The Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival is a unique showcase of contemporary Asian cinema and work from the Asian diaspora. As Canada’s largest Asian film festival, Reel Asian provides a public forum for Asian media artists and their work, and fuels the growing appreciation for Asian cinema in Canada.

To mark the 20th anniversary, Reel Asian's team wanted a stand-out visual to represent this important year for their festival. Aligning with the festival's ongoing objectives of balancing playfulness and approachability with sophistication and longevity, we created a custom paper lantern as a key element in our visual approach. Often associated with festivals, paper lanterns are seen throughout many Asian cultures. The glowing paper structures were also commonly hung outside of businesses to attract attention.

Reel Asian's custom lantern marries traditional craft with contemporary form. The illuminated twenty represents the continued legacy of the festival. The glowing object is also a celebratory beacon and, paired with the tagline, embodies the festival's role in illuminating real Asian culture, stories and artists through cinema and the organization's unique programming and events.

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