TRAILERS

Official US Trailer for 'Riceboy Sleeps' Acclaimed Canadian Indie Film

by Alex Billington
April 27, 2023
Source: YouTube

"She never stopped worrying for her son." 1091 Pictures has revealed the official US trailer for the release of this acclaimed Canadian indie film titled Riceboy Sleeps, from filmmaker Anthony Shim. It premiered at the 2022 Toronto Film Festival last year, and won a bunch of other awards playing at fests throughout the fall. The film centers on So-Young, played by Choi Seung-yoon, a Korean immigrant single mother raising her teenage son Dong-Hyun after moving to Canada to give him a better life. It was shot around Vancouver and is based in part on filmmaker Anthony Shim's own childhood. Ethan Hwang stars as Dong-Hyun, with a cast including Hunter Dillon, Anthony Shim, and Jerina Son. This features many elegant long takes, telling the story of this boy growing up as an immigrant in Canada. It earned rave reviews and did well for an indie at the Canadian box office after first opening in March. Available to discover on VOD in the US in May. This is an enchanting trailer with stunning shot after stunning shot - this seems like a must watch gem.

Here's the official US trailer (+ poster) for Anthony Shim's Riceboy Sleeps, direct from 1091's YouTube:

So-Young is a Korean single mother raising her young son Dong-Hyun in the suburbs of Canada during the 90s. Determined to provide a better life for him than the one she left behind in her native country, she does her best to overcome the constant racial and cultural challenges that confront them. As Dong-Hyun gets older, he becomes increasingly curious about his Korean heritage and specifically about his deceased father – a topic that So-Young refuses to address. Instead, she is set on continuing to build on her new life which now includes a relationship with a kind Korean-Canadian man who is eager to take on the role of Dong-Hyun's surrogate father. This only exacerbates the tense relationship between her and Dong-Hyun. Then, sudden devastating news prompts the mother and son to return to South Korea for the first time since their original departure with hopes of reconnecting to their roots and reconciling their tragic past.

Riceboy Sleeps is both written and directed by actor / filmmaker Anthony Shim, his second feature film after directing Daughter previously, plus one other short film. Produced by Bryan Demore, Rebecca Steele, and Anthony Shim. Executive produced by Charlie Kerr & Matt Kerr, and Giuliana Bertuzzi. This initially premiered at the 2022 Toronto Film Festival last year, and it also played at the Vancouver and Busan Film Festivals. The film already opened in Canada in theaters in March earlier this year. 1091 Pictures will debut Shim's Riceboy Sleeps in the US direct-to-VOD starting May 2nd, 2023. More info on how to watch here.

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