It is a great pleasure for Art Souterrain to partner with MAiFF and celebrate the richness of Asian and Asian-Canadian creativity together. This collaboration highlights how art and culture can bring communities closer. In Montreal, a city defined by its diversity and vibrancy, initiatives like MAiFF remind us of the importance of connecting cultures, sharing stories, and embracing multiple viewpoints. Contemporary Asian cinema, with its visual power and sensitivity, allows us to explore the complexity of our society while fostering curiosity and openness to the world. This partnership emphasizes the value of dialogue and exchange between different artistic and cultural communities—a cornerstone of creativity in a city like Montreal.

I’m honoured that There Are No Words has been selected as the Opening Film for the 13th Montreal Asian International Film Festival. It feels especially meaningful for the film to begin its journey here, in a space committed to Asian and Asian Canadian artists, where the work is not only screened but situated within a larger conversation about history, memory, and the conditions that shape our lives.

The film traces the afterlives of Cold War militarism as they continue to move through family relations, often in ways that are difficult to resolve. Festivals like MAiFF create the conditions for these stories to be held collectively, across generations and communities, and to be engaged within their full complexity. I’m grateful to the festival for its long-standing commitment to artists and to building a space where diasporic voices can be seen and heard with care and intention. I look forward to being part of this year’s edition and to the conversations that will emerge from it.

For over five decades, Groupe Intervention Vidéo (GIV) has been a center dedicated to the distribution and dissemination of independent video works created by women, in its most inclusive definition, with a sustained commitment to feminist practices and underrepresented voices. The Montreal Asian International Film Festival (MAIFF) shares this commitment to visibility by creating a space for encounter for Asian voices that reflects the diversity and complexity of contemporary experiences. As a site of intervention, GIV is grateful to present works from its collection within this festival context, where artistic practices engage with social, cultural, and political realities, contributing to the ongoing redefinition of identities. We extend our sincere gratitude to the artists, collaborators, and audiences whose presence sustains and nourishes this community, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration with the wonderful MAIFF team!

I have been following the work of Mi-Jeong Lee for several years and have found her efforts to raise the visibility of Asian arts and culture in Quebec impressive. Quebec is a complex society that is both welcoming and impenetrable. Achieving a true dialogue demands patience and persistence, qualities that Mi-Jeong has demonstrated in abundance since establishing Arts East-West in 1995. What impresses me most about Mi-Jeong and her young team is the constant quest to evolve, to make new discoveries, and to include new partners. The focus is resolutely Asian, and the desire to showcase the work of Asian filmmakers is a constant. This vision is coupled with the goal of connecting Asian artists with new audiences, which may be encountering Asian culture for the first time, or in new ways. This ambitious program benefits everyone involved. Welcome to the 2026 Festival. I wish you memorable artistic and human encounters.

On behalf of the English-Language Arts Network (ELAN), I’m honoured to welcome you to the 13th edition of the Montreal Asian International Film Festival. Building on the successes of previous years, this edition of the festival will offer audiences another year of bold and engaging programming and many opportunities for rich intercultural exchange. Through their engagement with the theme of tangibility and their exploration of identity anchored in tradition yet open to exchange, this year’s selection of films is sure to resonate with Montrealers and reflect the vibrant diversity that is their daily reality in the city.

It is a true honor to celebrate the transformation of the Korean Film Festival Canada into the Montreal Asian International Film Festival (MAiFF), marking an exciting new chapter that embraces a broader and more inclusive vision of Asian and Asian diasporic storytelling. Over the past 30 years, Arts East-West has played a vital role in creating space for diverse voices, and MAiFF continues this legacy by connecting artists and audiences across cultures, generations, and lived experiences.

I am especially grateful to be part of MAiFF 2026 with my documentary Landscapes of Home, a film that reflects on identity, belonging, and the meaning of home across borders. I hope the festival will serve as a meaningful platform where stories resonate deeply and spark conversations that extend beyond the screen. Congratulations on this milestone, and I look forward to the powerful stories and connections that will emerge from this year’s festival.

On behalf of McGill’s South Asian Studies Student Association (SASSA), I am beyond honoured and excited to give my support to the 13th edition of the Montreal Asian International Film Festival (MAIFF)! As a student organization that represents the scholarship of Asian history, culture, and diaspora, we realize the importance of events like MAIFF in providing a space to enjoy and appreciate Asian art. We truly appreciate MAIFF’s aim to create a festival that speaks to the vast and beautiful culture of Asia and are looking forward to the works that will be showcased this year. For students in particular, it is so necessary to uplift and encourage creativity at a time where art is needed more than ever. Film is so intrinsic to community expression and there is great value in the opportunity MAIFF is building for cultural exchanges. We want to extend our deepest gratitude to all of the artists and organizers who make spaces such as MAIFF possible. Thank you and enjoy the festival!