Festival runs November 9 to 18, 2017
Public tickets on sale on October 12 at reelasian.com.
“Given the significance of family within the Asian community, we feel that this year’s Opening and Closing Gala films will resonate strongly with Reel Asian audiences,” said Savine Wong, Interim Executive Director, Reel Asian. “Both of these films explore the joys and pains of familial relationships through two distinctly different filmmaking voices and we look forward to sharing them with festival goers.”
Opening Night Gala (November 9)
DEAR ETRANGER - Ontario Premiere
Director: Yukiko Mishima
Dear Etranger takes a hard look at a complicated family unit, headed by the 40-year-old Makoto Tanaka (Tadanobu Asano). A man with two families, Makoto tries to lead as ordinary a life as possible—he maintains a bond with his daughter from his first marriage, but he also tries to keep her away from his second wife, Nanae, and his two step daughters. When Nanae becomes pregnant, however, the fissures around the seemingly happy family begin to widen. And this news has come at the worst time—when career ruin, fatal disease, and other events befall Makoto’s kin.
Yukiko Mishima is expected to be in attendance for a Q&A.
Click on image below to watch the trailer.
Closing Night Gala (November 17)
STAND UP MAN - Toronto Premiere
Director: Aram Collier
Forced to move back to hometown Windsor, wannabe comedian Moses Kim finds his dreams derailed in his family restaurant. Life gets more complicated when Moses' teenage cousin from Korea unexpectedly shows up.
Aram Collier, Tony Lau, Daniel Jun, Deagun Daniel Lee and Rosalina Lee are expected to be in attendance for a Q&A.
Click on image below to watch the trailer.
Reel Asian celebrates 21 years of showcasing the best in contemporary Asian cinema, providing a public forum for Asian media artists and inciting the growing appreciation for Asian cinema in Canada. Tickets go on sale October 12 on reelasian.com.
This year’s festival programme will be announced at Reel Asian’s launch event on October 12, 2017.
