From a media release:
Jugaad Sisters Inc and Plankton Productions announced today that Our Ocean Table, the three-part TELUS original series, will launch nationally on Friday, May 1, available to watch free on demand on TELUS Optik TV channel 8, and to stream on TELUS Stream+ and CBC Gem. The docuseries is hosted by marine biologist and filmmaker Sonya Lee and former MuchMusic host Hannah Sung – friends who connected over their love of Korean pop culture.
At a time when everything Korean is experiencing a global surge of popularity, Sonya and Hannah dive into their personal and professional experiences, and into the Pacific Ocean, to learn more from the natural world.
To celebrate the broadcast and streaming launch of the series, there will be special screening events across the country in honour of Asian Heritage Month. Our Ocean Table begins its national launch event series in Toronto on May 1, 2026 at CBC’s Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto. Additional screenings will take place on May 2, 2026 in Calgary as part of FascinAsian Film Festival, and on May 7, 2026 in Vancouver, bringing the series to audiences across the country.
In Our Ocean Table, marine biologist and filmmaker Sonya Lee sets out to rediscover her Korean roots through the ocean that has always called to her. Together with journalist Hannah Sung, she explores how traditional Korean seafood dishes carry an intimate reverence for the sea. From sustainable prawn fishing, oyster farming, to the quiet power of kelp, their journey uncovers the deep links between cultural identity and ocean conservation. Over spicy meals and simmering stories, Our Ocean Table connects the generations through taste, tradition, and a call to protect our waters.
“Our Ocean Table is the most personal thing I’ve ever made. It’s a love letter to the Korean immigrant experience, to our food, to the ocean,” says Lee. “It’s an honest conversation about what it means to care for both our culture and our planet at the same time. I spent years telling other people’s ocean stories without understanding where my own love for the ocean came from.”
Co-director and co-host of the series Sonya Lee is a Korean-Canadian filmmaker based in Victoria, BC. She is a National Geographic Explorer dedicated to stories that intersect science, nature, people and culture. Her work can be seen on CBC, NFB, PBS, National Geographic Channel, Disney+, Hulu, ARTE, Love Nature and TELUS Optik TV. Lee directs alongside Jon Chiang an award-winning Chinese-Peruvian filmmaker based in Vancouver whose first feature film, Spring After Spring launched to sold out screenings in 2026 and is currently streaming on Knowledge Network. Rounding out the creative trio is Hannah Sung, a culture journalist based in Toronto who started her career at MuchMusic and has written about arts and culture for the New York Times, Globe and Mail and Toronto Star.
“The experience of making this series was such a dream. Being Korean Canadian, our food and culture is very specific but universal at the same time. I loved exploring themes of family, food and culture with everyone we met,” says co-host Hannah Sung. Chiang continues, “Having the chance to release Our Ocean Table during Asian Heritage Month is especially wonderful. It’s an opportunity to celebrate our stories, pioneers and of course, foods that shape the fabric of this country.”
Each episode of Our Ocean Table features Korean-Canadian chefs, sustainable harvesters and community leaders including: Fraser McDonald (Spot Prawn Fisher, Good Fish Co.), Chef John Lim (Horang Restaurant), Chef Jinhee Lee (JinBar), Anna Ko (President, Korean Women’s Association & Calgary Korean Cultural Centre), Spencer Serin (Scientist, Spoitz Enterprises, Cascadia Seaweed Technical Advisor), Rob Hamilton (Hamilton Farms), Chef J (Jinmi), Alex Munro (Fanny Bay Oysters). The series was shot in Vancouver, Nanaimo and Calgary.
Our Ocean Table is created, co-directed, co-hosted and produced by Sonya Lee (Jawsome), co-directed by Jon Chiang (Spring After Spring), co-hosted by Hannah Sung, produced by Priyanka Desai (Not Your Butter Chicken) and Joanna Wong (House Special), edited by Milk Ritland-Tam (Violet and June) and director of photography is Kate Smith (The Interceptors).
The Toronto event at CBC Glenn Gould Theatre is presented by Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival, and supported by the Korean Consulate in Toronto and Ocean Wise alongside community partner RepresentASIAN Project™ a media platform covering the stories, culture and issues shaping the Asian diaspora. The Vancouver event is presented by the Vancouver Asian Film Festival.
This project was developed with the support of Creative BC, certified by the Canadian Audio-Visual Certification Office (CAVCO), and produced with the assistance of the Province of British Columbia Film Incentive BC tax credit.
