IMAA Mini-Conference at Reel Asian
IMAA Minicon
At the 29th Edition of Reel Asian
November 11-13, 2025
Tkoronto
This November 11-13, the Independent Media Arts Alliance will be hosting a mini-conference (Minicon) in partnership with Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival in Tkoronto, Ontario at the 401 Richmond St. building with selected hybrid events.
Over 3 days, delegates will be invited to participate in IMAA organized events: namely panels on how the IMAA Fee Schedule and the Resource Access Network support artists and Independent Media Arts Advocacy at the federal, provincial and local levels. In addition, IMAA will be hosting a number of hybrid Caucus meetings for its membership. This is an exciting opportunity to connect with colleagues and to meet artists. In conjunction with IMAA-led activities, attendees will be invited to Reel Ideas, Reel Asian’s professional development stream of activities. The festival will also offer second-week in-cinema screenings as well as panel discussions and demos on XR work through the Sari-Sari XChange conference/symposium to Minicon delegates.
Reel Asian’s 29th festival opens on November 5, 2025, and delegates to the Minicon will receive complimentary Industry-badge accreditation for Reel Ideas – so local Minicon delegates are encouraged to use their badge benefits for the festival’s in-cinema presentations prior to the Minicon days. Reel Asian is able to provide booking access to its hotel partner at a specially-discounted festival rate to out-of-town delegates of the Minicon.
All registered Minicon participants will also receive full VOD access to Reel Asian’s digital festival offerings, available via the CineSend platform at watch.reelasian.com from 10:00AM on Monday, November 10, thru 11:59PM on Monday, November 24, 2025. Access is available online across Canada from coast to coast to coast.
Register for the mini-conference before October 26!
To enjoy free access to the Reel Asian festival industry pass for the Reel Ideas programming, you must register for the minicon before October 28. This is the perfect opportunity to participate in inspiring meetings and connect with the independent film community.
Registration is free.
REGISTER HERE!
Zoom info session – October 16 at 1:30 p.m. (ET)
Have questions or want to learn more about the mini-conference?
Join us on Wednesday, October 16 at 1:30 p.m. for an online information session.
Register for the Zoom session here
Programming
Tuesday, November 11
As Part of the IMAA Minicon:
6h – 8h PM | What’s Brewing Panel 🎬
The IMAA team will present on the Alliance’s resources including the Fee Schedule, the Resource Access Network and the Advocacy Toolkit, followed by a reception with light snacks. Attendees will have the opportunity to connect with the Alliance team, industry leaders, artists, and peers.
As Part of Reel Ideas:
Impact Producing Without Access: When Critical Films Struggle to Find Distribution
3PM at CinecycleAccessibility and Festivals: Rethinking How We Engage Audiences and Artists
4:30PM at The Commons @ 401 Richmond
Wednesday, November 12
As Part of the IMAA Minicon:
11:00AM-1:30PM | Lunch n’ Learn: Advocating for the Media Arts 🥗
Join fellow Alliance members for lunch and a roundtable discussion about the implications of the 2025 Federal Budget, the state of advocacy efforts, and the path forward for the media arts.
Around 12:00PM, the event will open up to a roundtable discussion with all attendees. There will be the opportunity if needed to split into smaller groups to discuss specific topics. Lunch will be served from 11:00AM. Around 11:30AM, IMAA’s National Director will present remarks on the state of advocacy efforts, including a summary of the 2025 Federal Budget’s impacts on the Media Arts sector.
As Part of Reel Ideas:
18 to 35: Behind-the-Scenes Masterclass
6:30PM at CineCycleBuilding Sustainable Careers in Screenwriting
2:30PM at Cinecycle
Thursday, November 13
As Part of the IMAA Minicon:
10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. | Advocacy and IMAA Caucus 🤝
10 a.m. to 11 a.m. | Advocacy Meeting 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. | Distributors Caucus 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. | Production Centers Caucus 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. | Festivals Caucus
Throughout Thursday, IMAA will hold an in-person Advocacy Committee Meeting and hybrid Caucus Meetings for festivals, distributors, and production organizations. All caucus meetings will be held in a hybrid format. Light snacks will be provided in the afternoon at 401 Richmond. If you are interested in joining one of these meetings and are not a member of IMAA, please contact Barbora Racevičiūtė at dir@imaa.ca.
Accessibility:
Exceptionally, the Minicon will be principally held in English, with informal interpretation available at IMAA-led events. Due to our limited budget, we will not be able to provide ASL or LSQ interpretation services for the minicon activities. 401 Richmond is wheelchair accessible. Accessibility details for specific Minicon locations within the building will be available mid-October.