Ontario only; until March 13 at 11:59 pm.
Director: Martin Edralin
Featuring: Rogelio Balagtas, Vangie Alcasid, Esteban Comilang, Sheila Lotuaco
Language: English, Tagalog subtitled in English
Runtime: 94 minutes
Rating: suitable for most audiences; content advisory: mild sexual content
A much-deserving prizewinner at the SXSW and Reel Asian festivals and a Canada’s Top Ten selection (TIFF), this first feature by Toronto’s Martin Edralin is a subtle yet deeply heartfelt portrait of a middle-aged man whose life is really just beginning. Rogelio Balagtas gives a richly nuanced performance as Joshua, the shyest member of a Filipino-Canadian family who’s forced to come out of his shell by circumstances both tragic and hopeful. Favouring small moments over big gestures as he tells Joshua’s very belated coming-of-age story, Edralin continually finds ways to reveal his characters’ feelings and inner lives that are as fresh as they are impactful.