Ticketing FAQs

Online sales begin at 10:00 AM on October 7, 2019 through reelasian.com

• for shows at TIFF Bell Lightbox, online sales are powered by TIFF Ticketing & continue right up until showtime
• for shows at Isabel Bader Theatre, online sales are powered by TIFF Ticketing & continue until 5:00 PM on the day of the show. Buy in person at the venue starting an hour before showtime.
• for shows at Bachir-Yerex Presentation Space and CSI Annex, online sales are powered by EventBrite & end at 10:00 PM the night before the show. Buy in person at the venue after that.
• for shows at Innis Town Hall, admission is free but tickets must be reserved through the Asian Institute’s system: munkschool.utoronto.ca/events
• for shows at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre, tickets are available exclusively through our presentation partner: www.jccc.on.ca
• tickets & passes to the Reel Ideas Conference are available through reelasian.com (powered by EventBrite)

Tickets purchased online for shows at the TIFF Bell Lightbox or Isabel Bader Theatre can be picked up at the Festival Box Office 24 hours after purchase. For shows at the TIFF Bell Lightbox and Closing Night only, you may carry your e-tickets on your mobile device – please be sure to download your tickets (with a bar code) completely to your device. All tickets expire 15 minutes before scheduled show time, subject to the discretion of the festival.

Walk-up sales are available from the venue box offices as follows:

• for shows at TIFF Bell Lightbox, walk-up sales are available from the Festival Box Office right up until showtime
• for shows at Isabel Bader Theatre and CSI Annex, walk-up sales are available on the day of the show starting an hour before showtime
• for shows at Bachir-Yerex Presentation Space, walk-up sales are available on the day of the show starting at 9:30 AM
• for shows at Innis Town Hall, same-day tickets are subject to availability on a first-come, first-served basis starting an hour before show time
• for shows at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre, walk-up sales are available on the day of the show starting an hour before show time

• for sessions of the Reel Ideas Conference, same-day admissions are available at the door starting 15min before session’s scheduled start time, subject to capacity. A limited quantity of Day Passes may be available on the day of the conference from 9:00 AM to 9:30 AM only.

Reel Asian is a registered not-for-profit cultural organization that advocates for Asian representation through media arts. Become a member and be part of the Reel Asian family.

• FRIEND ($60) Want a taste of Reel Asian? Become a friend and get a pack of 4 complimentary tickets to festival screenings and year-round co-presentations, plus get a 25% discount on downtown festival tickets!
• SUPPORTER ($150) A seasoned festival goer and a film lover? Enjoy a package of 8 tickets to screenings, galas and Programmers’ Pick shows. On top of that, gain access to the member-only advance box office!
• PARTNER ($270) Share your membership with a friend, a family member or a significant other and get an even greater discount on tickets. Includes a pack of 14 complimentary tickets and a 40% discount on festival screenings.
• CHAMPION ($500) Unlock premium benefits including reserved seats at festival screenings and become a champion for the arts. Includes a pack of 26 festival tickets and a 40% discount on festival screenings.
• PATRON ($1000) Premium package of over 30 tickets at the festival, year-end donor report and a $480 partial tax receipt.

To sign up, visit reelasian.com/membership or the membership table at festival screenings and events.

Advance sales thru reelasian.com (whether powered by TIFF Ticketing or EventBrite) or sales made by phone with the Festival Box Office are subject to a service fee per item. Service fees are applied after any discount or promo code. In-person walk-up sales during the festival are exempt from all service fees. Service fees apply to tickets purchased by members. Taxes are included in the price of all tickets.

The festival does not offer refunds. Please be sure of your choices before completing your purchases.

For shows at the TIFF Bell Lightbox, tickets are on sale online (while supplies last) right up until showtime. For other downtown venues:

• At the Isabel Bader Theatre, tickets are on sale online (while supplies last) until 5:00 PM on the day of the show.
• At Bachir/Yerex Presentation Space, tickets are on sale online (while supplies last) until 10:00 PM the night before the show. No online sales on the day of these shows.

Screenings before 5PM are FREE for seniors (over age 65) and students (with valid ID), but you must get tickets from the box office for them. Screenings this year include:

• John Denver Trending (3:30PM, Fri 8 Nov)
• The Last Stitch (11:00AM, Sat 9 Nov)
• Turning Point (Shorts Programme – 1:15PM, Sat 9 Nov)
• Love Boat: Taiwan (3:45PM, Sat 9 Nov)
• Jeronimo (2:30PM, Sun 10 Nov)
• Womxn (Shorts Programme – 10:30AM, Mon 11 Nov)
• Spatial Awareness (Shorts Programme – 1:30PM, Mon 11 Nov)
• Drawn Closer (Shorts Programme – 10:30AM, Tue 12 Nov)
• Double Articulation (Shorts Programme – 1:30PM, Tue 12 Nov)
• Nine Courses (Shorts Programme – 10:30AM, Wed 13 Nov)
• Linger (Shorts Programme – 1:30PM, Wed 13 Nov)

Any kind of student – including post-secondary and mature students – with valid ID issued by their educational institution qualify. Seniors over age 65 do not have to present ID as it is an honour system.


Seating at Reel Asian is unassigned (open) – you may sit wherever you like; however, certain seats may be reserved by the festival for guests, sponsors, or other VIPs.


Please arrive no later than 20 minutes before the show’s scheduled start time. Ticketholders in the general admission line are admitted approximately 30 minutes before the programme begins. Latecomers arriving within the first 20 minutes of the show will be seated (subject to availability) at the festival’s discretion during a suitable break in the performance so as to minimize disturbance.

Unclaimed will-call is subject to being resold 15 minutes after the show has begun. At this time, or at the festival’s discretion at any time, the festival reserves the right to refuse to seat latecomers. The festival will not refund tickets to latecomers who have been refused entry, nor will latecomers whose will-call has been resold be entitled to any compensation.

No, but we strongly encourage parents with very young children to consider whether your children are likely to disturb or otherwise prevent fellow audience members from enjoying their festival experience. If you are planning to bring a babe-in-arms, please see a front-of-house representative when you arrive.  All other children aged 3yrs and over must be ticketed and sit in their own seats. Strollers must be vacated and may not block aisles or otherwise impair the operations of the theatre. Seats for patrons using wheelchairs may not be blocked or occupied by strollers.

Also, all festival audiences are subject to the restrictions of the Ontario Film Review Board (OFRB), which enforces the age restriction laws set out in the Theatres Act of Ontario.  All festival films have been rated by the OFRB and those ratings are clearly listed in the programme guide and online film synopses. There are absolutely no exceptions; neither festival nor venue staff will acquiesce to breaking the law to accommodate your children so please be sure the film you want to bring your children to is rated to permit them entry.

All our screening venues have spaces for patrons using wheelchairs; however, not all screening venues are fully accessible in all facilities.  Information about accessibility is listed in our programme guide and on our website, or you may contact access@reelasian.com for further details.  Patrons using wheelchairs must purchase tickets, but the festival may, upon request and at their discretion, extend a free ticket to an accompanying support person.  Please advise a front-of-house representative upon arrival to coordinate seating arrangements.