Reel Asian: ANNIE ONG: LOST AND FOUND

Former CITYTV reporter Jeannette Loakman (known as Jeannette Ong on City) searched for her birth mother 10 years ago. She documented her journey in THE LAST SEVEN DAYS OF ANNIE ONG. Her search came up empty and was unable to locate her birth mother's whereabouts in Singapore where she was born and adopted by British parents.

The search had ended, so she settled down in Toronto, got married and had 2 beautiful children.

Then came an email from Holland.

In ANNIE ONG: LOST AND FOUND, she is reunited with her birth mother and reopens an entirely new set of wounds she was not expecting. Dealing with her fragile adopted mother, to understanding the reasons behind her abandonment, it's an emotional battle not only for the participants, but also the audience.

I'll admit it, I cried ... twice. Loakman's incredible journey is filled with guilt and an over powering need to find where she came from. I was hooked from start to finish and rode like a passenger through her tension and tears. And incredible very personal documentary, ANNIE ONG: LOST AND FOUND is a gem and a must see.

Plays as part of the "What it Feels Like for a Girl" Shorts Programme at the REEL ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL
This Saturday, Nov 26 - 4:30PM @ Innis Town Hall
Tickets $9
Director is in attendance

Other gems included in the shorts programme:

STATIONARY - an NFB animation short voiced by Sandra Oh (Grey's Anatomy) about how a paperclip makes all the difference in today's dog-eat-dog world.

YOU'RE DEAD AFTER SCHOOL - a campy horror short about getting back at bullies ... sort of.

Here is the full festival line-up recorded at the press conference.

Click on the image to download the video. (It's a biggie) (35MB MOV)

For more information on the Reel Asian Film Festival please refer to their official website. www.reelasian.com.