The festival
Founded in 1997 by producer Anita Lee and journalist Andrew Sun, Reel Asian is Canada’s largest and longest-running pan-Asian film festival, providing a public forum for Asian media artists and their work each November in Toronto.
Worth knowing
It was co-founded by producer Anita Lee and journalist Andrew Sun in 1997; the 2025 edition was its 29th.
How to attend
The public buys tickets and passes through the festival’s box office on its official website, with online and in-person ticketing each November.
Awards & submissions
Canada’s largest and longest-running pan-Asian film festival, Reel Asian was co-founded in 1997 by producer Anita Lee and journalist Andrew Sun to provide a public forum for Asian media artists and their work. Its programme spans features, documentaries and shorts by Asian Canadian and Asian diaspora creators, and the festival presents juried and audience awards along with talent-development and pitch initiatives supporting emerging filmmakers. The 2025 edition was its 29th. It takes place over several days each November at venues in downtown Toronto, with online and in-person ticketing through the festival’s box office. Filmmakers can find current submission windows and guidelines on the official Reel Asian website ahead of each edition.
Official site →Dates and programs change year to year — check the official site for the current edition.