Wildhood

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Wildhood
Directed byBretten Hannam
Written byBretten Hannam
Produced byJulie Baldassi
Damon D'Oliveira
Gharrett Patrick Paon
StarringPhillip Lewitski
Joshua Odjick
CinematographyGuy Godfree
Edited byShaun Rykiss
Music byNeil Haverty
Production
companies
Rebel Road Films
Younger Daughter Films
Distributed byFilms Boutique
Release date
  • September 10, 2021 (2021-09-10) (TIFF)
Running time
100 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguagesEnglish
Mi'kmaq

Wildhood is a 2021 Canadian dramatic romantic coming of age film, directed by Bretten Hannam.[1]

An expansion of Hannam's earlier short film Wildfire, which was the winner of the award for Best Short Film at the Screen Nova Scotia awards in 2020,[2] the film stars Phillip Lewitski as Lincoln, a young man in his late teens who was raised disconnected from his maternal Mi'kmaq heritage by his abusive white father Arvin (Joel Thomas Hynes); following the discovery that his mother Sarah, whom he had long been told was dead, is in fact still alive, he takes his younger half-brother Travis (Avery Winters-Anthony) on a journey to find her. En route, they meet the openly two-spirit Pasmay (Joshua Odjick), who becomes both a guide to Lincoln in reconnecting with his indigenous roots and a love interest.[3]

The cast also includes Michael Greyeyes, Savonna Spracklin, Jordan Poole, Samuel Davison and Steve Lund.

Production and distribution[]

The film's screenplay won Telefilm Canada's Pitch This! competition at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival,[1] and was funded by Telefilm Canada in 2019.[4] The film entered production in 2020 in the Windsor, Nova Scotia area.[3]

The film premiered at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival on September 10, 2021.[5] It was subsequently screened at the 2021 Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival, the 2021 Atlantic Film Festival, and the 2021 Vancouver International Film Festival. It has been acquired for commercial distribution by Films Boutique.[6]

Critical response[]

Lovia Gyarkye of The Hollywood Reporter reviewed the film favourably, writing that "The trio’s dynamic is entertaining, and they crack jokes with the same fierceness with which they argue. But it’s the evolving romance between Link and Pasmay that’s the most fun to witness. Maybe I’m a sucker for romance, but watching Link and Pasmay steal glances and exchange knowing smirks begins to feel more thrilling than the journey itself. Lewitski, who stars in Hulu’s Utopia Falls, and Odjick have a subtle and exciting chemistry that makes rooting for their budding love easy. The progress of that love is measured by the proximity of their bodies, which, as they get closer to finding Sarah, feel bound by an almost spiritual force."[7]

For The Coast, Morgan Mullin wrote that "the movie is at its strongest when it turns away from the family that abandoned its leads and leans into their frisson-filled connection instead (even if their most intimate moment borrows a touch too heavily from Moonlight). Traipsing the countryside together and awash in that magic-hour light, the two youth learn to be themselves while Pasmay teaches Link pow wow dancing."[8]

Awards[]

Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref(s)
Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival 2021 Cinema Indigenized Outstanding Talent Bretten Hannam Won [9]
FIN Atlantic Film Festival 2021 Best Feature Wildhood Won [10]
Best Director Bretten Hannam Won
Best Screenwriter Won
Best Actor Avery Winters-Anthony Won
Directors Guild of Canada 2021 DGC Discovery Award Bretten Hannam Nominated [11]
Canadian Screen Awards 2022 Best Picture Gharrett Patrick Paon, Julie Baldassi, Bretten Hannam Pending [12]
Best Director Bretten Hannam Pending
Best Actor Phillip Lewitski Pending
Best Supporting Actor Joshua Odjick Pending
Best Original Screenplay Bretten Hannam Pending
Best Casting in a Film Pending

References[]

  1. ^ a b Steve Gow, "Nova Scotia's film industry restarts with 'Wildhood'". Halifax Today, August 25, 2020.
  2. ^ "Murmur wins top prize at Screen Nova Scotia awards". CBC News Nova Scotia, December 6, 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Hannam’s Wildhood, a two-spirit teenage road trip, now filming in Windsor". SaltWire Network, August 19, 2020.
  4. ^ Jeremy Kay, "Telefilm Canada unveils eight indigenous filmmakers to receive backing". Screen Daily, June 27, 2019.
  5. ^ Rebecca Rubin, "Toronto Film Festival Unveils Contemporary World Cinema and Discovery Lineup". Variety, July 28, 2021.
  6. ^ Leo Barraclough, "Toronto-Bound ‘Wildhood,’ Helmed by Bretten Hannam, Picked Up by Films Boutique". Variety, August 27, 2021.
  7. ^ Lovia Gyarkye, "‘Wildhood’: Film Review | TIFF 2021". The Hollywood Reporter, September 22, 2021.
  8. ^ Morgan Mullin, "Movie review: Wildhood’s ephemeral glow". The Coast, September 16, 2021.
  9. ^ Donald Macdonald, "Sudbury entertainment briefs: New novel; Cinefest awards". Sudbury Star, October 3, 2021.
  10. ^ Mark Robins, "Wildhood scores a quartet of awards at this year’s FIN Atlantic International Film Festival". Halifax Presents, September 24, 2021.
  11. ^ "TV & Film News – DGC reveals Discovery Award long list of emerging directors to watch". Broadcast Dialogue, September 23, 2021.
  12. ^ Brent Furdyk, "2022 Canadian Screen Award Nominees Announced, ‘Sort Of’ & ‘Scarborough’ Lead The Pack". ET Canada, February 15, 2022.

External links[]

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