13th MONTREAL ASIAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (formerly KOREAN FILM FESTIVAL CANADA)

Tangibility: Soil, Body, Stories 

Arts East-West Celebrates 30 Years with the Launch of MAiFF

Transforming the Korean Film Festival Canada into a New Bold Platform for Asian and Asian-Canadian Cinema 

This year marks 30 years since the Arts East-West journey began, and the first under its new motto, UNBOUND. Celebrating diverse Asian-Canadian voices through this year's theme Tangibility: Soil, Body, Stories, the festival's Opening Ceremony will showcase the best of Asian cinema with screenings of Min Sook Lee's award-winning There Are No Words (including an in-person Q&A with the director), Saekdong / Colour of Korea by Han Okhi, presented as part of a special retrospective honouring the pioneering figure of Asian women’s experimental cinema since the 1970s, and Red Star Alley, a short paper-cut animation by Jenny Yujia Shi.

There Are No Words | Official Trailer

Celebrating its 30th anniversary, Arts East-West proudly presents the 13th edition of the Montreal Asian International Film Festival (MAiFF), running from May 14 to June 13, 2026, across nine venues in Tiohtià:ke/Montréal. This landmark edition marks the official transformation of the Korean Film Festival Canada (KFFC) into MAiFF: a bold new platform launching during Asian Heritage Month, featuring more than 60 Asian arthouse films and events under the 2026–2027 theme Tangibility: Soil, Body, Stories. The festival presents three programming categories — KFFC, AmérAsia, and East Meets West — reflecting the organization’s 30-year commitment to Asian and Asian-Canadian arts. Films from Canada, China, Germany, Hong Kong, Iran, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Australia, the United States, and First Nations communities will be screened across Cinéma du Musée, Cinéma Moderne, Cinéma du Parc, Goethe-Institut Montreal, Ada X, Groupe Intervention Vidéo, Place Ville Marie, Korean Community Association of Montreal, and Providence St-Dominique.

OPENING NIGHT Thursday, May 14 - 5PM @ Cinéma du Musée

The Opening Ceremony will be hosted by singer-songwriter Big Daddy Queen Power and award-winning novelist Jinwoo Park (MAiFF's Director of Communications); it will also feature live performances by Big Daddy Queen Power and jazz pianist Anna Chowattanakul. The Opening Film Program includes three films: There Are No Words (2025), an award-winning documentary by Min Sook Lee, currently touring the international film festival circuit, followed by a Q&A with the director in attendance; Saekdong / Colour of Korea by Han Okhi, presented as part of a special retrospective honouring the pioneering figure of Asian women’s experimental cinema since the 1970s; and Red Star Alley, a short paper-cut animation by Jenny Yujia Shi. “It feels especially meaningful for my film to begin its journey at the 13th Montreal Asian International Film Festival, in a space committed to Asian and Asian-Canadian artists. Festivals like MAiFF create the conditions for our community’s stories to be held collectively, across generations and communities, and to be engaged with in their full complexity. I’m grateful to MAiFF for its long-standing commitment to artists and to building a space where diasporic voices can be seen and heard with care and intention.” – Min Sook Lee, Director of There Are No Words

FILM HIGHLIGHTS

Opening Film: May 14, 2026, 5:00 PM at Cinema du Musee There Are No Words (2025) by Min Sook Lee Quebec Premiere, Director in Attendance   MAiFF 2026’s official Opening Film is a bold and deeply personal documentary in which filmmaker Min Sook Lee searches for the truth behind her mother’s death by suicide, retracing her childhood between Toronto and Hwasun, South Korea. Moving through memory, testimony, and speculation, the film explores grief, trauma, and inherited history — a daughter’s attempt to give form to an enduring absence. Currently touring the international film festival circuit and garnering widespread critical acclaim. Special Congratulatory Film: May 14, 2026, 8:30 PM at Cinema du Musee Mr. Kim Goes to the Cinema (2025) by Kim Dong-ho Canadian Premiere   MAiFF is honoured to present a special screening celebrating Kim Dong-ho, founder of the Busan International Film Festival and a pivotal figure in Asian cinema. This is his third film, following one short drama and two feature documentaries. In this intimate documentary, Kim travels the world to reconnect with old friends, reflect on cinema’s past and future, and bear witness to a landscape in transformation. Featuring a remarkable gathering of the world’s most celebrated filmmakers and actors — Bong Joon-ho, Lee Chang-dong, Park Chan-wook, Hirokazu Kore-eda, Tsai Ming-liang, Johnnie To, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Brillante Mendoza, Garin Nugroho, Eric Khoo, Luc Besson, Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, and actors Tang Wei, Lee Jung-jae, and Jeon Do-yeon — the film is a rare and sweeping portrait of the artists who have shaped Asian and world cinema. Affectionately known in Korean and international cinema circles as 청년감독 (aka: Chungnyeon Gamdok) — the “young director” — Kim embodies a spirit of insightful curiosity and quiet humility that has defined his life in cinema, at 88 years old.   Closing Film: June 13, 2026, 6:00 PM at Cinema Moderne In the Sea of Strange Thoughts (2025) by Choi Jeongdan Canadian Premiere, Director in Attendance A 21-year chronicle of philosopher Kim Uchang examines his reflections on life and death alongside a life lived in strict alignment with his beliefs. As he remains tied to his family home and possessions, the film questions attachment, meaning, and whether he can complete his final book. The film world-premiered at the Busan International Film Festival in 2025, and most recently won two awards at the Moscow International Film Festival in April 2026. As Choi’s debut feature, it also competes in MAiFF’s Dancheong Competition for emerging filmmakers.

PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS

Canadian & Quebec Premieres Dad vs Bees by David Quach (2026, Australia/USA); The Golden Village by Karen Cho (2025, Canada), Broken Dawn by Hae-oh Park (2025, Korea),  Hitting the Noodles by Shelly Seo Bahng (2024, Canada), Only for a Day by Kyungbin Park (2026, Canada), Heading To the East by Lisa Ranran Hu (2025, China), Welcome Home Freckles by Park Huiju (2025, Korea), The Final Semester by LEE Ran-hee (2025, Korea), JET LAG IN SUMMER by YAN Kuao (2025, Hong Kong) and Loney and Havender by Claudia Tuyết Scheffel (2025, Germany-Vietnam).   Han Okhi Retrospective (in partnership with Asia Culture Centre) A rare and celebrated body of experimental work by a radical and pioneering Asian woman filmmaker, Han Okhi. Shot on celluloid in the 1970s, these films resist prevailing social norms around women, the body, and society. Han Okhi’s retrospective is currently touring the world stage — from Harvard University, the Jeonju International Film Festival, and the International Women’s Film Festival in Seoul, to an ongoing exhibition at the Asia Culture Center in Korea, the M+ Asian Avant-Garde Film Collection in Hong Kong, and now MAiFF in Montréal — just one day before its opening at Lincoln Center in New York. Five of Han Okhi’s works, all originally shot in 16mm and digitally archived at the Asia Culture Centre in Korea (ACC), will finally arrive in Montréal. Presented with the support of the ACC and Director Han Okhi.   Korean National Actor Ahn Sung-ki and His Women Actors (in partnership with Korean Film Archive) A tribute to one of Korean cinema’s most beloved actors, Ahn Sung-ki, who recently passed away. In his memory, the Korean Film Archive has made a special selection of films available for free online. This retrospective honours his legacy through the lens of the remarkable women actors he shared the screen with — from the recovery of Korean cinema in the 1980s through the Korean New Wave of the 1990s and into the Korean film renaissance. Spanning 16 representative feature films, it traces the arc of modern Korean cinema through Ahn Sung-ki’s collaborations with the most prominent Korean women actors of each era. In partnership with the Korean Film Archive, this curated programme invites audiences to experience these films through a fresh gaze — centring the women actors who defined each era. The full programme guide will be announced on May 15th. Since 2020, Arts East-West has taken the initiative to thematically reprogram the Korean Film Archive’s free online channel, helping film lovers around the world discover exceptional Korean classics and making this invaluable resource more accessible than ever.   3 Masters, Asian New Wave Cinema: PARK Kwang-su, IWAI Shunji, WONG Kar-wai  The late 1980s and 1990s marked a seismic shift across Asia — Korea moved from authoritarian censorship toward democratization, Hong Kong braced for its 1997 handover to China, and Japan gave rise to bold new cinematic voices. Through the lens of three defining directors, this curatorial programme revisits those sociopolitical upheavals and how they were reflected on screen. MAiFF presents three landmark films: PARK Kwang-su’s Chilsu and Mansu (1988) and To the Starry Island (1993) online, Days of Being Wild (1990) by WONG Kar-wai at Cinema du Parc, and Love Letter (1995) by IWAI Shunji at Cinéma Moderne.   Spotlight on Asian-Canadian Animations (with support of the NFB) MAIFF is presenting a spotlight on animations by Asian-Canadian artists, highlighting unique forms of animation and the stories that can only be told through this medium. Films include Sandra Desmazieres’ Comme un fleuve (Như một dòng sông), Anne Koizumi’s A Prairie Story, Cindy Mochizuki’s Submerge, and more. Presented with the support of the National Film Board of Canada. Intercultural and Intergenerational Dialogues (Montreal Korean Community in NDG and Providence Saint-Dominique) This year, MAiFF’s outreach project focuses on the Seniors Community, with free screenings and activities. Two locations were selected for 2026: the Montreal Korean Community Association’s Senior Group in NDG and Providence Saint-Dominique Residency in Mile-End. Under MAiFF’s mission of fostering diversity and making Asian art accessible for all, the festival expands connections between different cultural and generational groups through this initiative. *** For full program, schedule, and tickets, visit: www.artseastwest.ca/maiff/2026-films

DANCHEONG: COMPETITION

단청 (丹靑) — DANCHEONG is the ancient Korean art of painting wooden temples and palaces with vivid, intricate colours. Like these sacred patterns on ancient buildings, the DANCHEONG Competition honours emerging filmmakers painting bold new narratives in cinema. Dancheong has been Arts East-West’s representative mark for three years, and now takes its place as the name of MAiFF’s official competition. In its fourth consecutive year, MAiFF proudly presents the Grand Prize of Dancheong and seven Silk Thread awards — this edition presents a total of eight awards across short and feature films — recognizing exceptional emerging directors. Each of the eight selected films is already a prize recipient; the jury decides only which award each film will receive. The 8 films selected for the Dancheong Competition will be announced at the Opening Ceremony on May 14th. The winners will be revealed at the Closing Ceremony on June 13th. “In Montreal, a city defined by its diversity and vibrancy, initiatives like MAiFF remind us of the importance of connecting cultures, sharing stories, and embracing multiple viewpoints. Contemporary Asian cinema, with its visual power and sensitivity, allows us to explore the complexity of our society while fostering curiosity and openness to the world.” — Frédéric Loury, Director & Founder of Art Souterrain

WORKSHOPS & ACTIVITIES

Writing Workshop: Intercultural Flavours with Jinwoo Park and Veena Gokhale May 15, 2:00 - 5:00 PM, Ada X In collaboration with HTMLles festival of Ada X, this writing workshop is held for free at Ada X and celebrates multicultural exchange through the language of food. It includes readings from 2 award-winning Montreal-based authors, Jinwoo Park (Oxford Soju Club) and Veena Gokhale (Annapurna’s Bounty).   Media Arts Fee Schedule Workshop: MAiFF x IMAA x GIV May 19, 4:00 - 5:00 PM, GIV In collaboration with the Independent Media Arts Alliance (IMAA) and Groupe Intervention Video (GIV), this workshop is an information session on the 2026 fee schedule for media artists. Open to all artists and arts organizations.   Panel: Interconnecting Dialogues: Navigating Montreal’s Cross-Cultural Landscape June 12, 1:00 - 2:30 PM, Goethe-Institut Montreal A continuation of our first panel discussion series, which brought together Asian artists like Janet Lumb and Cheryl Sim, this panel will be moderated by Guy Rodgers. It will discuss pathways for bridging the gaps between generations and sectors in the arts, and building new bridges between cultural communities.  “What impresses me most about [Arts East-West] is the constant quest to evolve, to make new discoveries, and to include new partners. The focus is resolutely Asian, and the desire to showcase the work of Asian filmmakers is a constant. This vision is coupled with the goal of connecting Asian artists with new audiences, which may be encountering Asian culture for the first time, or in new ways. This ambitious program benefits everyone involved.” — Guy Rodgers, filmmaker, author of What We Choose to Forget

INVITED FILMMAKERS & GUESTS

Filmmakers Showcasing their Films at the 13th MAiFF Min Sook Lee, Toronto-based Director of There Are No Words - Opening Film CHOI Jeongdan, Seoul-based Director of In the Sea of Strange Thoughts- Closing Film Shanghoon, Toronto-based Director of The Master’s Tale: The Perfect Jib Bap Xiaodan He, Montreal-based Director of Montréal, Ma Belle  Karen Cho, Montreal-based Director of The Golden Village Alice Shin, Ontario-based Director of Landscapes of Home Elmira Laki, Montreal-based Director of Washed My Hands of It Writers, Moderators, and Panel Guests  Veena Gokhale - Author of Annapurna’s Bounty, presenting Writing Workshop at Ada X Jinwoo Park - Author of Oxford Soju Club, spokesperson and host for MAiFF Big Daddy Queen Power - Singer-Songwriter, Host and Performer at Opening Ceremony Guy Rodgers - Filmmaker and Writer, Moderator for “Interconnecting Dialogues”  Tatiana Braun - Curator at Goethe-Institut, Panelist for “Interconnecting Dialogues” And more artists to be announced!

VENUES

May 8: (Pre-Festival Event) Spotlight on Asian-Canadian Shorts at Place Ville Marie May 14: Opening Ceremony at Cinéma du Musée May 15, 19: Workshops at Ada X and GIV May 16, 22, 29, 30: Screenings at Cinéma du Parc June 8, 9, 12, 13: Screenings at Cinéma Moderne June 12, 13: Panel Discussion and Screenings at Goethe-Institut Montreal Free community screenings at the Korean Community Association of Montreal and Providence Saint-Dominique For more information visit the MAiFF ticket page