The EMW (EastMeetsWest) category at MAiFF 2026 carries the core of  “Where East Meets West,” a foundational pillar of Arts East-West and a guiding vision behind the organization’s work. Bringing this vision to the screen, EMW presents a vibrant selection of pan-Asian cinema and Asian diaspora films from around the world. Featured in this category are films from across Asia, works by Asian diaspora filmmakers outside North America, and films that center cross-cultural narratives, encounters, and perspectives between East and West. Through bold storytelling, distinctive cinematic voices, and diverse reflections on layers of  culture and identity, EMW invites audiences to a cinematic horizon where different voices, histories, and worlds come together.

Program #2

New Wave Asian Cinema 1

Location: Cinema du Parc
Time: Saturday May 30 | 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Ticket: $14.50 GA, $10 Student/Senior

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PROGRAM

1. Days of Being Wild by Wong Kar-Wai

With his signature sunglasses and a revolutionary visual style, WONG Kar-wai captured the ephemeral nature of time, memory, and longing. His collaboration with cinematographer Christopher Doyle created a lush, neon-soaked aesthetic that has influenced countless filmmakers worldwide. His films are less about plot and more about mood—a mesmerizing dream state you can’t forget. Experience the film that started it all: his 1990 classic, Days of Being Wild (阿飛正傳). Starring legends like Leslie Cheung and Maggie Cheung, it’s a heartbreakingly beautiful exploration of restless youth and unrequited love in 1960s Hong Kong.

Directed by

Wong Kar-Wai

Origin

Hong Kong

Length

94 mins

Year

1990

Language

Cantonese

Medium

Fiction

2. Winds of Spring by Keyu Chen

Unfolding with the rhythm of the seasons, Winds of Spring tells the tender story of a young girl who, driven by the irrepressible need for self-fulfillment, decides to leave the family nest. Keyu Chen employs her signature style of fluid transitions and fine, spare lines inspired by Chinese ink painting in her delicately crafted first film.Keyu Chen makes use of fine lines and fluid transitions in her delicately crafted first film, which tells the tale of a young girl who, driven by the irrepressible need for self-fulfillment, dreams of leaving the family nest.

Directed by

Keyu Chen

Origin

Canada

Length

6

Year

2017

Language

Medium

Animation

Program #1

Goethe-Institut Montreal

Location: Goethe-Institut Montreal (1626 Boul. Saint-Laurent, Montréal, QC)
Time: Friday June 12 | 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Ticket: $10 GA, $8 Student/Senior

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PROGRAM

1. Dad vs Bees by David Quach

A 79 year old Asian man is on a quest to rid his beloved garden of a bee infestation. In his way are not just bees but age, language, intergenerational trauma and the struggles of being a refugee in Australia.

Directed by

David Quach

Origin

Australia

Length

20 mins

Year

2026

Language

English

Medium

Documentary

2. Jet Lag in Summer by Yan Kunao

After a hard time finding a job in New York, Jiaqi decides to go back to China during the pandemic while her boyfriend Pingu insists to stay for his ambitious thesis film production. However, a sudden announcement interrupts Jiaqi's plan, and during their separation, both of them have a chance to experience a special period of their lives.

Directed by

Yan Kunao

Origin

Hong Kong

Length

92

Year

2025

Language

Mandarin, English

Medium

Fiction