The AmérAsia category at MAiFF 2026 celebrates the legacy of the AmérAsia Film Festival, founded in 1999 by Mi-Jeong Lee, and its long-standing commitment to Asian diasporic cinema in North America. Rooted in the lived experiences of Asian communities in Canada and the United States, AmérAsia brings forward films that speak to migration, memory, belonging, and the evolving meaning of home. Featured in this category are works by North America-based Asian filmmakers, with a special focus on voices shaping the future of Asian North American storytelling. Through intimate narratives and authentic perspectives, AmérAsia offers a cinematic portrait of diaspora in motion, where personal histories and new generations continue to unfold on screen.

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

The KFFC category at MAiFF 2026 honours the legacy of the Korean Film Festival Canada, our annual film festival established in 2013 and recognised as the longest-running Korean film festival in Canada. Returning this year as a cornerstone of MAiFF, it celebrates exceptional Korean film and media arts while reflecting the richness and diversity of Korean storytelling. Featured in this category are Korean-language films, films about Korean culture, films from South Korea, and works by Korean diaspora filmmakers from around the world. In the KFFC category, heritage, identity, and cinematic artistry vividly come to life together, inviting audiences to experience Korea.