33 episodes

Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival presents “Backstory the Reel Asian podcast”, a podcast that highlights artists and issues relating to the Asian and Asian Canadian media landscape. Hosted by Aram Collier and Kelly Lui, the Reel Asian programming team is here to talk film, shop, and tea.

Uploaded monthly. Except when it isn’t.

Backstory is written and hosted by Aram Collier and Kelly Lui, and is produced by Seungwoo Baek.

Backstory Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival

    • TV & Film
    • 5.0 • 1 Rating

Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival presents “Backstory the Reel Asian podcast”, a podcast that highlights artists and issues relating to the Asian and Asian Canadian media landscape. Hosted by Aram Collier and Kelly Lui, the Reel Asian programming team is here to talk film, shop, and tea.

Uploaded monthly. Except when it isn’t.

Backstory is written and hosted by Aram Collier and Kelly Lui, and is produced by Seungwoo Baek.

    Backstory Live! Film and Facial Hair w/ Imran Khan and Nedda Sarshar

    Backstory Live! Film and Facial Hair w/ Imran Khan and Nedda Sarshar

    Recorded live at Reel Asian 27 in November 2023, Imran J. Khan, director of the feature film "Mustache" and Nedda Sarshar director of the short film "Unibrow" discuss filmmaking and facial hair while snacking on classic Canadian butter tarts. Reel Asian's own Samir Ballou is their guide.




    *please excuse our tech difficulties, so if you're watching on video, it'll be old school B&W...




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    • 16 min
    Backstory Live! Take the S-Express to DQ

    Backstory Live! Take the S-Express to DQ

    Recorded live at Reel Asian 27 in November 2023. Filmmakers from our S-Express showcase of Southeast Asian short films (try to) talk about film while tasting DQ (Dairy Queen) treats for the first time.



    Featuring Mickey Lai (dir. A Worm, Whatever Will Be, Will Be), the team from "Ms. Pontianak" Alina Wong JinKei (director), Raja Adam Iskandar (producer), and Sheldon Chong (editor Cruel), and Reel Asian's own Kelly Lui and Christine Vu.


    MS. PONTIANAK - IG: @ms.pontianak, @rajaadamisk,
    CRUEL - IG: @shel.dunnn
    A WORM... - Mickey - IG: @mickeylai23

    Minikino Film Festival Bali - @minifilmfestival




    *please excuse our tech difficulties, so if you're watching on video, it'll be old school B&W...


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    • 23 min
    Backstory Live! "The Golden Screen" w/ Jeff Yang ft. Madelyn Chung

    Backstory Live! "The Golden Screen" w/ Jeff Yang ft. Madelyn Chung

    Recorded live at Reel Asian 27 in November 2023, culture critic and author Jeff Yang discusses his new book "The Golden Screen: The Movies That Made Asian America" with Madelyn Chung, Founder and Editor in Chief at the RepresentAsian Project.



    In this episode they discuss the trajectories of Jeff's career tracking Asian American popular culture from early print magazines to the rise of a new generation of Asian American mainstream films.



    Look to buy "The Golden Screen: The Movies That Made Asian America" anywhere you buy books!



    Jeff Yang

    @originalspin



    Madelyn Chung, RepresentAsian Project

    @representasianproject




    *please excuse our tech difficulties, so if you're watching on video, it'll be old school B&W...



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    • 1 hr 16 min
    Backstory Live! BIG FIGHT IN LITTLE CHINATOWN ft. Karen Cho and Friends of Chinatown TO

    Backstory Live! BIG FIGHT IN LITTLE CHINATOWN ft. Karen Cho and Friends of Chinatown TO

    RA26 Film BIG FIGHT IN LITTLE CHINATOWN director Karen Cho sits down with RA programmer Vidhya Elango and Friends of Chinatown TO member Alex Hong to discuss the film's sprawling but intimate look at Chinatowns across North America. Karen, Alex, and Vidhya expand on joy and struggle and how these Chinatowns hold a special place in our cities and communities.

    In the second half, Karen, Alex, and Vidhya collaborate to scarf down some cheung fun/rice rolls in our "Come Eat With Me" segment.


    For more information about Friends of Chinatown Toronto and the Toronto Chinatown Land Trust go to https://www.instagram.com/friendsofchinatownto/ and https://bit.ly/TCLTLaunch


    This episode uses or mentions the following multimedia samples and sources:


    “Mulholland”, King Canyon
    "Keep On Movin'", King Canyon

    Edited by Aram Collier

    Recorded and live mixed by Joseph Chung




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    • 56 min
    Food for Thought with Jasmine Gui

    Food for Thought with Jasmine Gui

    Backstory returns after a post-festival hiatus to usher in the launch of the fourth edition of TACLA’s Youth Critics Initiative (YCI), an annual incubator that guides emerging writers over the course of six months to produce critical works in a variety of formats in conversation with Reel Asian’s festival programming. Recorded in October during preparation for the 26th edition of the festival and fourth edition of YCI, co-editor Jasmine Gui joins Kelly and Aram to chew on all things critical and reflect on the program’s evolution over the years.

    On the menu: hamster facts, authorizing oneself and the process of scrutiny, what to do with absence and erasure, the origins of haterism, and why you should be on Team Rice.

    Links: 


    “Critique as Care” by Mayanthi Fernando, discussed at 9:50: https://read.dukeupress.edu/critical-times/article/2/1/13/139235/Critique-as-Care


    YCI IV Editors’ Letter by Jasmine Gui and Grayson Lee: https://medium.com/taclanese/yci-iv-letter-from-the-editors-6dc06ff5e15a




    Find all the YCI pieces in Taclanese: https://medium.com/taclanese


    For more on TACLA: https://tacla.ca/ 


    For more on Reel Asian’s special projects: https://rarara.ca 


    Anthologies mentioned: “(re)Rites of Passages: Asian Canada in Motion”— https://www.reelasian.com/store/rites-of-passage-asian-canada-in-motion-anthology/ and “Reel Asian: Asian Canada on Screen”—https://www.reelasian.com/store/reel-asian-asian-canada-on-screen/


    For more on Reel Asian’s special projects: https://rarara.ca 



    This episode uses the following samples and sources:


    “Lost the way”, Horthy Kristóf


    “Say Good Night”, Joakim Karud  


    “Morpho Diana”, Rachel Collier




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    • 47 min
    RA26: Romeo Candido Artist Talk w/ Amanda Parris

    RA26: Romeo Candido Artist Talk w/ Amanda Parris

    To celebrate the launch of his inaugural Kalabaw Bursary for Filipinx filmmakers, long time filmmaker, musician, and do-it-all maestro Romeo Candido reflects on his career in this candid conversation with the also-super-talented writer/producer Amanda Parris. The conversation was recorded prior to the 2022 Reel Asian Film Festival where Romeo was honoured as the festival's Canadian Spotlight Artist. Romeo talks about the old days that weren't so good, how BIPOC film communities supported him when nobody else did, his creative approaches to film and TV writing and show-running, and what he hopes for the future.



    More information on the Kalabaw Bursary guidelines and deadlines.



    Episode recorded live by Joseph Chung and Jennifer Su

    Edited by Haaris Qadri






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    • 48 min

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