The 2008 Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival will celebrate its 12th
year as Canada’s longest-running showcase of contemporary cinema by East Asian moviemakers from around
the world, including Canada! Reel Asian fosters the exchange of cultural and artistic ideals between East and
West and is a community-based festival that attracts thousands of attendees to five frenetic days of screenings,
industry panels, workshops, receptions and galas.
The official 2008 selection of Reel Asian will present a diverse selection of the best movies from 14 countries
Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore/Cambodia, the Philippines, Vietnam, USA
and Canada, and includes fifty-six premieres, (14 World premieres, 4 North American Premieres, 17 Canadian
Premieres, 19 Toronto Premieres, 2 Mississauga Premieres). The highlights include: Opening Night Gala,
Closing Night Gala, Canadian Spotlight, Centerpiece Presentation, Retrospective, Special Presentations,
Industry series, Features, Documentaries, Shorts and Special Events.

Opening Night Gala: THE DRUMMER (Toronto Premiere) – by Canadian-educated Hong Kong-based director
Kenneth Bi stars Jaycee Chan (son of action star Jackie Chan) in a part action, part spiritual drama about the
rebellious son of a Hong Kong gangster who discovers enlightenment through the mesmerizing power of Zen
drummers.

Closing Night Gala: ADRIFT IN TOKYO (Toronto Premiere) – An absurd Japanese comedy about Takemura, a
wild-haired loser who finds himself taking a curiously funny walk across Tokyo with a debt collector.

Canadian Spotlight: PAUL WONG REMASTERED (Toronto Premiere) – Known for his tough engagement with
sex, drugs and death, Wong presents remastered versions of his most groundbreaking performances and
premieres new videos that resonate with a similar sense of raw humanity. The Canadian Spotlight also includes
a pre-festival artist talk and exhibition at the University of Toronto Mississauga Blackwood Gallery and
retrospective screening of ORDINARY SHADOWS. CHINESE SHADE.

Centerpiece Presentation: WEST 32ND (Toronto Premiere) – When a 14-year-old is accused of murder, an
ambitious young lawyer, John Kim (John Cho of HAROLD AND KUMAR GO TO WHITE CASTLE), takes on the
controversial case and dives headlong into the underworld of New York’s Koreatown. Director Michael Kang in
attendance.

Retrospective: CINEMASIA – Two astute social satires, MONDAY (Canadian Premiere) and THE BLESSING
BELL (Canadian premiere) by award-winning Japanese director Sabu, are part of a retrospective focus in
collaboration with the University of Toronto’s Asian Institute.

Special Presentation: EMPTY ORCHESTRA – Reel Asian’s first grand multimedia project is a two-part creative
project inspired by karaoke in collaboration with Gendai Gallery. It includes an exhibition with five full-scale
self-contained karaoke rooms at the Justina M. Barnicke Gallery, Hart House and one night only of live vocal
performances to newly commissioned videos by Canadian video artists at the Rivoli.

Toronto Reel Asian Film Festival