MANDATE

Arts East-West is a non-profit Asian-Canadian media arts organization based in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1996, Arts East-West empowers the voices of Asian artists in Canada, Korea and pan-Asia. 

Our core research and creation based initiatives include the Korean Film Festival Canada (KFFC, 2013), Asian Art Publication Lab (AAPLab, 2020), and Gallery East-West (GEW, 2020).  These are centered on our motto “Where East Meets West”, reflecting our presence and integration into the Canadian arts landscape.  

We build safe and engaging environments for Asian Canadian artists, and their creations of cinema, new media, and the digital arts. We foster close ties with local artists and communities without limiting boundaries. We bolster cultural diversity by connecting ‘East’ and ‘West’, and provide facilities and platforms for production, dissemination, and dialogue. We operate in three languages—English, French and Korean.

Arts East-West strives to raise visibility for Asian Canadian artists working within the film and media arts industry.  We are a hub for our artists, academics, and researchers, as well as our wider communities. We are committed to create safe and inclusive spaces for creation and collaboration, where people are welcome to express and share diverse voices. 

Arts East-West has grown organically into a media arts organization operating year-round with a diverse array of projects and activities. These include: festivals, film screenings, exhibitions of digital media, conferences focused on the Asian diaspora, seminars, workshops, artist talks, and scholarly publications. Our website provides free content and resources for artists and audiences. 

The KFFC/Arts East-West has a three-fold mission

To support Asian Canadian media arts through creation by artist-driven, theme-based initiatives directed at fostering cultural diversity in Canada.

To explore Korean-Canadian and PanAsian-Canadian identity through the arts and media through both an intercultural and intergenerational lens.

To support emerging Asian-Canadian artists through showcasing marginalized voices, 

and to embrace technology and opportunities for cultural and artistic discourse, online and in person, both nationally and globally.