Event Details

The Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival is a unique showcase of contemporary Asian cinema and work from the Asian diaspora. Works include films and videos by East, South and Southeast Asian artist in Canada, the U.S., Asia and all over the world. As Canada's largest 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.

Founded in 1997 by producer Anita Lee and journalist Andrew Sun, this non-profit community-based festival has grown into an eagerly anticipated annual event that attracts thousands of attendees to 6 exciting days of galas, screenings, forums, workshops and parties.

This application is for the "30th edition of Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival”, taking place November 11 to 21, 2026, in Toronto. In 2026, the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival will celebrate its 30th anniversary with two significant new programming initiatives - the XR (Extended Reality) Showcase and RA:X Constellations—alongside a full-scale 30th anniversary brand refresh. This milestone year represents a major expansion of the Festival’s programming model, international partnerships, and industry engagement capacity. Programming includes: (1) XR Showcase – Immersive Media Industry Platform: The XR Showcase is a new curated program dedicated to virtual, augmented, and immersive media works from Canadian and international creators. Programming will take place at the 401 Richmond Building’s Bashir Yerex in The Commons, home of Reel Asian’s offices, plus various OCAD University venues (pending confirmation). Activities include curated exhibitions, industry pitch sessions, closed-door development labs, and networking events that advance projects toward commercialization and distribution; (2) RA:X Constellations – Archive, Legacy & Community Activation: RA:X Constellations activates the Festival’s 30-year archival legacy through multidisciplinary, participatory programming at The Commons (401 Richmond). Two Asian Canadian artist-archivists-in-residence will develop multimedia installations responding to archival materials, offering daily public engagement throughout the Festival. A participatory stop-motion film project invites contributions from audiences, artists, and stakeholders. Participants will create storyboard panels reflecting collective memory and growth, culminating in a final film premiered at the Festival’s closing event and released digitally with an original score by an Asian Canadian musician; and (3) Opening Weekend: 30th anniversary launch. (4) Closing Weekend: XR industry wrap sessions, stop-motion film premiere, and anniversary closing celebration.