Named this year’s “best small festival” by NOW Magazine, The 7th Annual Toronto Reel Asian Film Festival delivers touching, thought-provoking, funny, and beautiful films that do not normally receive wide circulation in Canadian theatres.
This year, the Reel Asian Film Festival received 80 percent more submissions than the previous year, reports the festival’s creative director Jane Kim, and it’s evident in the calibre of the films and filmmakers involved. Among this year’s lineup is a strong showing from U of T student and alumni films.
The festival opens with a screening of the soulful sci-fi film Robot Stories, written and directed by Greg Pak. Robot Stories, which has received numerous awards (including Best Film Award at the San Francisco Korean American Media Arts Festival), contains four vignette narratives that examine our society’s growing integration with technology. From utopian visions of eternal bliss through virtual reality to robot problem children, Pak juxtaposes the cool rationality of society with the compassion of machines.
Also being screened on opening night is the short film Star by renowned filmmaker, artist, and U of T alumni Helen Lee. This stylish and playful piece creates the magic mood of a child’s imagination.
Another film directed by U of T filmmakers at Reel Asian is the short film Swim With Me by Iona Ng, Eva Yao Shan, and Liz Lee. This film, which screens tomorrow (Nov. 28) was made as part of their involvement with Asian AIDS Community Services and Trinity Square Video and is intended to help spread HIV and AIDS awareness among Chinese-Canadian youth.
Two short films by U of T student Samuel Chow, who will receive the Emerging Artist Award at this year’s festival, are another highlight of the festival. Banana Boy and Auditions To Be the Next Canadian are both reflections of the intersecting identities of a gay first-generation Chinese-Canadian. Having immigrated to Canada at the age of nine, Chow is influenced by both Canadian and Chinese culture, yet his films indicate that he is not fully accepted by either.
Aside from the U of T contingent, other notable films include The Game of Their Lives, a must-see documentary directed by Daniel Gordon about the North Korean soccer team that shocked the world at the 1966 World Cup soccer championships when they defeated the Italians. During a time when Communist countries were not welcome in the World Cup, the charismatic North Korean team managed to capture the hearts and support of soccer fans worldwide. This exciting and well-made film documents the fascinating political climate of North Korea during the Cold War through the incredible story of these dedicated athletes.
Reel Asian also puts an emphasis on short films with the 1:99 series-made in response to the effect of SARS on Hong Kong, the title 1:99 comes from the recommended ratio of bleach to water in anti-SARS cleaning solution, and these films were intended to help raise the spirits of those affected by the SARS epidemic. One of these 11 one-minute films will be shown at the beginning of each programme throughout the festival.
The Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival runs at Innis College Town Hall, Bloor Cinema, The Royal, and the NFB Mediatheque from Nov. 26-30. All screenings are $8 at the door. For screening schedules and more info, visit www.reelasian.com.
