About – FascinAsian Film Festival

About FascinAsian

FascinAsian Film Festival is a culturally specific film festival based in the Prairie region of Canada. The festival, which began in Winnipeg in 2021, expanded to Calgary in 2022, then launched in Edmonton in 2025, celebrates Asian contributions to the film and media landscape and aims to showcase the talents of Asian-Canadian and Asian-American artists in film. We also hope to give local filmmakers and film professionals another place to connect with each other and gather as a community.

FascinAsian is inclusive and open to audiences of all backgrounds and looks forward to sharing these stories and experiences with all members of society.

FascinAsian is volunteer-run and depends on a combination of grants from public arts funders and contributions from corporate sponsors, as well as revenue generated from ticket and pass sales in order to operate.

Our Vision

FascinAsian Film Festival envisions a world where North American Asian storytellers, performers, and other film & media creatives have equal access to resources and opportunities to shape and enhance cultural understanding.

Our Mission

FascinAsian Film Festival (F3) is committed to promoting and celebrating Asian perspectives, culture and integrity in film and media. F3 works to foster understanding and appreciation of Asian arts and culture within the Canadian mosaic. F3 aims to highlight filmmakers, performers and other media arts creatives from the Asian diaspora. F3 strives to create programming that inspires, educates, and brings the community together in appreciation of the artform and its collective effort.

Our Goals

To share and highlight stories from the Asian diaspora and feature Asian talent from Canada and around the world.
To educate and inform audiences about the unique Asian-Canadian experience.
To offer unique opportunities for education and training in film and media.
To create an inclusive, safe and fun environment for Asian artists to share and celebrate their work.
To create meaningful dialogue about issues of equal opportunity and equity in the media arts.
To build bridges within the community through partnerships and collaboration.
To facilitate a multi-day festival of events, supporting these goals.
To operate an organization that will be fiscally and ethically responsible and sustainable.

Our Team

The FascinAsian Film Festival Board of Directors provides year‑round leadership, oversight, and strategic direction for the organization. Meeting monthly, the Board reviews financials, guides organizational operations, and makes key decisions that uphold the festival’s mandate to celebrate Asian perspectives in film and media. Board members also support Festival Teams across all cities, offering mentorship, continuity, and on‑the‑ground assistance during festival operations. Together, they ensure the organization remains sustainable, community-focused, and aligned with its long‑term vision.

Board members

Alan Wong (President)

Winnipeg Festival Director | Board Member

Gabby Moukhaiber

Programming Lead | Board Member

Iris Yudai

Board Member

Jessica Gibson

Board Member

Jié Yang

Secretary / Communications | Board Member

Judy Eng-Hum (Vice President)

Calgary Festival Director | Board Member

Justin Sugita

Board Member

Max Hum

Board Member

Ray Gee

Calgary Festival Co-Director | Board Member

Sean Nguyen

Treasurer | Board Member

Shawn Tse

Edmonton Festival Director | Board Member

Yenny Trinh

Board Member

Festival Teams in Calgary, Edmonton, and Winnipeg bring the FascinAsian Film Festival to life through hands‑on planning, curation, and community engagement. These volunteer-led teams coordinate programming, marketing, partnerships, logistics, and festival‑weekend operations, ensuring each city’s festival reflects local creativity while celebrating pan‑Asian storytelling. Through hundreds of hours of dedicated work, the teams curate films, organize events, and build welcoming spaces where artists and audiences can connect, learn, and celebrate Asian voices in film.

Meet our team members

Adnan Farooq

Web Developer

Adnan is a highly skilled IT specialist and web developer with extensive experience in creating dynamic, standards-compliant websites. Having managed end-to-end digital projects as a freelancer, he now brings his technical expertise to the University of Manitoba. In his current role, Adnan focuses on audio-visual technologies and XR (Extended Reality) innovation, where he develops experiential learning solutions for students, faculty, and staff.

Alan Wong (President)

Winnipeg Festival Director | Board Member

Alan Wong is an award-winning, multi-disciplinary performing artist and arts leader of Chinese heritage, born in Canada. Until recently, Alan was the Executive Director of the Gimli International Film Festival, Manitoba’s premier festival of film and media arts. Alan is also an advocate for equity and fair working conditions, and serves as the council President of ACTRA Manitoba, the local branch of the union for film and television performers.

Alex Wong

Graphic Designer

Alex Wong is a creative superhero with an artist’s eye and a programmer’s acuity. Alex has helped businesses large and small reach their marketing potential with creative direction, graphic design and web development. When not generating pixels or wrangling code, Alex enjoys fitness, science, technology and where they intersect with current events. Learn more at Creative Superhero.

Anthony Javier

Stunt Actor | Director

Anthony Javier is a local Filipino-Canadian Stunt actor and filmmaker best known for his independent action films, dynamic martial arts choreography, and fearless stunt work. Blending raw athleticism with cinematic storytelling, he crafts gritty, high-impact productions that showcase practical effects, precision combat, and relentless energy, earning recognition in the film community.

Beng Reyes Ong

Calgary Festival Coordinator

Beng Reyes Ong is a community connector, event alchemist, and program strategist who brings over 20 years of experience to the art of gathering. Whether she’s orchestrating large-scale festivals, hosting intercultural dialogues, or designing equity-driven programs, Beng infuses strategic leadership with deep cultural fluency and a love for shared stories—especially those told through food, art, and celebration. As a DEI strategist, program facilitator, and current Board Director with Filipinos Rising and Asian Heritage Foundation, Beng continues to advocate for inclusive spaces where heritage shines and communities thrive. She believes that storytelling is a powerful tool for connection, healing, and transformation. At FascinAsian, she’s thrilled to uplift Asian voices and help create experiences that linger long after the credits roll.

Caitlyn Kwong

Calgary Executive Team

Caitlyn Kwong is a fourth-generation Chinese Canadian working in the non-profit sector with a background in education and business. Passionate about equity, community engagement, and diverse representation, she is dedicated to uplifting underrepresented voices. As a volunteer with FascinAsian, she is excited to support the festival’s mission and celebrate Asian talent in media.

Chris Chan

Logistics & Volunteer Coordination

Chris is passionate about community organizing and building, and has a background in non-profits, computing, and bicycles. FascinAsian brings his love of community together with his love of Asian cinema.

Gabby Moukhaiber

Programming Lead | Board Member

At the heart of Gabby’s work is a simple truth: stories have the power to bring us together. Whether he’s helping a local production come to life at his company Alpacalypse Productions, or building something new from the ground up, Gabby is driven by a deep love for his city. By partnering with Shawn Tse to launch the Fascinasian Film Festival in Edmonton, Gabby helped plant the seeds for a vibrant new chapter in Pan-Asian storytelling. To him, the festival’s success is a testament to the power of a shared vision. He remains a tireless champion for a film culture in Edmonton and the prairies that is as diverse, welcoming, and vibrant as the people who live there.

Iris Yudai

Board Member

Iris is a Senior Advisor with Content Development for CBC News, where she spends most of her time helping creative teams lean into change. She’s an award-winning programmer with decades of experience in launching, refreshing and sustaining shows. You might have caught her name in the credits of shows like Now or Never, DNTO, Absolutely Manitoba and Recovering Filipino. She’s committed to championing underrepresented voices and mentoring the next generation of leaders and storytellers.

Jessica Gibson

Board Member

Jessica is a manager of programs and development at the National Screen Institute. Prior to that she spent the last decade building a successful career as a film and television producer and production manager.

Jessica Truong

Programming & Events

Jessica Truong’s (she/her) first memory of watching movies was when she was 5 year old singing along to The Little Mermaid at home, thinking her sister could hear her voice all the way from her school. When she realized that sound (especially her voice) doesn’t travel that far and her voice wasn’t the same as Ariel’s, she decided to focus her efforts into visual arts including mixed media paintings and storytelling. She loves consuming and sharing stories that help make the world a better place. You can find Jessica keeping memories and eating on @aspoonfordad or sharing more about her Vietnamese heritage at @chungta.cungnhau.

Jié Yang

Secretary / Communications | Board Member

A firm believer in the saying “life imitates art,” Jié devotes his efforts to uplifting the Asian diaspora through media and the arts. Blending technical skill with artistic vision, his career focuses on web design and digital media. Beyond his professional life, he’s an aspiring stand-up comedian and a board member of the Asian Heritage Society of Manitoba, where he also serves as event planner and “everything IT.” Jié is passionate about using storytelling, narrative, and humor to spark connection, provoke thought, inspire reflection, and celebrate authentic, diverse, and unapologetic expressions of Asian identity in media.

Joselito Angeles

Multimedia

Joselito II De Los Angeles is a professional musician and filmmaker, and co-founder of Intertwined Studios in Edmonton, Alberta. His portfolio includes work with Team Canada Hockey, Edmonton Oilers, Explore Edmonton to name a few. You can catch him working as a cinematographer, photographer and on stage as a pianist.

Joshua Lee

Logistics & Volunteer Coordination

Joshua Lee is the logistics and volunteer lead who keeps FascinAsian running with the smooth reliability of a well‑tuned engine and the focus of someone who has built a PC or two or ten. A longtime fan of the arts (and more than a few anime marathons), he brings calm coordination, community warmth, and a dash of nerdy enthusiasm to every screening. Whether he’s supporting volunteers or keeping festival flow on track, Joshua helps create a welcoming atmosphere where Asian stories and storytellers shine.

Judy Eng-Hum (Vice President)

Calgary Festival Director | Board Member

Judy is an active member of the Calgary community and supporting the arts by volunteering and encouraging others to get involved. She is an advocate for entrepreneurship and business mixed with her passion for advancing opportunities for youth and Asian talent. She is excited to support the mandate of FascinAsian as a board member and support the festival offerings in Calgary.

Julia Zhu

Calgary Executive Team

Julia Zhu is a CPA candidate and working as Accounting Professional for couple years. Beside her daily work, she’s also a dance instructor and tea event planner. She is honoured to have participated in various local cultural events such as Asian Heritage Festival and Folklorama. Culture sharing is where Julia’s passionate about. Joining FascinAisan Film Festival is one of the best things she experienced in Calgary.

Justin Sugita

Board Member

Justin Sugita is an IT professional and a passionate individual about multiculturalism in our growing society. While volunteering with the community since 2010, to help promote the art and cuisine of a wide range of cultures and events. Justin will be helping out with the team by sharing his passion with everyone.

Karen Allardice

Winnipeg Volunteer Coordinator

Karen Allardice is a project manager in tech for higher education who is passionate about giving back to her community. She has volunteered in the non-profit and public sectors for nearly 20 years. Karen currently sits on the board of Women in Communications and Technology (WCT) Manitoba as Vice Chair.

Kefira Mok

Calgary Executive Team

Kefira Mok (she/her) is a Calgary-born, Chinese-Canadian film & theatre actor and interdisciplinary artist based in Mohkinstsis, Treaty 7 Territory. Kefira holds authenticity & accurate representation of told stories at the forefront of her craft as a proud Asian Creative, and works to nurture the creative pursuits of fellow artists, both in her work in the performing arts and in digital media through advocacy of amplifying the voices of artists in the disabled community & BIPOC Creatives. She is excited to join the 2024 FascinAsian team in sharing these unique and needed stories with film lovers in Calgary.

Leo Kwan

Calgary Executive Team

Leo is a newcomer when it comes to film and arts but when the opportunity to join the amazing FascinAsian team came up, he couldn’t say no. As his second year supporting the festival, Leo looks forward to helping grow and improve the festival in any way he can!

Linda Hoang

National Marketing Director

Linda Hoang, also known as @lindork, is a leading social media strategist, popular Canadian blogger and content creator, and event organizer based in Edmonton, Alberta.

As a social media instructor and strategist with a journalism and television broadcasting background, she develops engaging, audience-focused strategies and content plans. As a blogger and content creator, she writes, films and photographs travel, food, lifestyle and family topics. Linda is also the founder of the Edmonton International Cat Festival, Chinatown Chow Down, Chúng Ta Cùng Nhau and Stop Race Based Hate.

She started working with FascinAsian Film Festival - Edmonton in its inaugural year, and began supporting all festival chapters in 2026. She also enjoys binge watching TV, movie night and napping.

Maria Mena

Multimedia & Marketing

Maria Mena is a film production enthusiast with a strong appreciation for diverse cultures and artistic expression. Drawing on her background in television broadcasting, she recognizes storytelling's profound ability to bridge communities and ignite meaningful conversations and transformations. Maria is honoured and thrilled to join the 2026 FascinAsian Film Festival – Edmonton team, where she looks forward to uplifting Pan-Asian stories and voices.

Max Hum

Board Member

Max developed a love for film, culture, and storytelling from a young age. At 14, he got his first DSLR camera, and despite all his initial photos being overexposed or blurry, he persevered. Through mastering ISO, shutter speed, and aperture, Max not only learned the technical aspects of photography but also discovered his passion for visual storytelling. Overcoming the early challenges with his camera, Max has grown to appreciate the nuanced interplay of light and timing in crafting compelling narratives. He is delighted to contribute to an initiative intended to shine a light on the rich narratives and beauty of Asian culture and cinema, enriching the cultural fabric of Calgary.

Ray Gee

Calgary Festival Co-Director | Board Member

Ray is a curious, adventurous free spirited engineer who has lived and worked around the globe and is constantly instilling a travel bug in his family and friends. He is an active volunteer and mentor in organizations supporting youth and immigrants. As a relationship builder, a connector, and an advocate for the underdog, his passion for teaching personal finance to the underserved keeps him busy. Ray is an active ACTRA Alberta member. When he’s not busy with his passion, he enjoys being on sets for background roles on different projects including most recently, The Last of Us, Heartland Season 16, and Fargo Season 5.

Rony Yoc

Volunteer Coordinator

Rony Yoc has over 5 years of experience in coordinating large scale music and film festivals. He is passionate about creating welcoming spaces where all volunteers feel they can contribute and elevate the experience of the attendees. Past experience includes Sled Island Music and Arts Festival and The Calgary International Film Festival.

Sean Nguyen

Treasurer | Board Member

Sean is a tax lawyer and Chartered Accountant at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP. He is an ardent supporter of local community initiatives and advocate for diverse voices and inclusivity in the professions. Sean also currently serves as Treasurer of the Federation of Canadian Lawyers Western Chapter.

Shawn Tse

Edmonton Festival Director | Board Member

Shawn Tse (he/him) is a ᐊᒥᐢᑿᒌᐚᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ (amiskwacîwâskahikan) / Edmonton based father, multi-disciplinary artist, educator, and organizer practicing primarily in film/video and theatre. He is passionate about art because it has opened up vital spaces for him to navigate cultural identity and BIPoC solidarity as a Cantonese Canadian settler.

Suzuanne Burwash

Programming & Box Office

Suzuanne is a seasoned illustrator, designer and printmaker. As an engaged community member, she supports cross-cultural connections through storytelling and film initiatives, including FascinAsian Edmonton and the Reel Chinatown project. She finds delight in small everyday things and enjoys biking and running and eating copious amounts of food. You can view her work at www.suzuanne.ca

Tommy Inthirath

Technical Coordinator

Tommy Inthirath is an award-winning Producer and Post-Production Editor based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. After receiving his Broadcast Media Diploma, Tommy began to dedicate his time in the film industry and online content creation. He is the co-founder and Technical Coordinator of FascinAsian Film Festival. A film festival dedicated to promoting and celebrating Asian perspectives, culture and integrity in film and media.

Tory Rosso

Social Media and Marketing Coordinator

Tory thrives on building meaningful connections and brings a work-hard, play-hard approach to marcomms. A Mount Royal University PR graduate with a marketing minor, he is also a touring musician and music educator with deep ties to the arts community. His work spans major festivals, cultural organizations, and PR firms across Canada.

Vicky Xingyu Gu

Calgary Executive Team

Vicky Xingyu Gu is a Chinese animator who explores narrative, documentary, and experimental forms of animation. Her works draw inspiration from cultural conflicts, emotional struggles, and societal issues, while experimenting with both digital and traditional media to create layered, hybrid, and provocative forms of storytelling. She has directed and produced several animated short films that have been screened at film festivals worldwide. Since relocating to Calgary, she has become an active participant in the local arts community.

Yenny Trinh

Board Member

Yenny is corporate commercial lawyer at Mercado Trinh Law LLP. She is a passionate leader in her community, and she believes in representation, equitable access, and inclusion. Over the years, Yenny has been a board member of various non-profit and charitable organizations in Winnipeg. She is presently the President of the Asian Heritage Society of Manitoba.