BOB TREVINO LIKES IT, a dramedy inspired by the true friendship that acclaimed writer-director Tracie Laymon found with a stranger when looking for her father online.

Lily Trevino (Barbie Ferreira) often plays the role of caretaker to people like her father who should be caring for her. She longs for a familial connection, having been abandoned by her mother as a child and then suddenly by her father in her twenties.

Bob Trevino (John Leguizamo) works long hours alone at a construction company to support his wife Jeanie’s scrapbooking habit. The couple has endured a lot in the past decade, and Bob has sought to put his wife first, to the point of ignoring his own feelings and need for friendship, meaning, and connection, That is, until he gets an unexpected Facebook message from a stranger.

Lily and Bob’s blossoming friendship becomes a vital source of connection and healing in both their lives. Bob’s small acts of fatherly kindness fill a familial void in Lily’s life and hold the power to change her direction forever. In their own ways, these two must both learn they are worthy of extraordinary love exemplified through small acts of kindness.

Release schedule:

Exclusive one week run at the TIFF Lightbox March 21, 2025

Canadian Theatrical rollout begins March 28, 2025, in Vancouver, Toronto and more cities to be added.

Opens in Victoria, BC and Guelph, ON on April 4, 2025

RUNTIME: 102 minutes

CAST:
BARBIE FERREIRA, Lily Trevino (Euphoria, House of Spoils, Nope)
JOHN LEGUIZAMO, Bob Trevino (The Power, The Green Veil, To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything)
FRENCH STEWART, Robert (3rd Rock From The Sun, Queen Bees, Inspector Gadget 2)
LAUREN “LOLO” SPENCER, Daphne (The Sex Lives of College Girls, With Love, NCIS: Los Angeles)
RACHEL BAY JONES, Jeanie (Young Sheldon, The Good Doctor, Critical Thinking).

WRITER/DIRECTOR:
Tracie Laymon (IFC’s list of emerging “Icons” and film innovators, Girls! Girls! Girls!)

CINEMATOGRAPHER: John Rosario
EDITOR: Anisha Acharya
PRODUCTION DESIGNER: Sydney Marquez
COMPOSER: Jacques Brautbar

PRODUCERS:
Tracie Laymon, Sean Mullen, Edgar Rosa, Felipe Dieppa

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS:
Carl Effenson, Barbie Ferreira, John Leguizamo, Kirk D’Amico, Mike Sobiloff, Dale Holdren, Rose Stewart

CANADIAN DISTRIBUTOR:
Photon Films

US DISTRIBUTOR:
Roadside Attractions

OTHER SELECTED OFFICIAL SELECTIONS AND AWARDS:
WHISTLER FILM FESTIVAL 2024 ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALIST EDA AWARD
CALGARY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2024 AUDIENCE AWARD (NEW AMERICA CINEMA FEATURE)
SAN DIEGO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2024 FESTIVAL AWARD
DENVER FILM FESTIVAL 2024 PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD
HAMPTONS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2024 AUDIENCE AWARD
NASHVILLE FILM FESTIVAL 2024 AUDIENCE AWARD
ANCHORAGE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2024 AUDIENCE AWARD, BEST FEATURE, BEST DIRECTOR
TWIN CITIES FILM FEST, US 2024 FILM CRITICS AWARD
VICTORIA FILM FESTIVAL 2025

ABOUT PHOTON FILMS AND MEDIA:
Launched in 2010, Photon Films and Media (photonfilms.ca), formerly Pacific Northwest Pictures, is a leading Canadian entertainment company specializing in the development, financing, production and distribution of feature films for the domestic and international marketplace. With an emphasis on high quality films from leading filmmakers in diverse genres, Photon Films brings those films to consumers with innovative forms of marketing and distribution across all distribution platforms.

Recent theatrical releases include Ernest Cole: Lost and Found (TIFF 2024) from award-winning filmmaker Raoul Peck, La Cocina (Berlin 2024) from director Alonso Ruizpalacios and starring Rooney Mara, Drive Back Home with Alan Cumming and the family film Autumn and the Black Jaguar. Other recent films include The Boy in the Woods starring Jett Klyne and Richard Armitage, Monster from Kore-Eda Hirokazu, The Old Oak from award-winning filmmaker Ken Loach and the 2024 Fantasia International Audience Award Winner Bookworm starring Elijah Wood, Nell Fisher and Michael Smiley.

Prime Video has debuted the official Trailer for upcoming series The Power. The emotionally driven global thriller from SISTER (Chernobyl) is based on British author Naomi Alderman’s award-winning novel, and will premiere exclusively on Prime Video on Friday, March 31, 2023 with new episodes available each Friday, leading up to the season finale on May 12, 2023.

From trophy to tyrant, outcast to outlaw, loner to leader, mayor to mutineer … how will The Power transform you? Today, Prime Video debuted the electrifying official trailer and key art for the global thriller The Power. The emotionally driven series from SISTER (Chernobyl) and showrunner Raelle Tucker (True Blood, Jessica Jones) is based on British author Naomi Alderman’s award-winning novel.​​The first three episodes ofThe Power will premiere exclusively on Prime Video on Friday, March 31, with new episodes available each Friday, leading up to the season finale on May 12.

The Power is our world, but for one twist of nature. Suddenly, and without warning, teenage girls develop the power to electrocute people at will. The series features a cast of remarkable characters from London to Seattle, Nigeria to Eastern Europe, as the Power evolves from a tingle in teenagers’ collarbones to a complete reversal of the power balance of the world.

The series stars Toni Collette as Mayor Margot Cleary-Lopez, alongside John Leguizamo as Rob Lopez, Auli’i Cravalho as Jos Cleary-Lopez, Toheeb Jimoh as Tunde Ojo, Josh Charles as Daniel Dandon, Eddie Marsan as Bernie Monke, Ria Zmitrowicz as Roxy Monke, Zrinka Cvitešić as Tatiana Moskalev, Halle Bush as Allie Montgomery, and more.

The Power comes from Amazon Studios and SISTER, with Raelle Tucker (True Blood, Jessica Jones) serving as showrunner.

(Photo/video credit: Prime Video Canada)

Walt Disney Studios Canada x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to win Advance Passes for 4 to see Disney’s ENCANTO! Screenings take place in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Ottawa on Wednesday, November 17 at 7:00pm.

Synopsis:

Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Encanto” tells the tale of an extraordinary family, the Madrigals, who live hidden in the mountains of Colombia, in a magical house, in a vibrant town, in a wondrous, charmed place called an Encanto. The magic of the Encanto has blessed every child in the family with a unique gift from super strength to the power to heal—every child except one, Mirabel. But when she discovers that the magic surrounding the Encanto is in danger, Mirabel decides that she, the only ordinary Madrigal, might just be her exceptional family’s last hope. The film features all-new songs by Emmy®, GRAMMY® and Tony Award® winner Lin-Manuel Miranda (“Hamilton,” “Moana”) and is directed by Byron Howard (“Zootopia,” “Tangled”) and Jared Bush (co-director “Zootopia”), co-directed by Charise Castro Smith (writer “The Death of Eva Sofia Valdez”) and produced by Clark Spencer and Yvett Merino. “Encanto” opens in theatres November 24, 2021. 

To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK and indicate on the comments there, your City. Re-Tweet the Contest Tweet below for an extra chance.

Rules and regulations here.

NOTE: Winners will be contacted from the official MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK account only. Please do not accept friend requests from others requesting your personal information.

Disney’s ENCANTO is in theatres November 24, 2021.

(Photo/video credit: Disney)

“Encanto” translates in Spanish to “charmed”, and Disney’s latest Animated Feature is set to do exactly that to audiences. Set in colourful Colombia, the Film co-directed by Byron Howard, Jared Bush and Charise Castro Smith. The former two partnered on Zootopia to raves, and ENCANTO features the Music of Hamilton mastermind, Lin-Manuel Miranda. The Film centers on an extraordinary family, the Madrigals, who live in a magical house. Children in the town of Encanto each possess the power to heal, except Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz) who must find her own strength to be her family’s only hope, when she learns that the magic of the town might be in danger.

We had the joy of sitting in on the Press Junket with the Cast and Creators of ENCANTO, including:

We learned that Byron Howard, Jared Bush and Lin-Manuel Miranda had travelled together to Colombia in preparation for the Film. Howard talks about the inspiring experience.

Howard: “Lin has been with us on this journey from the beginning. It’s so rare to have your Songwriter with you for this experience. So when we went to Colombia with Lin and his dad Luis – whom we love – which was an amazing experience, I think we were just blown away learning about Colombia from people who we loved, people who are of Colombian heritage and sharing their families and that warmth and diversity. Colombia being this crossroads of music, of culture, of dance, of food, of tradition and this was an incredible moment for us. We were allover the place, we were in tiny little towns and huge cities, all of which have a different vibe. And we love that people from these places celebrate those specifics of their personalities and we looked at any way we could get that into the family. ”

“Playing-up those great contrasts, we came back really charged-up to get as much of Colombia as we could into this Film… and I almost fell off a cliff! But I lived!”.

Abuela Alma is one of the Film’s most integral characters and she’s played by Maria Cecilia Botero. Lin-Manuel Miranda talks about the inspiration behind her.

Miranda: “I don’t know if my dad was invited by Disney, or just sorta showed-up on the trip, it still remains a mystery. His experience and what he brought to the table actually wound up being invaluable. I remember him telling us a story about his grandmother in Puerto Rico and she had lots of kids, those kids got married and all stayed under the same roof. She ruled with such certainty that people would give their paycheques to her and she would re-allocate the wealth amongst the kids and the married couples and her children and grandchildren, and that was the kind of rule that wound-up informing Abuela Alma, who really loves her family dearly, but holds it super-tight. And that’s just where our story begins.”.

Botero: “She’s like the one whose strength is family, the one that keeps the family together, she’s like the force of the family. And I think I am too in my own family.”.

One of the centerpiece songs of ENCANTO is “Dos Oruguitas” (Two Caterpillars). The song happens to be the first song ever written entirely in Spanish by Miranda.

Miranda: “I think that being there from the beginning really allowed for more of a give and take than I’ve ever experienced on an Animated Film. There were songs where I put points on the board and said ‘Here’s our opening number!’, ‘Here’s how everyone’s related and what they can do!’, and I wrote that opening number before we had a Second or a Third Act to our Film, because we needed it for ourselves to keep track of everyone. Their names my change and their powers may change, but we know the audience is gonna need a guide and Mirabel is going to be our guide.”.

“Dos Oruguitas was inspired by some of the visuals coming-out of the Animation Department. And I loved the way they embodied the Miracle by having a flame from a candle turn into a butterfly, turn into a cascade of butterflies. Approaching this moment without spoilers, it’s a moment where we reveal a really personal part of the Madrigal family history and it didn’t feel right to have a character sing in real time, which is what all the other characters are doing over the course of the Movie. I thought we needed a Folk song, a song that feels like it’s always existed. Riffing-off the butterfly imagery I thought, butterflies have to go through a miracle to even become butterflies, and so I wrote this song about two caterpillars who are in love and are scared of letting each other go, but have to let each other go to become their next selves. It was a nature metaphor that already was baked-into the visuals of the Film, but speak so specifically to what this family is going through to see each other more fully in terms of you have to change to see each other get to the next level, and you have to allow yourselves to change.”.

“It isn’t harder to rhyme in Spanish, I just have a more limited vocab in Spanish, so I really had to reach for my Thesaurus and go outside my comfort zone to really try to write a song that feels like it’s always existed and I hope we accomplished this.”.

Colombian Author Gabriel García Márquez’s 100 YEARS OF SOLITUDE serves as a great inspiration for ENCANTO and Co-Director/Writer Charise Castro Smith talks about this.

Smith: “We were definitely inspired by magical realism, by Gabriel García Márquez. I was reading 100 Years of Solitude, Love in the Time of Cholera and The House of Spirits, a lot of different magical realism, when I was starting to work on this Movie. The butterflies absolutely are an homage to him.”.

Stephanie Beatriz stars as Mirabel, and was eight months when working on the Film, singing some of the Film’s demanding musical numbers. As Miranda says, she was “carrying a miracle” in a Film about a miracle. She talks about what she brought to the role from her own personality.

Beatriz: “Awkwardness, my anxiety, and honestly my use of Comedy. When I’m uncomfortable and don’t know what to do, I often turn to making a joke out of it to make myself more comfortable, to make everyone else more comfortable. I think Comedy is really useful because it takes the air out of stuff. Everyone can be really tense and then you make a joke and then everyone relaxes. You can’t really laugh if you’re tense. Does that make sense? I think I tried to bring that to Mirabel. I like to improvise and I like jokes and I like making other people laugh. One of the highlights of my life was when Byron, Jared or Charise would laugh at something I would do!”.

“Once Mirabel starts to take-off on the adventure, there’s some funny stuff when she’s by herself when she’s trying to entertain herself. ‘Cause really what’s kinda crazy is in this huge family is that Mirabel is often alone and depending on herself. She kinda becomes her own sidekick and talks to herself a lot. I think a lot of that Improv wound-up making it into the Film.”.

Colombian-born John Leguizamo has been very vocal about inclusion and representation of the Latinx community in Film.

Leguizamo: “There’s a couple moments that hit me hard as a grown-ass man. It was when I saw all the colours, ’cause that’s how my family is in Colombia. Everyone can be really mad dark or light, with straight and super-curly hair. It looked like the way I grew-up and to see that, you just feel like ‘Oh my God, we’ve arrived!’. We as Latinx people have really arrived when there’s a Disney movie about you. And then to hear music from Colombia on-top of that, I can’t do this, it’s too much for me!”.

Some stills from the Press Junket:

Check back soon for our Review of Disney’s ENCANTO. ENCANTO is in theatres November 24, 2021.

(Photo/video credit: Disney)

Well this looks fun! John Cena stars in PLAYING WITH FIRE! See the brand-new Trailer!

SYNOPSIS:
When straight-laced fire superintendent Jake Carson (John Cena) and his elite team of expert firefighters (Keegan-Michael Key, John Leguizamo and Tyler Mane) come to the rescue of three siblings (Brianna Hildebrand, Christian Convery and Finley Rose Slater) in the path of an encroaching wildfire, they quickly realize that no amount of training could prepare them for their most challenging job yet – babysitters. Unable to locate the children’s parents, the firefighters have their lives, jobs and even their fire depot turned upside down and quickly learn that kids – much like fires –are wild and unpredictable.

See the Trailer:

Paramount Pictures Canada release PLAYING WITH FIRE Friday, November 8, 2019.

(Photo/video credit: Paramount Pictures Canada)

VVS Films and Mr. Will want to give Canadian Readers a chance to win on DVD a copy of critical and Box Office success, CHEF!

Official Synopsis:

When Chef Carl Casper (Jon Favreau) suddenly quits his job at a prominent Los Angeles restaurant after refusing to compromise his creative integrity for its controlling Owner (Dustin Hoffman), he is left to figure out what’s next. Finding himself in Miami, he teams up with his Ex-Wife (Sofia Vergara), his Friend (John Leguizamo) and his Son to launch a Food Truck. Taking to the road, Chef Carl goes back to his roots to reignite his passion for the kitchen — and zest for life and love.

Did you know also that Scarlett Johansson, Robert Downey Jr., Amy Sedaris, Bobby Cannavale and our own Russell Peters also star?

To enter to win, simply click “like” on this Post at Mr. Will Wong on Facebook! Share this Post or Re-Tweet to increase your chances:

http://mrwillwong.com/chefdvd @MRWILLW wants us to #win a copy of #CHEFMOVIE on DVD! Out 9/30.

Good luck, Willionaire$!

Official Trailer:

Official Artwork:

Stay connected with the Movie via Social Media:
#ChefMovie
Facebook/ChefTheFilm
www.chefmovie.ca

VVS Films release CHEF on Video-on-Demand, Digital, DVD + Blu-ray on Tuesday, September 30, 2014.

(Photo/video credit: VVS Films)

This looks delicious. CHEF premieres at the SXSW Festival in Austin tonight as its Opening Night Film. The Food Truck-Comedy starring/directed/written by Jon Favreau is about  a Chef who loses his job, setting his sights on a Food Truck, at once trying to reunite with his estranged Family. How could this not be amazing?

See a Sneak Peek of CHEF below with Favreau inciting a Twitter War with the Competition:

UNIVERSAL PICTURES CANADA and MR. WILL WONG are thrilled for the first time to give you the chance to win one of 5 Admit Two Passes to the Advance Promo Screening of KICK-ASS 2 on Wednesday, August 14^th 7:00PM at SilverCity Yonge & Eglinton.

We were there on-set last Fall as Kick-Ass 2 filmed in our City and we couldn’t be happier to take you to see the Action-Comedy first!  Read about it all here.

Official Synopsis below:

Kick-Ass, Hit Girl and Red Mist return for the follow-up to 2010’s irreverent global hit: Kick-Ass 2. After Kick-Ass’ (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) insane bravery inspires a new wave of self-made masked crusaders, led by the badass Colonel Stars and Stripes (Jim Carrey), our Hero joins them on patrol. When these amateur Superheroes are hunted down by Red Mist (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) — reborn as The Mother F %&*^r—only the blade-wielding Hit Girl (Chloë Grace Moretz) can prevent their annihilation.

When we last saw junior Assassin Hit Girl and young Vigilante Kick-Ass, they were trying to live as normal Teenagers Mindy and Dave. With graduation looming and uncertain what to do, Dave decides to start the world’s first Superhero Team with Mindy. Unfortunately, when Mindy is busted for sneaking out as Hit Girl, she’s forced to retire — leaving her to navigate the terrifying world of high-school Mean Girls on her own. With no one left to turn to, Dave joins forces with Justice Forever, run by a born-again ex-Mobster named Colonel Stars and Stripes.

Just as they start to make a real difference on the streets, the world’s first super villain, The Mother F%&*^r, assembles his own evil League and puts a plan in motion to make Kick-Ass and Hit Girl pay for what they did to his Dad. But there’s only one problem with his scheme: If you mess with one member of Justice Forever, you mess with them all.

Kick-Ass 2 stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Chloë Grace Moretz, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Morris Chestnut,
John Leguizamo, Donald Faison and Jim Carrey.

To enter to win, simply click “like” on this Post at Mr. Will Wong on Facebook. Double your chances by sharing this Post or Re-Tweeting the below:

http://www.mrwillwong.com/kickass2 @MRWILLW wants us to #win a Double Pass to the #Toronto Advance Screening of #KICKASS2. In theatres 8/16! 

See for yourself the Red-Band Trailer (NSFW) which is dropping jaws everywhere:

For the Safe-for-Work Trailer, look below:

Official Artwork below:

Universal Pictures  Canada releases the amazing Kick-Ass 2 on Friday, August 16, 2013.

“Like” Universal Pictures Canada on Facebook here! 

(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures Canada)

“Have you been bad?”.

The Counselor I admit, was pretty much off my radar until today when I saw this sizzling International trailer for this latest Drama by Sir Ridley Scott. Michael Fassbender stars as a Lawyer who gets caught-up in Drug Trafficking. A fantastic Supporting Cast here includes: Cameron Diaz, Javier Bardem, Penélope Cruz, Bruno Ganz, Rosie Perez, John Leguizamo and Brad Pitt.

Watch the Teaser Trailer below:

20th Century Fox releases on October 25, 2013. TIFF 2013? Sure looks it!

(Photo/video credit: 20th Century Fox)

Just landed in New York City earlier today and what a night it’s been!  And the Met Gala festivities haven’t even begun!  I stumbled upon an Advance Screening for The Great Gatsby, held at the Museum of Modern Art and after sticking around for a bit, the Stars just poured out of the Venue unlike anything I’ve ever seen!

A merging of Fashion and Film Worlds collided tonight including the likes of: Vera Wang, Emma Roberts, Michael Shannon, Cuba Gooding Jr., Ezra Miller, Kylie Minogue, Aubrey Plaza, David Schwimmer, Dane DeHaan, Anna Wood, John Leguizamo, Meg Hilty, Piper Perabo, Oliver Stone, Katy Perry, Solange Knowles and of course Star Carey Mulligan.  Unreal.

Stay tuned for more Stars as I capture Stars of the Met Gala tomorrow night.  You ain’t seen nothin’ yet!

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)