Congratulations to The Queen Seafood Cuisine on their Grand Opening, celebrated on September 9th! Located in the vibrant Don Mills area, The Queen is the newest destination for refined Chinese dining, proudly serving the Greater Toronto Area with a modern take on classic Cantonese cuisine.

Colin Farrell, Fala Chen, and director Edward Berger attended the Canadian premiere of Ballad of a Small Player 《小人物之歌》 at TIFF 2025. Set in the neon-lit world of Macau’s casinos, the film follows Lord Doyle (Farrell), a washed-up gambler offered a second chance by the enigmatic Dao Ming (Chen), while pursued by a relentless investigator (Tilda Swinton). Directed by Edward Berger (All Quiet on the Western Front), the film also stars Deanie Ip and Alex Jennings.

Shu Qi 舒淇 made her North American directorial debut with the world premiere of Girl at the Toronto International Film Festival on the afternoon of September 9, warmly welcomed by an enthusiastic crowd of loyal fans. Set in Taiwan in 1988, Girl follows the story of Hsiao-lee, a quiet and withdrawn teenager living under the weight of silent sorrow. Her world begins to shift after meeting Li-li, a vibrant, carefree classmate whose friendship rekindles long-suppressed dreams.

In its continuing showcase of bold and nuanced storytelling, TIFF 2025 highlights a diverse range of Asian cinema that grounds the personal in the political, and the poetic in the everyday. This latest selection of films brings together a quartet of distinct directorial voices from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Hungary, and China, each examining the quiet revolutions within private lives.

Produced by Renaissance Canadian Theatre in association with Tarragon Theatre, Bachelor Man unfolds an important historical era that resonates with the Chinese Canadian experience. As Artistic Director Andrew Moodie noted in his opening remarks, the company’s commitment to reviving overlooked works is meaningful, not only as preservation but also as a way to highlight narratives often absent from mainstream theatre. First premiered in 1987 at Theatre Passe Muraille, the play now returns to Tarragon, offering today’s audiences a rare opportunity to explore a chapter of history that many may not know.

In this first roundup, we look at five standout films: The Sun Rises on Us All, Palimpsest: The Story of a Name, Lucky Lu, Amoeba, and Girl, each distinct in tone and style, yet deeply connected by emotional resonance and cultural reflection. These stories span geographies and genres: from Guangzhou’s aching past to the immigrant realities of New York, from the haunting intimacy of family trauma to the rebellion of young women pushing against systemic constraint. Some films confront generational wounds or buried identities; others capture moments of quiet survival or poetic self-reinvention.