The EXNW Ball is an evening of unwavering pride, bold excellence, and undeniable style. This signature tribute honours brilliant, racialized creatives - past, present, and rising whose visions continue to shape and transform tech, entertainment, and media.
Their impact is global. Their influence is lasting. Their legacy is the foundation for what comes next.
Last year’s impromptu slam poetry of “My Slanted Eyes” by Ins Choi, creator of KIM’S CONVENIENCE and EXNW2025 Global Connector Honouree brought the room to their feet to cheers and to tears! This is a “Can’t Miss" event! Expect a room alive with confidence, creativity, and cultural power. This is where presence matters, where our stories carry weight, and where the future is not imagined but embodied.
Step onto the EXNW Purple Carpet and be swept up by the brilliance of the talent and elegant style of creators, changemakers, and cultural icons. With unforgettable performances, notable guests, and a room charged with next generation creative force, The EXNW Ball is more than a gathering. It is culture in motion, dressed in elegance and illuminated by possibility.
Step into the moment. Show up in your power. This is your night to witness and to be seen.
Be there. Be Present.
✭ Dress Code: Gala Attire
EXNW Global Connector Award
This year, we proudly present the EXNW Global Connector Award to five groundbreaking racialized creatives whose work has transcended borders and sparked global impact. Their stories inspire, their reach empowers, and their presence redefines what’s possible.
A tribute to legacy. A celebration of now. A signal of what is next. The EXNW Ball is where racialized stories take centre stage, communities converge, and the night belongs to those defining the future.
Entertainment—Featuring Rags 2 Richmond
In a special live presentation, EXNW proudly presents Rags 2 Richmond: Live at the EXNW Ball!
Featuring cast members from the upcoming feature film—including Jonathan Wong, Leslie Kwan, Michael Delleva, Tony Giroux, and Howie Lai—alongside special guests Oseic Chau and Kristina Lao, this one-night-only musical performance offers an exclusive first look into the vibrant, pageant-filled world of Richmond, BC. Choreography by Joe Tuliao.
EXNW Ball Chair
EXNW Ball MC Co-Hosts
Director, KandyMac Productions
Kandyse McClure is a South African-born Canadian actress and producer, known for her roles in Battlestar Galactica, Hemlock Grove, and currently Virgin River (Netflix), where she plays Kaia Bryant. She serves as Secretary of the New West Film Society supporting the organization’s year-round programming and its annual New West International Film Festival.
She is honored to return as Co-Chair of East by Northwest Summit this year, having presented the EXNW Global Connector Award to Grace Park at last year’s EXNW Ball.
Actor, Writer
Born in Los Angeles, USA, raised in Vancouver, Canada, and educated in Sheffield, U.K., it's safe to say Ryan's international experiences helped shape the actor he is today. Growing up in Vancouver, Ryan's life revolved around being a well-rounded individual, focusing on academics, music, and sports. In the end, his career trajectory took him to medical school in England, where he eventually graduated with a Bachelor of Medical Sciences. However, his childhood dream of acting never truly died.
Returning home after five years abroad, Ryan used the change in scenery to pursue the things that interested him the most as a kid. Then, at the beginning of 2015, after a brief foray into the fashion industry, that passion began to bloom. From that point on, Ryan has been acting non-stop, appearing in various TV shows, films, commercials, and stage performances.
In addition to acting, Ryan now finds his talents extending to areas behind the camera, where he has shown a proclivity for writing, directing, and producing. Those skills combined with his desire to tell and uplift important diverse stories, prove why Ryan is an award-winning, multi-hyphenate filmmaker to watch.)
Global Connector Award Honorees
Chairperson & CEO, Film Development Council of the Philippines
Jose Javier Reyes is a multi-awarded producer, director, writer, and academician, currently serving as Chairman and CEO of the Film Development Council of the Philippines. He previously served as Chairman of the Film Program at the School of New Media Arts at De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (2018–2024) and as Chairman of the Competition and Monitoring Committee of the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival, the Philippines' premier festival for independent cinema.
Reyes is also a member of the Education Committee of the Metro Manila Film Festival and formerly served as Creative Consultant for Regal Entertainment. A recipient of Best Director and Best Writer honors from major Philippine award-giving bodies, he received the Writers Union of the Philippines Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020 and the National Book Award for Nonfiction in 2006. He remains an active producer, writer, director, and educator.
Elder-in-Residence at UBC’s First Nations House of Learning
Elder Larry Grant is of mixed Chinese and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) ancestry and is a respected Elder, educator, cultural knowledge keeper, and language advocate. For decades, Larry has worked to preserve and share the interconnected histories between Indigenous and Chinese communities in British Columbia, ensuring these relationships are remembered and passed on to future generations.
His life story and bridge-building work are featured in the film All Our Father’s Relations (2016 and his co-authored book Reconciling: A Lifelong Struggle to Belong (2025), exploring identity, belonging, and the shared histories connecting Musqueam and Chinese Canadian communities.
Larry serves as Elder-in-Residence at UBC’s First Nations House of Learning, is an adjunct professor with UBC’s First Nations and Endangered Languages Program, and serves Musqueam as Language and Culture Consultant. Through storytelling, teaching, and cultural leadership, he continues to build bridges between Indigenous and Asian communities.
Chair, CISF for BPOC Creators
Lalita is an award-winning documentary producer and long-time advocate for equity and representation in the screen sector. Her films have screened internationally and sparked important conversations around social change. She serves as Chair of the Canadian Independent Screen Fund for BPOC Creators, supporting high-impact programs that address gaps in the funding ecosystem. Lalita has received numerous awards for both her productions and her commitment to mentoring and supporting the next generation of diverse Canadian storytellers.
Prem Gill is a Vancouver-based entertainment leader championing creators, IP and inclusive storytelling. After a decade as CEO of Creative BC, she stepped down in June 2026, leaving a stronger creative economy spanning screen, music, digital media and publishing. Under her leadership, B.C.’s creative industries contributed $7.4B to GDP; motion picture reached $3B annually. Honoured with Reelworld’s 2025 Visionary Award and The Hollywood Reporter rankings, including Most Powerful Women in Canadian Entertainment, she is Bell Fund Vice-Chair.
Actor, Director, Writer, Producer
Actor, director, and writer Randall Park is best known for his work as: Louis Hwang on ABC’s groundbreaking sitcom Fresh Off The Boat; Jimmy Woo in Marvel’s Ant Man and The Wasp and Wandavision; and as “Asian Jim” from the iconic cold open of The Office. Randall co-wrote, produced and starred in the critically-acclaimed Netflix romantic comedy Always Be My Maybe with his long time friend Ali Wong. He also played Kim Jong Un in the controversial Seth Rogen comedy The Interview. He is a Los Angeles native and a proud UCLA Bruin.
Global Connector Award Presenters
RESO Operations Manager; EXNW Summit Manager
With over 15 years of experience in the medical and legal fields and a dedication for racial equity, Caitlin brings a wealth of administrative expertise to RESO. Beyond her professional roles, Caitlin has a deep passion for the arts, and is actively engaged in Vancouver's arts scene as an actor, improviser, and writer.
Documentary Filmmaker & Community Historian
Sarah Ling is a documentary filmmaker, curator, and community historian with a research background in Chinese Canadian and First Nations relations. She was lead producer of the award-winning film All Our Father's Relations. She was selected for the 2025-2026 Telus Storyhive Pan-Asian Storyteller Program for which is directing China Lily Nation. Sarah serves as President of the British Columbia Historical Federation and as a Director for the Vancouver Historical Society. She is the co-founder of Chinatown Wonders.
VP Industry Development, Canada Media Fund
Joy Loewen is the Vice President, Industry Development at the Canada Media Fund, overseeing inclusion and growth strategies. She was previously CEO of the National Screen Institute and a founding member of the Women’s Television Network. Based in Winnipeg, she holds a bachelor’s degree from Toronto Metropolitan University.
Joy was named Playback Canada’s 2023 Changemaker of the Year, and in 2024 was awarded East by Northwest’s Global Connector Award and Women in Film and Television’s Special Jury Award of Distinction.
CEO, Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA)
Liz Shorten is Chief Operating Officer of the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA), where she leads organizational operations and strategic implementation across its offices in Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver. With more than 25 years of experience in the film, television and digital media sectors, she has held senior leadership roles at Ontario Creates, Creative BC and CBC Television. A respected industry leader, Liz currently serves as Chair of REEL CANADA and Vice Chair of Screen BC. She was also a founding board member of the Pacific Screenwriting Program and co-founder of Women in View. Her contributions have earned her recognition as one of Business in Vancouver's Top 500 Business Leaders, The Hollywood Reporter's Top Canadian Women Leaders in Entertainment, and a recipient of the King Charles III Coronation Medal.
Actor, Writer, Filmmaker
Diana Bang is a Korean-Canadian actor, writer, and filmmaker based in Vancouver. She began her career in performance and writing as a founding member of the acclaimed Asian Canadian sketch comedy troupe Assaulted Fish. Since then, she has expanded her creative practice into filmmaking, co-writing and co-directing several short films with her sister, Andrea Bang. As an actor, her screen credits include Resident Alien (Syfy), Y: The Last Man (FX), and The Interview (Sony).
Founded in 1967, Telefilm Canada is a Crown corporation that invests in the development, production, promotion and distribution of the Canadian and Indigenous audiovisual industry. As the largest investor in Canadian cinema, Telefilm supports the economic power and cultural impact of the audiovisual sector in collaboration with industry players. Additionally, Telefilm provides recommendations to the Department of Canadian Heritage regarding the certification of treaty-based audiovisual co-productions, and administers programs of the Canada Media Fund. Visit telefilm.ca and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Letterboxd.
Creative BC is an independent non-profit society created and supported by the Province to sustain and help grow British Columbia’s creative sector, comprised of five distinct industries: motion picture, interactive digital media, music and sound recording, and both book and magazine publishing. The organization acts as an economic development agency with programs and services that expand B.C.’s creative economy, including: home of the BC Film Commission; administrator of provincial motion picture tax credit programs; administrator of funding programs; and provider of strategic business attraction, export, and research in support of the sector.
Supported by the Government of Canada and Canada’s cable, satellite, and IPTV distributors, the Canada Media Fund (CMF) is a not-for-profit organization that invests in Canadian creators and companies to tell stories that reflect and connect us all. We fund audiovisual and interactive digital media content—across all platforms—that builds a stronger cultural identity at home and on the world stage. The CMF puts stories front and centre, opening pathways to domestic and global markets and promoting a screen-based sector that is more resilient, more inclusive, and fuelled for growth. Visit our website to learn more about what we do: https://cmf-fmc.ca/
Ontario Creates is an agency of the provincial government whose mandate is to be a catalyst for economic development, investment and collaboration in the film, television, music, book, magazine, and interactive digital media sectors, both domestically and internationally. Ontario Creates supports the film and television industries through a variety of programs, events, and funds. The Agency also administers tax credits on behalf of the provincial government: Ontario Production Services Tax Credit (OPSTC); Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit (OFTTC); and the Ontario Computer Animation and special Effects Tax Credit (OCASE).
Royal Bank of Canada is a global financial institution with a purpose-driven, principles-led approach to delivering leading performance. Our success comes from the 101,000+ employees who leverage their imaginations and insights to bring our vision, values and strategy to life so we can help our clients thrive and communities prosper. As Canada’s biggest bank and one of the largest in the world, based on market capitalization, we have a diversified business model with a focus on innovation and providing exceptional experiences to our more than 19 million clients in Canada, the U.S. and 27 other countries. Learn more at rbc.com.
We are proud to support a broad range of community initiatives through donations, community investments and employee volunteer activities. See how at rbc.com/peopleandplanet.
The CMPA is Canada’s trade association for independent producers, representing companies engaged in the development, production and distribution of English-language content for TV, feature film and digital media channels. https://cmpa.ca/
RESO Founder & Board Chair & EXNW Creator
Bio +
Has dedicated almost 30 years to advocating for and building ecosystems that expand opportunities for Canadian Asian and racialized artists in the screen industry.