The FascinAsian Film Festival is a culturally specific film festival based in the Prairie region of Canada. The festival 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.
About FascinAsian
Film Festival
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.
Meet The Board
Alan Wong
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.
Judy Eng-Hum
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.
Jié Yang
Jié Yang has over 12 years combined experience in event planning, website design, and social media coordination with organizations such as the University of Manitoba Arts Student Council, Canadian Teochew Chinese Association of Manitoba, and the Asian Heritage Society of Manitoba. He is passionate about positive and diverse representation in media.
Maria Cristina
MC (Maria Cristina) de Natividad is an emerging filmmaker residing in Treaty 1 territory/Winnipeg. She has over a decade of digital storytelling experience which includes video production. Originally from the Philippines, de Natividad is interested in exploring the topics of lost and reclaimed culture and identity. Outside of filmmaking, she has worked in the financial institution industry since 2017 and has experience managing and overseeing large budgets.
Jessica Gibson
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.
Yenny Trinh
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.
Max Hum
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.
Justin Sugita
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.
Derrick Dao
Mr. Dao is CEO of Highrock Resources with significant international corporate development, M&A and capital markets experience in the natural resources sector.
He has been actively involved in the capital markets including the management of initial public offerings, asset acquisitions, divestitures and advisory on company mergers. Mr. Dao was previously founder and CEO of Algal Earth, an early stage carbon technology company which was acquired in 2023. He also served as the CEO of WealthGreen and has held positions on the investment banking team at J.P. Morgan and advisory teams at Rystad Energy and McDaniel. Mr. Dao is a Professional Engineer of Alberta and graduated from the University of Calgary.
Sean Nguyen
Sean is a corporate commercial lawyer and Chartered Accountant at Carscallen 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 Calgary Chapter.
Ray Gee
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.
Meet The Team
Alex Wong
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 creativesuperhero.ca.
Julia Zhu
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.
Leo Kwan
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!
Tommy Inthirath
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.
Cindy Ly
Cindy Ly (she/her) spends her days working in the Canadian publishing industry. Her love of books and stories began at a young age and has grown exponentially as she’s gotten older, as has her never-ending TBR pile. An advocate of greater diversity, equity, and inclusion, she volunteers her time uplifting and creating spaces for marginalized voices in the Canadian media landscape with her background in editorial, marketing, and project management. When she’s not reading, you’ll find her daydreaming of travel or food, usually both.
Kefira Mok
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 (:
Sylvie Croteau-Willard
Sylvie is a Third Culture Kid who grew up in Indonesia, and travelling the world. Early exposure to international cultures shaped her eclectic interests, passion for the arts, and understanding of how diversity enhances life. Sylvie has mindfully designed environments of belonging for over 15 years. With a background in event planning, project management and entrepreneurship, she is grateful to be able to contribute to Calgary’s cultural landscape. Sylvie serves on the Women in Leadership Foundation’s DEI Committee and is a feng shui enthusiast.
