, NOV 15 • 5:30 PM • TIFF LIGHTBOX

LAYLA
Dir. Amrou Al-Kadhi | UK 2024 | 99 min. | English Arabic | AA
Layla is a struggling Palestinian drag queen who often finds creative ways to make ends meet, surrounded by a small, supportive group of close friends within the North London queer scene. A stuffy corporate event performance goes terribly wrong, making Layla and their outrageous antics go viral, and they meet the seemingly-dull-in-comparison marketing executive Max. Despite their very different worlds, a transformative love affair ensues, much to the annoyance of Layla’s close friends, who are highly sceptical of how healthy or affirming this relationship could possibly be.
FRI, NOV 15 • 8:00 PM • TIFF LIGHTBOX

EXCLUSION: BEYOND THE SILENCE
Dir. Keira Loughran * | Canada 2024 | 85 min. | English, Cantonese, Toisanese| GA
In 1923, Canada passed the ironically named Chinese Immigration Act — better known as the Chinese Exclusion Act — which for the next 24 years barred virtually any Chinese person from entering the country. They were the first ethnic group to be singled out in this way.

In her directorial debut, award-winning actor and playwright Keira Loughran traces her family’s history to show the act’s devastating impact on the Chinese community, focusing on her grandmother, activist Jean Lumb, who was the first Chinese Canadian woman to receive the Order of Canada. Among the many incidents igniting Lumb’s activism was the shocking revocation of her Canadian citizenship when she married Loughran’s Chinese-born grandfather — a lesser-known requirement of the act.
SAT, NOV 16 • 12:00 PM • TIFF LIGHTBOX

THE MOTHER AND THE BEAR
Dir. Johnny Ma * | Canada, Chile 2024 | 100 min. | English, Korean | AA
After a mysterious encounter leaves her daughter Sumi in a coma, Sara rushes from South Korea to Winnipeg to be by her side. As Sumi heals, Sara begins to unpack details of her life that her daughter never shared with her. On a mission to find a husband to take care of Sumi when she wakes, Sara ventures into the daunting unknowns of dating apps and Winnipeg winters, and finds out more about herself than she planned.
SAT, NOV 16 • 2.30 PM • TIFF LIGHTBOX

LUCKY STAR
Dir. Gillian McKercher * | Canada 2024 | 85 min. | English | PG | Toronto Premiere
Deep in debt, with a house and a university-bound kid, plus a marriage on the rocks, reformed gambler Lucky sees his luck run out after getting scammed in a tax-fraud scheme. Ashamed and desperate to keep it from his family, he returns to underground backroom gambling dens, playing for big payouts to relieve the debt and win back his family’s favour. Meanwhile, each family member, unaware of Lucky’s troubles but feeling the money crunch, too, resorts to unsavoury means to dig out of their hole.
SAT, NOV 16 • 5:00 PM • TIFF LIGHTBOX

THE DRAFT! SETAN ALAS!
Dir. Yusron Fuadi *| Indonesia 2024 | 84 min. | Indonesian | AA
Five oblivious youths, a video camera, a remote rundown villa, and a creepy caretaker. Doesn’t it sound like the perfect recipe for a horror film? A mysterious death that soon follows takes the story on a route beyond the fourth wall. The group finds out that they’re characters of a screenplay, and that their smarts will dictate their survival.
SAT, NOV 16 • 7:30 PM • TIFF LIGHTBOX

HOME COURT
Dir. Erica Tanamachi | USA 2024 | 98 min. | English | PG
At the heart of this captivating coming-of-age sports film is Ashley Chea, a Cambodian American basketball marvel whose high school career we follow. Hailing from a lower-class immigrant family that sought safety in the U.S. after the Khmer Rouge came to power, Chea is given the opportunity to attend a private school and thus pursue a coveted college basketball career. While her parents work vigorously at their doughnut store and can’t attend her games, Chea bonds with her Japanese American coach, who helps her with doctor’s appointments and even attaining her driver’s licence.
SUN, NOV 17 • 10:00 AM • TIFF LIGHTBOX

THE GLASSWORKER
Dir. Usman Riaz * | Pakistan 2024 | 98 Min | Urdu | PG | Toronto Premiere
A young, gifted Vincent and his father Tomas run the finest glass workshop in the country, creating delicate, magnificent pieces of art. Their close bond is soon put to the test with the arrival of an army colonel and his young, aspiring violinist daughter Alliz, to their hometown. Amidst the rumblings of an impending war, Vincent and Alliz eventually fall in love, a relationship that is continually opposed and challenged by their fathers.
SUN, NOV 17 • 1:00 PM • TIFF LIGHTBOX

ASHIMA
Dir. Kenji Tsukamoto | USA 2023 | 86 min. | English, Japanese | GA
What does greatness look like? What does it take to be great? In the documentary Ashima, greatness looks like Ashima Shiraishi, a modest but determined 13-year-old Japanese American rock-climbing prodigy. For her demanding father, Hisatoshi, a former Butoh dancer and Ashima’s coach, greatness requires discipline and intense focus. Together, they’ve embarked to South Africa to climb Golden Shadow, a famous V14 boulder, for Ashima to become the youngest woman to ever climb it.
SUN, NOV 17 • 4:00 PM • TIFF LIGHTBOX

HIS FATHER’S SON (Centrepiece Gala Presentation)
Dir. Meelad Moaphi * | Canada 2024 | 79 Min | English, Farsi | PG | Toronto Premiere
Amir is an aspiring chef trying to get ahead, but he can’t seem to break out and meet his own expectations or those of his parents, while his favoured younger brother Mahyar can seemingly do no wrong. When news from Iran arrives that a family friend has died and passed his entire inheritance solely to Mahyar, the mystery of the gift’s provenance begins to unravel the family’s story, the image of their parents, and the relationship between the two brothers.
SUN, NOV 17 • 7:00 PM • TIFF LIGHTBOX

NOBUKO MIYAMOTO: A SONG IN MOVEMENT
Dir. Quyên Nguyen-Le & Tadashi Nakamura | USA 2024 | 60 Min | English| GA | Toronto Premiere
Through the lens of directors Tadashi Nakamura and Quyên Nguyen-Le, this compelling documentary captures the bold journey of visionary artist-activist Nobuko Miyamoto. From her upbringing in a Japanese American internment camp to her breakthrough as a performer in films and on Broadway, Miyamoto reflects on how her personal encounters with racial injustice inspired her blending of artistic endeavours with Asian American advocacy. Her thoughtfully created music, dances, and theatre productions carry on to bridge cultural divides and facilitate mutual support among BIPOC communities.
TUE, NOV 19 • 7:00 PM • INNIS TOWN HALL

FILE NO. 2304
Dir. Alison S.M. Kobayashi * | Canada, USA 2024 | 5 Min | English | PG
After accessing the 119-page custodial file of her great-grandfather in the National Archives of Canada, Alison S.M. Kobayashi discovers new details about her Japanese family’s history and their lives before internment.
TUE, NOV 19 • 7:00 PM • INNIS TOWN HALL

NIKAH
Dir. Mukaddas Mijit & Bastien Ehouzan | France 2023 | 55 Min | Uyghur | PG | Canadian Premiere
Dilber is 27 years old, preparing for her younger sister Rena’s wedding while contemplating her own future. Despite the recent nuptials in the family, their mother continues to put pressure on Dilber to find a husband soon, responding to the heightened anxiety during a time when Uyghur people are being arrested without process or reason. Dilber’s friend in Paris convinces her to marry a young Uyghur man in France, a proposition that feels very attractive. But will it work out
WED, NOV 20 • 7:00 PM • INNIS TOWN HALL

SHORTS

This year’s Shorts programming includes:

LOVE ISLAND: Pulling you in closer, these films traverse the ebbs and flows of infatuation, fascination, longing, desire, and the release of letting go — all this to possibly feel our true selves more intimately.
FRI, NOV 15 • 8:00 PM • TIFF LIGHTBOX

AN UNFAMILIAR TALE: Family dynamics are complicated. No matter how intimately familiar kin can feel, there’s room for surprise to the point where we wonder if we even knew them at all. Which stories and emotions do we hold inside, and which are we ready to share?
SAT, NOV 16 • 12:00 PM • TIFF LIGHTBOX

UNSUNG VOICES 13: Six emerging filmmakers embarked on a summer-long filmmaking journey. We’re proud to present their world premiere here, in the 13th edition of Reel Asian’s filmmaking program.
SAT, NOV 16 • 2:30 PM • TIFF LIGHTBOX

COLLIDERS: This programme invites audiences into a storytelling dialogue between imagineNATIVE and Reel Asian on the solidarity between Indigenous and settler Asian people. Tenacious and confrontational, this collection transports resilience from the past and into the present.

Co-curator: Kaitlynn Tomaselli is Anishinaabe and Italian from Manitoulin Island. An emerging curator and arts administrator, she currently works for the world’s largest presenter of Indigenous screen content, imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts
SAT, NOV 16 • 5:00 PM • TIFF LIGHTBOX

PUSHBACK: Trivial or not, these short films push and push … and push. Is it provocation, retaliation, or sheer determination? Regardless of the answer, how far might you be willing to go?
SAT, NOV 16 • 7:30 PM • TIFF LIGHTBOX

LOVE IS LOVE: The notion of love transcends you and me. It resides in the personal, the familial, the imaginary, and a nation.
SUN, NOV 17 • 1:00 PM • TIFF LIGHTBOX

UNDERCUR RENTS: Seemingly stagnant on the surface, in motion underneath. These five short films trace and retrace what movements and stories might exist within us and beyond, pulling us in unexpected directions.
SUN, NOV 17 • 4:00 PM • TIFF LIGHTBOX

RA:X

Storytelling beyond the screen. RA:X is Reel Asian’s programming section with interactive elements and innovative storytelling tools that seek to engage audiences in new and exciting ways.

RA:X SEN
Experience a poetic journey of connection and entanglement inspired by the philosophies of a traditional Japanese tea ceremony. Set in the famous Tai-An teahouse, SEN takes us from joy and wonder, through carelessness and confusion, to peace and renewal, in a lush, visual homage to the expansive emotional interior.

Hold a black raku tea bowl to wake Sen, the spirit of tea, and follow as it learns about itself, the world, and the relations that connect us all together.
NOV 14 – 24 • BACHIR YEREX PRESENTATION SPACE • RSVP AT REELASIAN.COM/RAX

PRESENTING SEN: IN CONVERSATION WITH SANA AKRAM
Join Sana Akram with Reel Asian programmer Aram Collier to talk about the work required to present SEN, the world of experiential media, and the impact of new media technologies in storytelling.
Speaker: Sana Akram
FRI, NOV 22 • 5:00 PM • 401 COMMONS

RA:X CREATURA INSTALLATION
We’re excited to be presenting at the festival an assortment of art pieces by Wenting Li, inspired by the wide repertoire of fantastical and strange beings that inhabit their portfolio.
THU, NOV 7, NOV 13 – 24 (NOV 18 CLOSED) • VARIOUS TIMES • 401 COMMONS

ARTIST TALK WITH WENTING LI
Join Wenting Li in conversation with Reel Asian programmer Jasmine Gui as they discuss the featured artwork, their artistic practice, and all things creature-related.
MON, NOV 22 • 6:30 PM • 401 COMMONS

WEE ASIAN

Loud and expressive, reflexive yet playful, this programme, in the spirit of Creatura, makes room for all our mushy and monstrous emotions. Come for the screening, stick around for the delightful arts activities for all ages to enjoy together!
SAT, NOV 23 • 10:00 AM & 1:00 PM • INNIS TOWN HALL

This year’s Wee Asian short film lineup includes:

LOLA – USA
DANCING DHAMAAL! (DANCING FUNI) – USA
STARLING – USA
HU (후!) – South Korea
MINUS PLUS MULTIPLY – UK, Taiwan
LOOK – Canada
DETOURS AHEAD – Canada
UNBLENDING – Canada

REEL IDEAS

It’s no secret that filmmaking requires grit, stamina, and a whole lot of determination. Reel Ideas celebrates the behind- the-scenes perseverance that drives creators to follow their instincts and shape their stories.

This year’s Reel Ideas programme highlights the various roles integral to following the north star in one’s artistic vision. Amidst the chaos of creation, where things never quite go as planned, we hope you can find what it is you want to persevere towards, and trust that your story will eventually find its audience and community.

CAN I GET A WITNESS: ARTIST TALK WITH ANN MARIE FLEMING

Join us for an in-depth conversation about Ann Marie Fleming’s Can I Get A Witness?, Reel Asian’s opening night film this year. This thought-provoking movie examines a near-future society grappling with climate change, mortality, and the value of life. Fleming draws inspiration from her personal experiences, including her time in Vancouver’s West End and the environmental upheaval of Stanley Park.

What began as an absurdist satire has transformed into a poignant exploration of intergenerational responsibility and community resilience. In this talk, Fleming will share insights into her creative process, the film’s evolution from satire to heartfelt comedy, and the collaborative journey with a talented cast and crew, including Sandra Oh. Discover how Can I Get A Witness? invites us to reflect on what we’re willing to sacrifice for a sustainable future and the beauty of life itself.
Speaker: Ann Marie Fleming, Filmmaker
THURS, NOV 14 • 2.30 PM • FESTIVAL LOUNGE

FROM SHORT TO FEATURE: THE JOURNEY OF SHOOK BY AMAR WALA

Fresh off its world premiere at TIFF, Amar Wala’s Shook serves as an ideal case study for filmmakers, particularly those transitioning from shorts to feature films. Set in Scarborough, Ont., the film captures the area’s multicultural essence and reflects on identity, place, and personal growth through rich, site-specific details. This panel explores the complexities of film financing, distribution strategies, and the key decisions that shape a film’s journey from concept to completion. By examining Wala’s experience with Shook, we’ll shed light on how an honest love letter to a city and its diverse communities can be crafted, while successfully balancing complex personal narratives with broader cultural commentary.
Speaker: Amar Wala, Filmmaker
THURS, NOV 14 • 5:30 PM • TIFF LIGHTBOX

LATE BLOOMER: SCREENING & ARTIST TALK

Sit in on this exclusive screening and deep dive of Late Bloomer, the groundbreaking series from the creative mind of Jasmeet Raina (Jus Reign). Centred on Jasmeet Singh’s life, the show unpacks family expectations, intergenerational relationships, and racial identity in ways rarely seen on Canadian TV. We’ll screen Episode 1: “Nudes” and Episode 4: “The Turban”, offering a glimpse into Jasmeet’s complex journey as he navigates personal desires that go against familial pressures. Stick around to hear from the creative team about how Late Bloomer has landed in the community, and how it will continue to shape these conversations in real life.
Speaker: TBA
TUES NOV 17 • 10:00 AM • TIFF LIGHTBOX

CREATURA: A JOURNEY INTO THE UNFAMILIAR

This session will explore how these concepts manifest through stories of endangered traditions and reimagined realities. The documentary The Last of the Sea Women provides a vivid portrayal of South Korean fisherwomen preserving an ancient practice amidst modern developments. Meanwhile, Universal Language, set in a reimagined Canada where Farsi and French are official languages, presents a surreal world where societal norms are upended and loneliness is a common experience. Both films vividly embody the spirit of CREATURA by pushing the boundaries of human experience and challenging conventional perspectives.
Speakers: Iris Ng, Cinematographer (The Last of the Sea Women) and Ila Firouzabadi, Screenwriter (Universal Language)
WED, NOV 20 • 4:30 PM • YOUTUBE LIVE PANEL

SPACE CADET: BEHIND THE ANIMATION – WORK IN PROGRESS

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

Speakers: Director Eric San (Kid Koala), Head of Story and Production Designer Lillian Chan, Artistic Director Corinne Merrell and Producer, Les Films Outsiders Inc.
THU NOV 21 • 7.00 PM • HOT DOCS TED ROGERS CINEMA

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN PITCH? (Closing Night)

Join us for the live So You Think You Can Pitch competition at the 28th Reel Asian Film Festival! This is a fantastic opportunity to support emerging filmmakers as they showcase their projects to our distinguished jurors. Watch the five finalists compete for an incredible prize package to help launch or complete their films. Come cheer on the next generation of talent and get inspired by the future of Asian Canadian cinema!
SAT, NOV 23 • 5:00 PM • ANNEX THEATRE

Reel Asian 2024 Digital Programme Book here.

For more information, visit reelasian.com.

The Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival gratefully acknowledges the support of government partners Canada Council for the Arts, Telefilm Canada, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council, Province of Ontario, Ontario Trillium Foundation, Ontario Creates, and Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund; and the support of Premier Partners Crave and Warner Bros. Discovery Access Canada.

Featured Image: The Glassworker

Credit: Touchwood PR