Reel Asian at 20: The past, present and future of Canada's largest Asian film festival

The Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival — Canada's largest Asian film event — is in the midst of celebrating a pretty major birthday: the big 2-0. 

Founded in 1997 by journalist Andrew Sun and producer Anita Lee, Reel Asian was initially a volunteer-run event spanning three days. Two decades later, the festival is a thriving 12 day marathon that attracts thousands of attendees and will present 77 films from around the world this year. Its current executive director is Louanne Chan, who joined the festival in 2009 as a volunteer.

As the festival commemorates 20 years, we got co-founder Sun and Chan together to interview each other about the past, present and future of Reel Asian.

Louanne Chan: Tell us about how and why you and Anita started Reel Asian 20 years ago. What was your role?

Andrew Sun: It was way back in 1996 that Anita approached me with this gem of an idea. The Asian arts community in Toronto was quite vibrant and exciting, with lots of people doing interesting things in different disciplines. But there wasn't an Asian film festival. There were film events in Toronto focused on everything else — docs, indies, experimental, gay/lesbian...but nothing Asian or Asian-American focused. I was a music writer at NOW Magazine then, but I actually began as a film reviewer, so the idea of doing something back in film was very enticing. Later that spring, Anita and I decided — along with another original associate Ann Chiu — to take a trip to the Chicago Asian American Film Festival. There, we met and hung out with (and got drunk with) a lot of cool Asian-American filmmakers and saw the passionate work they did, and that really sparked us into action.

I hope it becomes huge. I hope it grows big enough they have to turn down films because there are just too many Asian-Canadian talents to give priority to.- Reel Asian co-founder Andrew Sun on his hopes for the festival's future

LC: How have Asian films and the situation for Asian filmmakers changed since 1997?

AS: Let me say, I actually live in Hong Kong now so I am not sure I am the right person to comment on the scene in Canada or even North America — but there is certainly a lot more awareness of films from across Asia. It used to be we would just get an occasional project from Japan, but now Korea is thriving; Hong Kong has its distinct identity; the Mainland Chinese industry is exploding; even countries like Thailand and Vietnam are developing an artistic voice on the scene, if not as major commercial players. In terms of Asian North American films, there have always been people active and making good works but clearly the major commercial breakthroughs are still few and far in between. It's nice to see Justin Lin achieve the success he has — and I remember we got drunk with him in Chicago — but I also remember when Mina Shum's Double Happiness was supposed to lead a vanguard of Asian Canadian cinema. I am still kinda waiting for that to happen.

LC: What do you hope for Reel Asian in the next 20 years?

AS: I hope it becomes huge. I hope it grows big enough they have to turn down films because there are just too many Asian-Canadian talents to give priority to. I hope it develops branches of the festival in other Canadian cities. I hope they are inundated with so many sponsors, there won't need to be volunteers but we can afford to pay everyone handsomely. And if there's enough left over, they fly me back every year to attend.

LC: What is the most memorable film that RA screened for you?

AS: Actually, every aspect of those first couple of years was memorable even though it's also a blur to me because it was so hectic. I remember having to carry around cans of films to be screened because I was one of the only [people] with a car. Anita and I started with no money except a tiny, tiny government grant, but people really responded. I also recall a great master class we hosted with John Woo's producer Terence Chang, and that was inspiring because he was so approachable and said yes to us even though we were nobodies. It was a great time then. I'm sure it's a great time now.

Andrew Sun: How do you think Reel Asian fits into the Toronto and Canadian festival scene?

Louanne Chan: Reel Asian is 20 years strong and is now the largest and longest-running pan-Asian film festival. We have established ourselves as a well-organized and professional organization. We also have a reputation for creating a community for filmmakers to engage [with] and learn from each other and [for] Asian film fans to enjoy and create dialogue about the stories they see. With Asian films and Asian pop culture starting to make it to the mainstream, we are also becoming a more desirable event for audiences while maintaining our "niche-ness" as a place to see works you otherwise wouldn't see on the big screen. One thing that has remained constant is the need for increased diversity in the media arts — this was the case 20 years ago and has remained the reason for Reel Asian's existence today.

AS: What would you say is the audience for Reel Asian — in terms of age demographic, cultural identity and general variety?

LC: Our current audiences are 80% Asian, with most identifying as Chinese, Korean, Filipino, Indian and Japanese. When we are downtown Toronto, we are reaching a younger audience who are mostly second-generation Asian. When we are uptown (North York and Richmond Hill), our audiences are older and mostly first-generation Asian. The target audience we strive to reach are lovers of Asian cinema and people who are want to stay connected to their cultural heritage through Reel Asian. Whether audiences are Asian or non-Asian, the stories told in Reel Asian movies are universal and have human elements that can appeal to all.

AS: What's the best part of your day at the office?

LC: Sounds cheesy, but my best days are when we are able to help make someone's dreams come true — whether it's mentoring Asian youth to make their first film or giving a director the chance to premiere their work to a Toronto audience or bringing actors from Asia to meet their fans. I also love when a film screening sells out and, of course, when we secure a big sponsorship. Running a festival can be challenging but we balance it out with the good stuff too. Also, we are very good at celebrating our successes with cake. A lot of cake.

AS: You've been involved with Reel Asian for a while now, working your way up to executive director. How has it changed over the years?

LC: Many of Reel Asian's original founders and staff have stayed involved with the festival over the year, so we often hear stories similar to ones our parents would've told about "back in my day." When Reel Asian was first created, it was a small grassroots festival with a programming focus solely on presenting Asian North American work in downtown Toronto. The festival had limited resources and was run by all volunteers. Today, the festival is run by full-time year-round staff and spans 12 days across the GTA including downtown Toronto, North York and Richmond Hill. We show works from the Asian diaspora and international Asian titles from the East, Southeast and South Asian regions. I guess you can say we have grown up!

AS: What kind of direction would you like to take Reel Asian to?

LC: In honour of our 20th year, let's pretend we enter a time warp and visit Reel Asian 20 years from now. What would I hope to see? I hope that Reel Asian has become a household name the way that TIFF has. I hope that Reel Asian has continued to nurture emerging filmmakers and perhaps started a film fund to support these projects. I hope that all the Asian films and filmmakers will dream to have their work shown at Reel Asian. I hope that Reel Asian continues to be cool and becomes a part of mainstream culture.

Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival. Until November 19. Various locations, Toronto. www.reelasian.com