Youth Critics Initiative

Youth Critics Initiative
Now OPEN FOR APPLICATIONS!!

Program Timeline

Youth Critics Initiative (YCI) is back with our 7th cycle of long-form film criticism, run in partnership with the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival.

Six critics will be selected and assigned to work with one of three mentors, who will also be their primary editor.
The program is a mix of meetings involving all mentors and participants, and more intimate sessions between 1 mentor and 2 participants. Mentor profiles are available below.

Applicants will be required to produce one larger criticism project that can include a mix of formats (e.g. writing, collage, zines, mixed media, video essays, podcasts or anything else you might pitch) covering a few films and events at the festival.

Check out our last cohort’s pieces!

Participants will receive a festival pass to attend the 30th Reel Asian Film Festival and a $150 honorarium upon successful completion of their work.

Application Form

Deadline: End of day September 25th, 2026
(Applications will be accepted until 4 a.m. on September 26th)
All applicants will be notified by early October.

Questions or requests for accessibility support with the
application process can be sent to hello.tacla@gmail.com!

Who can apply?

Applicants who identify as part of the Asian diaspora, aged 18 – 35 living in Ontario (or who are willing to be in ON for a bit) are able to apply. Importantly, since it is the 30th anniversary of the film festival, past YCI cohort members are welcome to apply as well.

It is a prerequisite that you attend the in-person Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival in November. Cohort members who do not attend at least 50% of the festival will not be allowed to continue with the program.

A note: TACLA is unfortunately unable to provide unlimited equipment to produce special media projects, although we may be able to offer discounted sources and referrals. Applicants who choose these formats will need to verify that they have the equipment to produce their own pieces (especially in the context of audio and video work).

A note on AI

As an incubator focused on writing in our current ecosystem, we acknowledge the far-reaching impact of AI use. This program, however, prioritizes skill acquisition for writers who wish to develop personal style and technical ability independently of AI support.

We do not support the use of generative AI in the creation of your final project, and mentors will be at their discretion to check in with you on your process and your work. The use of AI or large language models like ChatGPT in your work may disqualify you in your application or result in your inability to continue with the program.

Mentors

Jasmine Gui (she/her)

Keywords: post/decolonial, documentary, aesthetics, mixed media, bio/necro-politics, affect
Mediums: collage, blackout, video essay, comics, writing, exhibition, zines
link to sample work

Jasmine is a Singaporean-born interdisciplinary artist and a PhD candidate at York University in the English department, working in decolonial (transnational and diasporic) Asian literatures and media. Her work uses a deconstructive reading and a mixed-media approach. She is the special projects programmer at the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival.

keiko hart (They/Them)

Keywords: in-betweeness, queer reckonings, new media, ambiguity, hybridity
Mediums: performance art, curation, community organizing, gaming, writing
link to sample work

keiko bounces between artist and curator, reader and writer, east and west, land and sky, irl and url. Their practice utilizes digitally mediated performances to query race, gender, sexuality, geography, and language. During their MFA studies in Criticism and Curatorial Practice at OCAD U, they attempted to map the location of identity and its (mis)perceptions/interpretations through live-streaming stream-of-consciousness writing. They remain curious and are still (re)searching.

Rebecca Peng (She/her)

Keywords: fantasy, decadence and excess, monstrosity, ambivalence
Mediums: writing, speculative fiction, comedy and satire, textile art, illustration, interviews
link to sample work

Rebecca Peng is a cultural critic, fiction writer, and occasional rug-maker. She recently completed her MA in the field of Creative Writing at the University of Toronto, where she worked on a novel concerned with shapeshifting, cold climates, and organ theft. She is extremely fond of wet skeletons (see: Johnnie To’s Heroic Trio).

Schedule (2026-2027)

Oct 19: Session #1: Orientation & Hellos!

Oct 26: Session #2: Criticism in the here and now

Nov 2: Session #3: Festival 101/201 (Tips & Tricks)

Nov 3-10: Mentor 1-on-1s: pre-festival prep

Nov 11-21: 30th Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival

Nov 23: Session #4: Festival Debrief

Nov 24 – Dec 2: Mentor 1-on-1s: draft pitch prep

Dec 6: Draft Pitches due via email

Jan 4-11 – Mentor 1-on-1s: timelines and goals

Jan 18: Session #5: Writing Intensive #1

Feb 1: Session #6: Writing Intensive #2

Jan 25 – March 23: Mentor 1-on-1s: edit/review meetings

March 29 – Session #7: Presentations

April 12: Final pieces locked

May: Publication in taclanese

*All session programming will be held online

Learn more about the impetus behind YCI here:

Youth Critics has successfully produced six cohorts of writers, and we are incredibly proud of the work our critics have put in to engage, wrestle with and think through art being produced by other members of the communities we claim belonging to.

Critical engagement for us is relational. We have witnessed the impact of critical literacy and community engagement in the ways we nurture nuanced dialogue and creation. Documenting these conversations allows us to build frames to better understand the evolving perspectives in larger socio-cultural atmospheres and movements. Documentation also generates archival material and a thoughtful genealogy for the Asian Canadian creative community.