Occurring on September 10, 2013 at the Shangri-La Hotel, Toronto will be the second Asian Film Summit which is held as part of the Toronto International Film Festival. The event explores the East-West relationship and among the industry experts will be actor-director Keanu Reeves, movie veteran Tatsumi “Tom” Yoda and Hong Kong director Johnnie To.
“The Asian Film Summit is the product of many years’ work and a natural outgrowth of the Festival’s role showcasing the best of global cinema,” stated Piers Handling, Director and CEO of TIFF. “Building on the momentum and excitement of our own recent Japanese and Chinese film retrospectives, and the global attention focused on the region, the Summit will continue to grow and develop. We’re looking forward to even more exchanges of the type that made the inaugural event such a success.”
The Summit will feature a Man of Tai Chi panel with director and star Keanu Reeves, producer Lemore Syvan and RADiUS-TWC co-president Tom Quinn discussing what is involved in bringing together an US-China co-production. Guests sharing their cultural experiences and views on global storytelling will be Michael Lake, CEO of Pinewood Iskandar Malaysia Studios, Reliance Big Pictures (Mumbai) CEO Sanjeev Lamba and Canadian producer Shan Tam (Finding Mr. Right). A one-on-one conversation will be conducted between Marco Mueller, producer and the Artistic Director of the Rome Film Festival, and director Johnnie To addressing international filmmaking and global audiences. Other panellists include influential Japanese film figure Tatsumi “Tom” Yoda and Canadian producer Niv Fichman (Blindness).
“The immediate future of the global film industry will be defined by its ability to bring East and West together,” stated Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of the Festival. “TIFF’s Asian Film Summit is our effort to aid that dialogue. This year’s Summit will offer practical opportunities for producers to meet counterparts from the other side of the world, as well as the chance to learn from industry leaders who’ve made pioneering strides towards bridge-building.”
The TIFF Industry Office will be selling a limited number of passes to industry professionals who are registered with the Festival. Visit tiff.net/industry for more details.
The 38th Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 5 to 15, 2013.