ICYMI This Is What Happened at Asian Media Access
On April 9th, the Transmedia Zone hosted the very first Asian Media Access event at the Student Learning Centre, where students were able to interact with the leading Asian Media organizations in Toronto. Representatives from Reel Asian International Film Festival, OMNI TV, and BIPOC TV & Film, as well as companies from the Transmedia Zone, InnerGenerational and The Artist's Journey, chatted with students all day and even shared some unique programs, like scholarships, workshops, and volunteering opportunities, that are coming up very soon. So here's what you missed at Asian Media Access!
Special Guests: OMNI TV, Reel Asian International Film Festival, and BIPOC TV& Film
OMNI TV brought a huge team of reporters, producers, and organizers to come meet the TMU students. Led by Roshni Murthy, Sr. Manager of News and proud alumni of TMU's Radio and Television program, the OMNI TV team proudly represented Third Language Journalism, talked about the importance of this form of journalism in the diverse city of Toronto, and openly answered questions about the industry. They have even created a scholarship program which is open to all eligible students pursuing post secondary studies in a journalism-related field and who are interested in ethnic and third-language journalism.
OMNI will award 10 scholarships of $2,000CAD each this Fall. Deadline to submit is no later than 1:00 PM EST, Wednesday, May 15, 2024. For more information and to submit an online application, visit https://portal.scholarshippartners.ca/welcome/omnitv_EN/ (external link)
Reel Asian International Film Festival setup a beautiful display which highlighted all of their upcoming programming and events, including, their latest film screenings and Unsung Voices, their video production workshop that will provide emerging artists the chance to express themselves through film and media art, learn from professionals in the field, and to produce a distinct story for the screen.
To find out more about Unsung Voices, visit their website: https://www.reelasian.com/education-opportunities/unsung-voices-youth-video-production-workshop/. And for updates on their latest screenings (external link)
And for information about their latest screenings (which are open to all!), you can follow their Instagram (external link, opens in new window) page!
BIPOC TV & Film's Shibi and Rebecca were available to welcome students to their community. This organization is here to amplify, support, and advocate for the Black, Indigenous and Racialized people working in screen-based media industries and they were here to spread information about their programs and events that students could get involved with. They represent a community of supportive creatives who endlessly work together to create meaningful representation and impact in their industry. Students were deeply inspired by their work and have shared that they are more motivated than ever to enter their industries after learning about this organization.
If you'd like to find out more about BIPOC TV & Film and their latest events, go to their website: https://www.bipoctvandfilm.com/events (external link) .
TZ Teams: InnerGenerational and The Artist's Journey
To represent the TZ Community, Anto and Julie from InnerGenerational and Wilfred of The Artist's Journey also had booths to connect with the students for their own programs!
InnerGenerational, a collective of artists and performers working on the engagement of multi-generational audiences in the Asian community through storytelling and education, were sharing messages and looking for volunteers and participants to join their Asian Heritage Month programming which will be happening on the TMU Campus in May! Find out more about this program here: https://www.instagram.com/p/C55zfU2gueN/?hl=en (external link, opens in new window) .
Meanwhile, Wilfred of The Artist's Journey chatted all day with students and their artistic ventures while drawing their caricatures! Wilfred is one of the very talented artists at TZ who are exploring and pushing the boundaries of AI generative technologies and human creativity. Working to master the tools of AI himself, he is constantly looking to connect with other artists and creatives to create collaboration and projects that challenge this new medium of art. Connect with Wilfred and attend one of his incredible AI art workshops here: https://artistsjourney.org/ (external link, opens in new window) .
A big thank you goes out to Congee Queen, the sponsor of Asian Media Access, and all the special guests, TZ teams, and volunteers who attended this event to support the future of Asian media in Toronto! The Transmedia Zone leaders, Jessie Lee and Dan Speerin, could not be more happy about the success of this event and look forward to creating more like this in the future.
To find out more about the Transmedia Zone, visit transmediazone.ca (opens in new window) .