Championing bold directorial visions from filmmakers around the globe, from first-time to veteran auteurs, Platform is TIFF’s competitive programme. 

Of the ten films selected for the programme, the best film selected by an international in-person jury, Riceboy Sleeps, was awarded $20,000 CAD.

“I am thrilled to have Riceboy Sleeps recognized by the programmers, the Platform jury and by audiences at this year’s TIFF, it was amazing to see the reaction to the film our team worked so hard on and that is such a deeply personal project,” said Shim, who directed, wrote, edited, produced and starred in the film.

The world premiere of Riceboy Sleeps which took place at TIFF 2022 earlier this week, stars Ethan Hwang (The Umbrella Academy), Anthony Shim (Zoe), and newcomers Dohyun Noel Hwang and Yoon.

Yoon was selected as a TIFF Rising Star and Share Her Journey Fellow for her breakout performance as So-young in the film.

Set in the 90s, the film shot in Vancouver follows a Korean single mother So -Young, played by veteran-dancer-turned-first-time actress Choi Seung-Yoon, who raises her young son Dong-hyun (played as a child by Dohyun Noel Hwang, and as a 15-year-old by Ethan Hwang) in the suburbs of Canada.

Anthony Shim during the award ceremony. Image: Asha Bajaj

Choi Seung-yoon is determined to provide a better life for him than the one she left behind. The film shows how they’re making their way in Canada amid a dominant white culture. But both the mother and son face a lot of challenges and struggles, the mother suffering racism at her workplace and the son being bullied in school. As each of them tries to overcome their hardships their relations become strained.

“In the 1990s portion of the film, oftentimes I frame it to show the Korean characters  in the background, and the Caucasian characters  in the foreground and are very dominating with the voices, their faces, their bodies, oftentimes blocking the protagonist,” Shim told Hollywood Reporter.

Filmed in Vancouver and South Korea,  Riceboy Sleeps is distributed by Game Theory Films in Canada, and Sphere Films International is handling international sales.

Produced by Rebecca Steele, Bryan Demore, Anthony Shim the film is produced in Lonesome Heroes Productions, Kind Stranger Productions, A Lasting Dose Productions, the film features the talents of the director of photography Christopher Lew.

Riceboy Sleeps ‘s festival run screenings will continue at FIN in Halifax, VIFF for its hometown premiere in Vancouver, CIFF in Calgary, Cinéfest in Sudbury and Busan for its International premiere. The film will be released in theatres in 2023.

Riceboy Sleeps was made possible through the support of Telefilm Canada, CRAVE, CBC, and Harold Greenberg Fund.

(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)