TORONTO, ON – ACTRA Toronto has launched the Asian Performers Showcase as part of a revamped Diversity Showcase website (diversityshowcase.ca).
Presented by ACTRA Toronto in partnership with Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival (TRAIFF) and in collaboration with the Casting Directors Society of Canada (CDC), the Asian Performers Showcase features a curated catalogue of 14 established and up-and-coming ACTRA Toronto Performers from pan-Asian communities and who self-identify as Asian. Performers’ profiles include a biography, self-tape, demo reel and contact information.
New this year, Showcase participants were unveiled at a live event at the TIFF Lightbox on May 17. Supported by TIFF, the live event opened with a discussion with ACTRA Toronto members Andrew Phung (Kim’s Convenience, Run the Burbs) and Jasmeet Raina (Late Bloomer), moderated by Deanna Wong (executive director, TRAIFF), about the importance of Asian representation in the film, television and digital media sector.
“All Canadians deserve the opportunity to see themselves represented onscreen and this starts with authentic casting in the telling of authentic stories,” says ACTRA Toronto President David Gale. “As we always say, you can cast the world in Toronto, and ACTRA Toronto’s Asian Performers Showcase will help cultivate Asian representation on screen.”
“ACTRA Toronto remains committed to dismantling barriers and biases in the industry, but we cannot do this work alone,” says Luisa Alvarez Restrepo, Manager, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging. “I’m grateful to our partners and supporters that made this edition of the ACTRA Toronto Diversity Showcase possible, and call on other industry stakeholders to work together to create much-needed change.
“We applaud ACTRA Toronto and the Asian Performer Showcase for not only spotlighting Asian talent but also challenging the roles Asian performers are expected to play. We encourage the industry to hire authentically and meaningfully, creating the opportunity for Asian performers to help shape the narratives on our screens,” says Deanna Wong, Executive Director, Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival.
The Casting Directors Society of Canada: “Through decades of collaboration, the CDC and ACTRA have helped to shape the Canadian entertainment industry. Together, we’ve navigated challenges, championed diversity, and elevated standards. We look forward to this continued collaboration.”
ACTRA Toronto gratefully acknowledges the partnership with the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival and collaboration with the Casting Directors Society of Canada in the creation of the Asian Performers Showcase.
Plans for additional Showcases featuring ACTRA Toronto Performers from other communities are underway.
