A Cultural Naming Initiative

As part of our ecological mission and commitment to decolonization, Arts East-West has launched "My Name's" – an initiative honouring the authentic pronunciation and presentation of names across all cultural traditions. This project aims to transcend the arbitrary borders of "East" and "West" by respecting the integrity of each individual's birth name and cultural naming conventions.

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Our Approach

In recognition of the diverse naming traditions across cultures, we are taking a meaningful step toward cultural equity by presenting each name according to its heritage tradition. This includes:

• Proper pronunciation of names as intended in their original language
• Cultural ordering that respects traditional family name placement
• Appropriate capitalization that follows cultural conventions

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Examples From Film

This naming movement has already gained traction in mainstream media and film festivals. We follow these practices:

• Korean filmmakers like HONG Sangsoo and JEONG Jae-eun: Family name capitalized and placed first
• Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-hsien: Following Chinese naming convention with family name first
• Thai director Apichatpong Weerasethakul: Given name followed by family name
• Chinese Quebecois filmmaker Xiaodan He: Given name followed by family name
• Korean Canadian director Anthony Shim: Given name followed by family name

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Our Vision

Arts East-West has a special focus on Asian Canadian, Asian Quebecois, Korean, and pan-Asian artists. Through this naming protocol that honours the particular conventions of artists in Asia and the diaspora, we aim to build bridges of understanding among creative communities across Canada, pan-Asia, and beyond.

We extend our gratitude to all members of our arts community who have embraced this naming protocol. This initiative will continue as part of the 12th Korean Film Festival Canada (KFFC) in 2025.

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