Critically acclaimed Canadian Film Director joins the team at Canada’s largest Asian grocery chain.
Justin, an award-winning photographer and a director of “Kim’s Convenience,” will begin work with the retailer this month, channelling his artistic expertise to introduce the T&T experience and Asian food culture to the mainstage by developing entertaining content across multiple media channels.
“I’m thrilled to be joining T&T Supermarket as their new Creative Director. I’ve always believed that food and cuisine bring people together,” said Justin. “I’ve worked around the world with top global brands and have had the opportunity to live in cultural epicentres like Paris, New York, and Los Angeles. I am proud to be a Chinese Canadian, and after all that experience, I return home to Toronto with a newfound purpose. Spending time with my family, I have rediscovered a passion for my heritage, and this new role with T&T allows me to share a food discovery journey and celebrate Asian excellence using a fresh artistic approach. We will do this by creating content that uplifts the community by featuring T&T’s fresh experts, our favourite local chefs, and special guests who love to share their joy for food.”
About Justin
Justin was born and raised in Toronto to Chinese parents who grew up in Hong Kong.
He began his career in banking in Paris with a passion for photography on the side. Against all odds, Justin’s hobby became his calling and quickly became a world-renowned fashion photographer. His keen eye for visuals and storytelling became highly sought after by top agencies and he shot for the likes of Vogue, Elle, and GQ. Justin later transitioned into and discovered his passion for filmmaking and directing.
His television directorial debut was on the hit sitcom Kim’s Convenience, which streams internationally on Netflix. For his episode, Justin was nominated for the industry’s top award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement on a Comedy Show by the Director’s Guild of Canada (DGC) in 2021. Justin has since directed several more episode blocks and programs for CBC and BBC Studios. Over the past decade, he has worked with reputable brands and stars, including Dior, Adidas, Coach, L’Oreal Paris, Nobis, RedBull Canada, United Nations, Selena Gomez, Victoria Beckham, Susan Sarandon, Joaquin Phoenix, Rosario Dawson and Simu Liu.
Justin’s industry accolades include the 2020 Power of Purpose Award for a campaign he co-founded for the United Nations, a Fan Favorite award at the Toronto International Film Festival, and an Emerging Director award at an Academy Qualifying Film Festival for his short films. Just last month, Justin won the 2022 Image Maker of the Year award from the Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards for his artistic excellence and contributions to Canada’s artistic community.
Justin has a degree in Biology from Queens University and an Honors in Administration from the Richard Ivey Business School.
An Uncanny Match
As the largest Asian supermarket chain in Canada, with stores in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario, T&T Supermarkets prides itself on providing an authentic, fresh, and exciting food shopping experience. The company’s recent appointment of Justin is a novel cross-industry move that is expected to inspire a new audience to T&T’s eclectic offering.
T&T stores offer customers an exceptional selection of Asian products, including fresh ingredients, traditional sauces, authentic foods, and trendy kitchen and beauty products. T&T has been rapidly expanding its footprint, by the end of the year, T&T will open stores in Calgary AB, Montreal QC, Coquitlam BC, and Toronto ON.
