“Enlivened by elegant handheld cinematography and a galvanizing breakout performance
from Phillip Lewitski, Wildhood is a beautiful testament to the power of authentic storytelling.”
– Jude Dry, Indiewire
“A touching two-spirit coming of age story… Lewitski conjures a hardened vulnerability
relatively unseen since the days of River Phoenix.”
– Sarah Fonseca, INTO
“By acting as a story about cultural as well as sexual identity, Wildhood proves not only how important the coming-of-age narrative is within the queer cinema realm, but that there are
always new avenues to take the narrative in.”
– Matt St. Clair, Awards Watch
“Combines the foundation of heartrending coming-of-age narratives with the feel-good elements of road trip flicks to create a delicate, not to mention visually appealing, sophomore film.”
– Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter
**2021 Toronto International Film Festival – Official Selection**
**AFI Fest 2021 – Official Selection**
**2022 Canadian Screen Awards Winner – Best Supporting Actor**
**2022 Palm Springs International Film Festival – Special Mention, New Voices New Visions**
Synopsis
In a rural east-coast trailer park, Link (Lewitski) lives with his toxic father and younger half- brother Travis (Winters-Anthony). When Link discovers his Mi’kmaw mother could still be alive, it lights a flame and they make a run for a better life. On the road, they meet Pasmay (Odjick), a pow wow dancer drawn to Link. As the boys journey across Mi’kma’ki, Link finds community, identity and love in the land where he belongs.
Written and Directed by: Bretten Hannam
Produced by: Bretten Hannam, Gharrett Patrick Paon, Julie Baldassi
Starring: Phillip Lewitski, Joshua Odjick, Avery Winters-Anthony, Michael Greyeyes, Joel Thomas Hynes, Steve Lund, Savonna Spracklin
Runtime: 99 mins
Language: English, Mi’kmaq
About The Director
BRETTEN HANNAM (They/Them) is a Two Spirit L’nu filmmaker living in Kespukwitk, Mi’kma’ki (Nova Scotia) where they were raised. Their films deal with themes of community, culture, and language with a focus on two spirit and LGBTQ+ identity. They co-wrote the short, Champagne, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, and wrote/directed North Mountain, a Two Spirit thriller that won Best Original Score at the Atlantic Film Festival and the Screen Nova Scotia Award for Best Feature. They also wrote/directed the short film Wildfire which premiered at BFI Flare and went on to play at Frameline LGBT Film Festival, as well as Vancouver International Film Festival, ImagineNative, and Inside Out LGBT Film Festival. Bretten is a Fellow of the Praxis Centre for Screenwriters, Outfest Screenwriting Lab, Whistler’s Indigenous Filmmaker Fellowship, and the CFC Writers Lab.
