WET SEASON, the highly anticipated second feature film from award-winning Singapore filmmaker Anthony Chen of ILO ILO, will make its World Premiere in the Platform Competition at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival.

This is the first time a Singapore film will compete in Toronto’s Platform Competition, the same section which launched Oscar winner Moonlight some years ago. WET SEASON is the only Asian film selected in the competition.

The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) taking place from 5 to 15 September, is the largest film festival in North America and is regarded as a launchpad for major awards season films. Amongst films that have been propelled at Toronto include:

• Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
• Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
• The King’s Speech (2010)
• 12 Years a Slave (2013)
• The Imitation Game (2014)
• La La Land (2016)
• Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)
• Green Book (2018)

The Platform Competition (named after Jia Zhangke’s film Platform) this year will consist of 10 world premiere films. WET SEASON is up for the Platform Prize of C$20,000 decided by a jury comprising of Greek filmmaker Athina Rachel Tsangari, Berlin International Film Festival artistic director Carlo Chatrian and Variety film critic Jessica Kiang. Last year’s award went to Taiwan-based filmmaker Ho Wi-ding’s Cities of Last Things.

Wet Season will world premiere on 8 September at the TIFF Bell Lightbox with director Anthony Chen, lead actress Yeo Yann Yann and producer Tan Si En in attendance. The film is due to be released in Singapore in late November.

Wet Season Synopsis

It is Monsoon season in Singapore and the city is pouring with rain. Wet Season follows the plight of Ling, a Chinese language teacher, whose marriage and school life are fraying apart because she is unable to bear a child. But an unlikely friendship with a student helps her reaffirm her identity as a woman.

The film is produced by Anthony Chen, Huang Wenhong and Tan Si En at Giraffe Pictures with the support of a grant from the Singapore Film Commission and investment from the Taipei Film Commission.

For more information and updates on the film, visit here.