Winner of the Best Canadian First Feature at Tiff and Best Canadian Feature in Vancouver after bowing at Cannes last May, Andrew Cividino‘s feature-length debut Sleeping Giant has earned itself a pretty impeccable pedigree. An expansion of his 2013 short film of the same name, this coming-of-age drama on the summer shores of Thunder Bay, Ontario is a universal tale for viewers of all nationalities. With the time period left ambiguous—cell phones aren’t used and the one video camera seen in this cottage community still uses cassette tapes—it resonates with all ages too, calling back to memories of youthful malaise and rambunctious rebellion. And it pulls no punches as far as love, sex, drugs, or jealousy are concerned. “Fun” possesses many definitions, but even more consequences.
The story surrounds Adam Hudson (Jackson Martin), the only child of a family that’s frequented the retreat for many years.
The story surrounds Adam Hudson (Jackson Martin), the only child of a family that’s frequented the retreat for many years.
- 6/29/2016
- by Jared Mobarak
- The Film Stage
The River Run International Film Festival wrapped its 18th edition in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, with its narrative feature award going to Anna Rose Holmer’s The Fits, which was, in the words of the jury, “an audacious debut from a promising American talent.”
Best documentary feature went to Mike Plunkett’s Salero, about one of the last salt gatherers in Bolivia. The jury praised that film “for its astonishing visuals, narrative acuity and ability to showcase characters that go against the grain.”
The Fits, a Venice Biennale College project that also played at Sundance, also won best actress for its impressive young newcomer Royalty Hightower.
Interestingly, there is a link between the two top winners — debutant director Holmer from The Fits also served as a producer on Salero.
The jury’s best ensemble performance went to Jackson Martin, Nick Serino and Reece Moffett in Sleeping Giant, with best director honours for Romania’s Radu Muntean for One...
Best documentary feature went to Mike Plunkett’s Salero, about one of the last salt gatherers in Bolivia. The jury praised that film “for its astonishing visuals, narrative acuity and ability to showcase characters that go against the grain.”
The Fits, a Venice Biennale College project that also played at Sundance, also won best actress for its impressive young newcomer Royalty Hightower.
Interestingly, there is a link between the two top winners — debutant director Holmer from The Fits also served as a producer on Salero.
The jury’s best ensemble performance went to Jackson Martin, Nick Serino and Reece Moffett in Sleeping Giant, with best director honours for Romania’s Radu Muntean for One...
- 4/17/2016
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
If you happen to stop by a Tim Hortons in Thunder Bay, take a close look at the teenager behind the counter, he may be Nick Serino, one of the stars of the award-winning Canadian drama Sleeping Giant.
“There’s been a couple people who I’ll serve them coffee or something, and they’ll say, ‘I really enjoyed your movie,’ it’s pretty cool,” says the 18-year-old on the line from his home in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
Sleeping Giant, directed by first-time filmmaker Andrew Cividino, finds shy teen Adam (Jackson Martin) spending his summer vacation at his cottage on the shores of Lake Superior where he hangs out with local kids Riley (Reece Moffett) and Nate (Serino). Nate is the trio’s troublemaker; mouthy, energetic, funny and increasingly jealous of the time Riley is spending with Adam and his family.
Serino, who had never acted before landing the role of Nate,...
“There’s been a couple people who I’ll serve them coffee or something, and they’ll say, ‘I really enjoyed your movie,’ it’s pretty cool,” says the 18-year-old on the line from his home in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
Sleeping Giant, directed by first-time filmmaker Andrew Cividino, finds shy teen Adam (Jackson Martin) spending his summer vacation at his cottage on the shores of Lake Superior where he hangs out with local kids Riley (Reece Moffett) and Nate (Serino). Nate is the trio’s troublemaker; mouthy, energetic, funny and increasingly jealous of the time Riley is spending with Adam and his family.
Serino, who had never acted before landing the role of Nate,...
- 4/5/2016
- by Ingrid Randoja - Cineplex Magazine
- Cineplex
This weekend New Yorkers will have a change to dive into a selection of the best recent Canadian cinema thanks to a showcase created by Tiff and Telefilm Canada appropriately called "See the North." On April 1, 2 and 3 2016, audiences at the IFC Center in New York City will be treated to this curated program of Canada’s finest creative talent, with directors in attendance for intros and Q+A’s.
The series includes the most recent work my Oscar-nominated filmmaker Philippe Falardeau ("Monsieur Lazhar"), an Lgbt-themed debut, and a drama starring Ellen Page and Evan Rachel Wood.
Here is the full lineup:
"Closet Monster" – Ontario/Newfoundland
A film by Stephen Dunn
Starring Connor Jessup, Aaron Abrams, Joanne Kelly, Aliocha Schneider, Sofia Banzhaf, Jack Fulton, Mary Walsh, Isabella Rossellini
Rt: 90min
U.S. Distributor: Strand Releasing
Screening: 4/1 at 9:30pm with intro and Q + A from director Stephen Dunn
Canada Goose Award for Best Canadian Feature Film, 2015 Toronto International Film Festival
An East Coast teenager and aspiring special-effects makeup artist (Connor Jessup, Blackbird, 2012 Tiff Rising Star) struggles with both his sexuality and his fear of his macho father, in this imaginative twist on the coming-of-age tale from first-time feature director Stephen Dunn.
"The Demons" (Les démons) – Quebec
A film by Philippe Lesage
Starring: Edouard Tremblay-Grenier, Pier-Luc Funk, Pascale Buissière
Rt: 118min
Sales Agent: FunFilm Distribution
Screening: 4/2 at 9:30pm with intro and Q + A with director Philippe Lesage
While Montreal is in the throes of a string of kidnappings targeting young boys, 10-year-old Felix is finishing his school year in the seemingly quiet suburb where he lives. A sensitive boy with a vivid imagination, Felix is afraid of everything. Little by little, his imaginary demons begin to mirror those of the increasingly disturbing world around him.
"Into the Fores" – British Columbia/Ontario
A film by Patricia Rozema
Starring Ellen Page, Evan Rachel Wood, Max Minghella, Callum Keith Rennie, Michael Eklund, Wendy Crewson
Rt: 101min
U.S. Distributor: A24 Films
Screening: 4/1 at 7:00pm with intro and Q + A from director Patricia Rozema
Two sisters (Ellen Page and Evan Rachel Wood) struggle to survive in a remote country house after a continent-wide power outage, in this gripping apocalyptic drama by one of Canada’s most celebrated filmmakers.
"My Internship in Canda" (Guibord s'en va-t-en guerre) – Quebec
A film by Philippe Falardeau
Starring Patrick Huard, Irdens Exantus, Clémence Dufresne-Deslières and Suzanne Clément
Produced by Luc Déry, Kim Mccraw
Rt: 108min
Sales Agent: Film Distribution
Screening: 4/2 at 7:00pm with intro and Q+A from director Philippe Falardeau
Guibord is an independent Member of Parliament representing a vast county in Northern Quebec who unwillingly finds himself in the awkward position of determining whether Canada will go to war. Accompanied by his wife, daughter and Souverain (Sovereign) Pascal, an idealistic intern from Haiti, Guibord travels across his district in order to consult his constituents and face his own conscience. This film is a sharp political satire in which politicians, citizens and lobbyists go head-to-head while tearing democracy to shreds.
"Our Loved Ones" (Les Êtres Chers) – Quebec
A film by Anne Émond
Starring: Maxim Gaudette, Karelle Tremblay, Valérie Cadieux, Mickaël Gouin
Rt: 102min
Sales Agent: Wide Management
Screening: 4/3 at 7:00pm with intro and Q+A from director Anne Émond
The story begins in 1978 in a small town on the Lower St.-Lawrence where the Leblanc family is rocked by the tragic death of Guy, found dead in the basement of the family home. For many years, the real cause of his death is hidden from certain members of the family, his son David among them. David starts his own family with his wife Marie and lovingly raises his children, Laurence and Frédéric, but deep down he still carries with him a kind of unhappiness. Our Loved Ones is a film of filial love, family secrets, redemption and inherited fate. Featuring 2015 Tiff Rising Star Karelle Tremblay.
"Sleeping Giant" (Le géant endormi) – Ontario
A film by Andrew Cividino
Starring: Jackson Martin, Nick Serino, Reece Moffett, David Disher, Erika Brodzky, Katelyn McKerracher, Lorraine Philp
Rt: 90min
U.S. Distributor: FilmBuff
Screening: 4/3 at 9:30pm with intro and Q+A from director Andrew Cividino
City of Toronto Award for Best Canadian First Feature Film, 2015 Toronto International Film Festival
Spending his summer vacation on rugged Lake Superior, teenager Adam befriends Riley and Nate, smart-aleck cousins who pass their ample free time with pranks, vandalism and reckless cliff jumping. The revelation of a hurtful secret sets in motion a series of irreversible events that test the bonds of friendship and change the boys forever.
The series includes the most recent work my Oscar-nominated filmmaker Philippe Falardeau ("Monsieur Lazhar"), an Lgbt-themed debut, and a drama starring Ellen Page and Evan Rachel Wood.
Here is the full lineup:
"Closet Monster" – Ontario/Newfoundland
A film by Stephen Dunn
Starring Connor Jessup, Aaron Abrams, Joanne Kelly, Aliocha Schneider, Sofia Banzhaf, Jack Fulton, Mary Walsh, Isabella Rossellini
Rt: 90min
U.S. Distributor: Strand Releasing
Screening: 4/1 at 9:30pm with intro and Q + A from director Stephen Dunn
Canada Goose Award for Best Canadian Feature Film, 2015 Toronto International Film Festival
An East Coast teenager and aspiring special-effects makeup artist (Connor Jessup, Blackbird, 2012 Tiff Rising Star) struggles with both his sexuality and his fear of his macho father, in this imaginative twist on the coming-of-age tale from first-time feature director Stephen Dunn.
"The Demons" (Les démons) – Quebec
A film by Philippe Lesage
Starring: Edouard Tremblay-Grenier, Pier-Luc Funk, Pascale Buissière
Rt: 118min
Sales Agent: FunFilm Distribution
Screening: 4/2 at 9:30pm with intro and Q + A with director Philippe Lesage
While Montreal is in the throes of a string of kidnappings targeting young boys, 10-year-old Felix is finishing his school year in the seemingly quiet suburb where he lives. A sensitive boy with a vivid imagination, Felix is afraid of everything. Little by little, his imaginary demons begin to mirror those of the increasingly disturbing world around him.
"Into the Fores" – British Columbia/Ontario
A film by Patricia Rozema
Starring Ellen Page, Evan Rachel Wood, Max Minghella, Callum Keith Rennie, Michael Eklund, Wendy Crewson
Rt: 101min
U.S. Distributor: A24 Films
Screening: 4/1 at 7:00pm with intro and Q + A from director Patricia Rozema
Two sisters (Ellen Page and Evan Rachel Wood) struggle to survive in a remote country house after a continent-wide power outage, in this gripping apocalyptic drama by one of Canada’s most celebrated filmmakers.
"My Internship in Canda" (Guibord s'en va-t-en guerre) – Quebec
A film by Philippe Falardeau
Starring Patrick Huard, Irdens Exantus, Clémence Dufresne-Deslières and Suzanne Clément
Produced by Luc Déry, Kim Mccraw
Rt: 108min
Sales Agent: Film Distribution
Screening: 4/2 at 7:00pm with intro and Q+A from director Philippe Falardeau
Guibord is an independent Member of Parliament representing a vast county in Northern Quebec who unwillingly finds himself in the awkward position of determining whether Canada will go to war. Accompanied by his wife, daughter and Souverain (Sovereign) Pascal, an idealistic intern from Haiti, Guibord travels across his district in order to consult his constituents and face his own conscience. This film is a sharp political satire in which politicians, citizens and lobbyists go head-to-head while tearing democracy to shreds.
"Our Loved Ones" (Les Êtres Chers) – Quebec
A film by Anne Émond
Starring: Maxim Gaudette, Karelle Tremblay, Valérie Cadieux, Mickaël Gouin
Rt: 102min
Sales Agent: Wide Management
Screening: 4/3 at 7:00pm with intro and Q+A from director Anne Émond
The story begins in 1978 in a small town on the Lower St.-Lawrence where the Leblanc family is rocked by the tragic death of Guy, found dead in the basement of the family home. For many years, the real cause of his death is hidden from certain members of the family, his son David among them. David starts his own family with his wife Marie and lovingly raises his children, Laurence and Frédéric, but deep down he still carries with him a kind of unhappiness. Our Loved Ones is a film of filial love, family secrets, redemption and inherited fate. Featuring 2015 Tiff Rising Star Karelle Tremblay.
"Sleeping Giant" (Le géant endormi) – Ontario
A film by Andrew Cividino
Starring: Jackson Martin, Nick Serino, Reece Moffett, David Disher, Erika Brodzky, Katelyn McKerracher, Lorraine Philp
Rt: 90min
U.S. Distributor: FilmBuff
Screening: 4/3 at 9:30pm with intro and Q+A from director Andrew Cividino
City of Toronto Award for Best Canadian First Feature Film, 2015 Toronto International Film Festival
Spending his summer vacation on rugged Lake Superior, teenager Adam befriends Riley and Nate, smart-aleck cousins who pass their ample free time with pranks, vandalism and reckless cliff jumping. The revelation of a hurtful secret sets in motion a series of irreversible events that test the bonds of friendship and change the boys forever.
- 4/1/2016
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
A young boy's cottage vacation becomes a dramatic, coming-of-age experience in Andrew Cividino's Sleeping Giant.
Following three adolescent boys vacationing by Lake Superior, the innocent Adam meets reckless cousins Nate and Riley, who challenge his sense of adventure, masculinity, and his perceptions of love and sexuality. The three young actors, Jackson Martin, Reece Moffett and Nick Serino (who won a Canadian Screen Award for Best Supporting Actor), give extremely natural performances, giving Sleeping Giant a docudrama feel.
It has picked up many accolades in its festival run, from early buzz at Cannes to the Best Canadian First Feature award at the Toronto International Film Festival. We caught the film last fall at Tiff, and can guarantee that it is a riveting look at adolescence, with complex characters.
Check out the trailer below and catch Sleeping Giant when it hits theatres on April 8th.
Following three adolescent boys vacationing by Lake Superior, the innocent Adam meets reckless cousins Nate and Riley, who challenge his sense of adventure, masculinity, and his perceptions of love and sexuality. The three young actors, Jackson Martin, Reece Moffett and Nick Serino (who won a Canadian Screen Award for Best Supporting Actor), give extremely natural performances, giving Sleeping Giant a docudrama feel.
It has picked up many accolades in its festival run, from early buzz at Cannes to the Best Canadian First Feature award at the Toronto International Film Festival. We caught the film last fall at Tiff, and can guarantee that it is a riveting look at adolescence, with complex characters.
Check out the trailer below and catch Sleeping Giant when it hits theatres on April 8th.
- 3/14/2016
- by Adriana Floridia
- Cineplex
Often told with whimsy and a light touch, cinematic coming-of-age tales have long been a staple of Hollywood. And while filmmaker Andrew Cividino steps into the genre for his feature debut, he takes an entirely different route with "Sleeping Giant." And today, we have the exclusive trailer for the movie as its heads to the Toronto International Film Festival for its North American premiering after screening this spring at Cannes Critics' Week. Starring Jackson Martin, Nick Serino, and Reece Moffett, the dark, edgy film follows three teenage friends wasting away an idle summer, and the friction that occurs what a girl comes between them. Here's the official synopsis: Teenager Adam is spending his summer vacation with his parents on rugged Lake Superior. His dull routine shatters when he befriends Riley and Nate, smart aleck cousins who pass their ample free time with debauchery and reckless cliff jumping. The revelation of...
- 9/3/2015
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Seville International, the boutique sales outfit of eOne, is set to handle sales on Cannes Critics' Week selection Sleeping Giant. It’s the feature directorial debut of writer-director Andrew Cividino, which is in competition for the Caméra d'Or at Cannes. Newcomers Nick Serino and Reece Moffett star alongside Jackson Martin, David Disher and Erika Brodzky. The story follows Adam, a teenager who is spending his summer vacation with his parents on Lake Superior. His dull…...
- 4/28/2015
- Deadline TV
Seville International, the boutique sales outfit of eOne, is set to handle sales on Cannes Critics' Week selection Sleeping Giant. It’s the feature directorial debut of writer-director Andrew Cividino, which is in competition for the Caméra d'Or at Cannes. Newcomers Nick Serino and Reece Moffett star alongside Jackson Martin, David Disher and Erika Brodzky. The story follows Adam, a teenager who is spending his summer vacation with his parents on Lake Superior. His dull…...
- 4/28/2015
- Deadline
The Montreal-based sales outfit will commence international sales on the Croisette on the Critics’ Week selection.
Andrew Cividino’s feature directorial debut is also part of Telefilm Canada’s Perspective Canada showcase at the market.
Sleeping Giant, a Film Forge production in association with Hawkeye Pictures, is based on Cividino’s short film of the same name about a bored teenager on summer vacation who uncovers a secret that tests his newfound friendship with two cousins.
Newcomers Nick Serino and Reece Moffett star alongside Jackson Martin, David Disher and Erika Brodzky. Cividino co-wrote with Aaron Yeger and Blain Watters.
Karen Harnisch, Cividino’s partner at Film Forge Productions, produced with Yeger, James Vandewater and Marc Swenker. Aeschylus Poulos served as executive producer.
Andrew Cividino’s feature directorial debut is also part of Telefilm Canada’s Perspective Canada showcase at the market.
Sleeping Giant, a Film Forge production in association with Hawkeye Pictures, is based on Cividino’s short film of the same name about a bored teenager on summer vacation who uncovers a secret that tests his newfound friendship with two cousins.
Newcomers Nick Serino and Reece Moffett star alongside Jackson Martin, David Disher and Erika Brodzky. Cividino co-wrote with Aaron Yeger and Blain Watters.
Karen Harnisch, Cividino’s partner at Film Forge Productions, produced with Yeger, James Vandewater and Marc Swenker. Aeschylus Poulos served as executive producer.
- 4/27/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
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