VAFF is challenging you to explore your heritage!

Call your parents, grandparents, aunties and uncles and ask them to share their stories with you for a chance to win $1,000!

We hosted the 100 Stories Challenge Final Showdown during the 23rd Annual Vancouver Asian Film Festival on November 8, 2019. We celebrated this inaugural competition which created to uncover the extraordinary and unique lives of regular Asians living in Canada. The top 3 finalists of the 100 Stories Challenge make their pitch to decide who is the best storyteller and most deserving of the grand prize of $1,000. Let’s meet our top 3 finalists.

The 100 Stories Challenge aims to collect at least 100 stories that uncover the extraordinary lives of regular Asians in Canada. Maybe your grandparents had a unique voyage to Canada, or your auntie built the first Asian restaurant in her rural town. Or maybe your parents have an adorable story around how they met or did your uncle created a special hot sauce with unique Asian flavours. Or you could even uncover your great uncles’ history as a secret war hero that saved played an integral role in WWII. We want to hear all of these stories and more!

VAFF is dedicated to creating more opportunities to share Asian Canadian stories through film and we hope that this particular challenge will encourage inter-generational dialogue and connections. We hope that by the end of this Challenge we will have collected more than 100 stories documenting the legacy of Asians in Canada.

Streetcars, carriages and pedestrians on the corner of Granville Street and West Hastings in the early 1900s. Image credit: Philip T. Timms/ City of Vancouver Archives

So you’ve uncovered an amazing story, now what? Get those creative juices flowing and put together a 60 second video pitch. Think outside of the box and produce a pitch that catches our eye; you can use photos, animation or props. Nothing is off the table, well maybe some things. 

Once you’re done your pitch, upload it to YouTube and officially submit your pitch by clicking on the button below to complete the submission form.

There is no entry fee for submissions.

By submitting your story and entering the Contest, you:

• Declare you have read, agree to and have complied with the Official Rules and Regulations
• Declare you meet all criteria to enter the Contest and to accept and participate in the prize (if awarded).

Along with your chance to win $1,000 you might also have the opportunity to pitch your story to filmmakers who may even turn your pitch into a story! 

This November finalists may have the opportunity to tell their story to an audience of filmmakers and story tellers. Stay tuned for further details of this event!

For more information, please email 100stories@vaff.org

Mr. & Mrs. Richard K Wong with VAFF Founder, Barbara Lee

Richard K. Wong was inspired to partner with VAFF to create this challenge when he learned the story of little known Canadian Chinese war hero Frederick Lee. Mr. Wong chaired the National Committee of the Canada Day Drumming Celebration. The Celebration features simultaneous drumming across 13 Canadian cities to promote diversity, multicultural harmony, peace and love for a better world. It also established the Guinness World Record for the most nationalities in a drumming circle. Mr. Wong is the founding president of the Chinese Entrepreneurs Society of Canada and won the international competition to bring the fourth World Chinese Entrepreneurs Convention (WCEC) to Vancouver in 1997. The WCEC provides opportunities for networking, sharing of information, traditions and cultures, allowing friendships and prosperous relationships to be developed that can benefit the greater community and the world. Mr. Wong was awarded with the Medal of Merit, the International Lions Club’s highest honor to a non-Lion. We are so grateful for Mr. Wong’s support of this project.

Frederick Lee, son of a Chinese immigrant family, born and graduated with honour roll in Kamloops BC, voluntarily joined Canadian army, fought with Allies in the Vimy Ridge victory battle, then killed in action 1917 at Hill 70 battle, France, sacrificed for the Canadian independence battle and world peace in First World War.

Frederick Lee

How to Enter?
Put together a 60 second video pitch that is creative and would be attention grabbing, and must upload it to YouTube, Vimeo or any other available video platform.  Then submit your pitch by clicking on the button Register Now on the webpage and complete the Submission Form.  You can use photos, animation or props in your video, and you can upload more documents, photos, etc. in the submission form as supporting documents if you so choose.
There is no entry fee for submissions.

Who is Eligible?
The Competition is open to residents of Canada (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in the jurisdiction in which they reside and is Asian or part-Asian.  Only one entry is accepted per person or team.

When will I Find out Results?
The Winners will be announced on or around the date of VAFF 2019

What is the prize?
Cash prize to the top three winners will be given – CAD$1,000, CAD$500 and CAD$200, for first, second and third place, respectively.  There is no further award or prize, but winners may have the opportunity to pitch their stories to filmmakers to turn their pitches into film.