Backstory

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.

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.

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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.

RA26 Film UNIDENTIFIED finds Jude Chun unraveling some of the mysteries behind his indie sci-fi feature, trojan horses in genre films, his round about journey to filmmaking, and how to plan and execute a globe-trotting set piece finale.

In the second half, Jude joins Aram for "Come Eat With Me" where Jude is reminded of a Toronto specialty of days past. 

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RA26 Centrepiece Film THE GRIZZLIE TRUTH continues Kat Jayme's quixotic quest to keep the memory of the Vancouver Grizzlies alive. Reel Asian's Aram Siu Wai Collier is joined by Kat to get behind the scenes on the making of the film, the many characters met in her journeys (including "Swole Bibby"), her NBA analog, and possibly the quickest answer to our carb questionnaire. ***Conversation contains spoilers***

In the second half, Kat joins Aram for "Come Eat With Me" where Kat dishes over some dishes of tenuously related Grizzlie (and Raptors) snacks. 

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RA26 Opening Night Film RICEBOY SLEEPS has been collecting awards on the festival circuit. Reel Asian's Aram is joined by writer/director Anthony Shim and lead actress Seung-yoon Choi to get behind the scenes on the making of the film, their inspirations, their guilty pleasures, and the eternal battle of whether rice is superior to noodles. 

Anthony and Seung-yoon are the first Backstory guests to engage in a new segment called "Come Eat With Me" where our guests and host share a meal and talk shop with their mouths full, family style. 

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Trick or treat? Kelly and Aram review each other’s favourite and most-loathed nostalgic Halloween candies, after sharing their memorable horror film watching experiences. Plus, some ASMR.

Happy Halloween from the Backspooky team!

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Backstory hits up the west coast on this edition of the Road Trip series, joining Brian Hu, Artistic Director of San Diego Asian Film Festival, to discuss the long history of Asian American cinema, the importance of film criticism in a world of takes, and the future of Asian American filmmaking beyond Hollywood.

Aram introduces Kelly to a quintessential Asian diaspora fast food meal. Plus, a preview of what’s to come on Backstory (more mukbang?).

Kelly and Aram are back with another highly curated (and definitely not algorithmic) selection of k-pop tracks for the summer. Recommended for finding yourself (and discovering your inner bad boy) on a late night drive.

Emerging from our winter and covid lockdowns, we take an audio road trip to visit with film festival friends along the East Coast. We talk about the joys and challenges of our respective cities and festivals and detail the intricacies of how the (festival) sausage gets made.

Road Trip pt. 2 features Melissa Bisagni, Festival Director at the Washington DC Asian Pacific American Film Festival.

Emerging from our winter and covid lockdowns, we take an audio road trip to visit with film festival friends along the East Coast. We talk about the joys and challenges of our respective cities and festivals and detail the intricacies of how the (festival) sausage gets made.

Road Trip pt. 1 features Selena Yip, Festival Director at the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival.

Grayson returns to help Jen host this special Asian Media Year In Review trivia episode, with Kelly and Aram battling it out to defend their carbohydrate of choice. Happy New Year from the Backstory team!

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Aram and Kelly are joined by Tony, Althea, Ammar, Jen, and Ange to celebrate 10 years of Unsung Voices, Reel Asian’s annual summer workshop for first-time filmmakers. They reminisce over the untold challenges behind their first films, before being put to the test in a round of Unsung Voices trivia. Tune in to the very end to hear more Unsung Voices filmmakers share their favourite memories.

Kelly walks Aram through his first (and perhaps last?) watch of CRASH LANDING ON YOU, 2019’s love story of the year (arguably). Will his love for the show crash and burn, or paraglide and land on his summer heart?

This episode includes spoilers to the show CRASH LANDING ON YOU (2019). If you liked the format, please do check out Too Long; Didn’t Watch (@tldwpod on Twitter), whose podcast gave us the inspiration for this episode.

Content Warning: minor swearing

It has been a year, and so many things have happened between then and now. In this episode, Aram and Kelly talk to filmmakers and programmers who continued to create art through the past year.

Aram and Kelly talk with Franco about the new season of the sketch comedy show TALLBOYZ and the serious business of being funny.

You can find Franco on Instagram and Twitter @francowins, and you can watch the second season of TallBoyz for free on CBC Gem.

Aram and Kelly (and Seungwoo) talk about MINARI (2020) and give their earnest first reacts.

A new year is upon us. We are back and so is Karate Kid. Aram and Seungwoo talk about how they ushered in their new years, and why Cobra Kai was a part of the good beginning.

Content Warning: minor swearing.

At the end of a momentous year, Kelly and Aram take a moment to reflect on what 2020 meant for the Reel Asian Film Festival and bring along some friends for the ride. First, guests Mimi Vuong and Josephine Cruz, the digital producers behind the scenes of Reel Asian’s digital festival. Meanwhile, we searched the farthest reaches of the globe to get an audience member’s perspective from superfan James Goh. In our last segment, Kelly and Aram share their own thoughts on what got them through the year and the carb questionnaire.

Content Warning: mild swearing

In preparation for his summer movie showdown last month, Aram had trained for weeks on end. He’s visited every local waterfall to train under, sparred with burning logs and smouldering bbq pits, and reached out to his closest confidants about their secret takes on Karate Kid II. In this episode, Aram shares with Backstory podcast the conversations he’s had with his friends and loved ones about their shared nostalgia and memories of Karate Kid II.

Content Warning: mild swearing

Aram and Kelly share their summer movie picks with each other. What starts out as a congenial display of friendship and shared love for the cinema devolves into a thunderdome-styled fight to the bitter end of their friendship in defense of their honour and film tastes.

Content Warning: horror, violence on screen, gore, decapitation, body mutilation, nudity, death

In celebration of Asian Heritage Month, Aram and Kelly take a trip down memory lane(s) to reconnect with friends of the festival. They talk with Chris Chin, festival and operations manager for Reel Asian, about the festival's latest archival campaign "#untiltomorrow", which bring together works featured at past Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival.

Content Warning: light swearing

We continue on our conversation with Albert Shin and Gloria Ui Young Kim, delving deeper into the themes of creative distance and formative films. Albert and Gloria interview each other and become the first ever guests to make the gauntlet run of “7 RA Questions”.

In this inaugural episode, Aram and Kelly host Albert Shin (Disappearance at Clifton Hill) and Gloria Ui Young Kim (Queen of the Morning Calm) to talk about their respective works. Albert and Gloria interview each other and become the first ever guests to make the gauntlet run of “7 RA Questions”.

This is where our story begins. 

We will be here last Thursday of every month, with a few exceptions.