Written by Christine Vu
Photography Courtesy of Reel Asian Film Festival

The Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival’s UNSUNG VOICES Summer Youth Video Production Workshop exists to provide young Asian Canadians who have a keen interest in film the necessary skills to express themselves as artists, learn from professionals in the field, and produce a distinctly Asian Canadian story on screen. Select youth, who may otherwise not have had the opportunity to engage in filmmaking, are provided the means for producing their own film in any genre (fiction, documentary, experimental). Each work is produced with fellow workshop participants and within the local Toronto filmmaking community. The entire collection of films then receive a world premiere at the 24th Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival in November 2020.

The summer-long program was started in 2012 by Aram Collier, a programmer at the time (now the acting head of programming at Reel Asian), and his creative partner Tony Lau because they wanted to give members within the Asian diaspora the opportunity to tell their stories through the powerful medium of film. Many participants of the program were not involved in film but always had a desire to pursue filmmaking and Unsung Voices provided an outlet for people to explore their creative side and formally make a switch in their education or career. Unsung is a critical jumping off point for many.

“Tony and I are so amazed at how this program has grown beyond what we could have imagined but yet still remain close to its original mandate,” said Collier. “My favourite moment this last year came when one of our participants told me that she hated editing. A couple of weeks later she came in to our session for the day and said ‘I don’t hate editing anymore...I kinda like it.’”

Participants of the program have gone on to win awards for their Unsung Voices short film and continued to forge a career in film including Simu Liu (Kim's Convenience, Marvel's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) and featured actors like Chase Tang (Jupiter Rising). Liu first participated as an actor of an Unsung short in the programs inaugural year of 2012 and then became an official Unsung participant the following year in 2013, creating and starring in his own short film. For Tang, his first acting gig came from starring in an Unsung short film in 2018. 

Unsung is completely tuition-free and funded through money raised at Reel Asian's Annual Lunar New Year Banquet. This year, it will be held at a new venue, Pearl Harbourfront, on the evening of February 27. Join host Andrew Phung of Kim's Convenience for a 12-course meal and silent auction in support of Reel Asian and their efforts in providing resources and opportunities for the Asian filmmaking community and filmgoers alike.

 Tickets are available at reelasian.com/lnyfundraiser