#FIRSTLOOK: “THE LIGHT BEFORE THE SUN” TO PREMIERE IN UK

Celebrated Indigenous director Michael Greyeyes helms THE LIGHT BEFORE THE SUN, a 33-minute mid-length feature film, written by three-time Canadian Comedy Award winning Rob Baker (CBC’S THIS HOUR HAS 22 MINUTES and Netflix/CBC’s WORKING MOMS), based on a story created by Jamie Thomas King (AMC’s MAD MEN, Showtime’s THE TUDORS), Tamara Podemski (Apple TV+’s MURDERBOT, Prime Video’s OUTER RANGE) and Rob Baker.

Under the Blackbird Productions banner, THE LIGHT BEFORE THE SUN is produced by Tamara Podemski and executive produced by Jamie Thomas King.

THE LIGHT BEFORE THE SUN is about famed self-help guru Daniel Wolf (Jamie Thomas King) returning home to an empty house after an international book tour and then his estranged friend Freddie (Rick Roberts) arrives on the scene. They spiral into a drug-induced contemplation of the human condition, as Daniel attempts to reconcile his body of work, the demand of his followers, and his unrelenting quest for enlightenment.

THE LIGHT BEFORE THE SUN stars:
Jamie Thomas King (AMC’s MAD MEN, Showtime’s THE TUDORS)
Rick Roberts (CTV/NBC’s TRANSPLANT, ABC’s DESIGNATED SURVIVOR) *winner of the 2025 ACTRA Award for Outstanding Performance for this role – (Equity equivalent in Canada)
Tony Nappo (Netflix’s GINNY & GEORGIA, Hallmark’s MISTLETOE MURDERS)
Jennifer Podemski (Crave’s DON’T EVEN, FX’s RESERVATION DOGS)
Rose Napoli (JUMP, DARLING, MAX’s TITANS)
Rob Baker (CBC’s BARONESS VON SKETCH SHOW, Netflix’s GINNY & GEORGIA)
Karen LeBlanc (CBS/Paramount +’s FIRE COUNTRY, Netflix’s GINNY & GEORGIA).
Directed by: Michael Greyeyes (CTV/APTN’s ACTING GOOD)
Written by: Rob Baker (CBC’S THIS HOUR HAS 22 MINUTES and Netflix/CBC’s WORKING MOMS)
Story by: Jamie Thomas King, Tamara Podemski, Rob Baker
Produced by: Tamara Podemski (Apple TV+’s MURDERBOT, Prime Video’s OUTER RANGE)
Executive Produced by: Jamie Thomas King

Premiere Status: United Kingdom Premiere
Country: Canada
Runtime: 33 minutes
Language: English

LITTLE VENICE FILM FESTIVAL nominations:
Best Actor – Jamie Thomas King
Best Narrative Short
Mental Health Experience
Screeners and Interviews are available upon request. Jamie Thomas King is available for in-person interviews April 20 – April 28, 2026.

Connect with BLACKBIRD PRODUCTIONS
Website: blackbirdproductions.ca
Instagram: @blackbirdprodinc
Facebook: Blackbird Productions

LITTLE VENICE FILM FESTIVAL – for more information/tickets, click here.

ABOUT BLACKBIRD PRODUCTIONS INC.
Fuelled by their mutual desire to expand Tamara and Jamie’s vision as storytellers, BLACKBIRD PRODUCTIONS is an opportunity for this husband and wife team to claim their space behind the camera as producers, writers and content creators. With a mission to educate, empower and entertain, BLACKBIRD PRODUCTIONS is passionate about provocative, socially conscious stories of resilience and the capacity of the human spirit.

THE LIGHT BEFORE THE SUN (LONG SYNOPSIS)
Struggling to find his footing after coming off an international book tour, celebrated self-help guru Daniel Wolf returns home to an empty house. With his family snowed in hundreds of miles away and without his support systems in place, he does everything he can to keep himself from calling the one person who could relieve his anxieties, but also lead him down a rabbit hole. When estranged friend Freddie arrives on the scene, Daniel succumbs to the desperate need for reassurance, liberation and intimacy. As the two friends spiral into a drug-induced contemplation of the human condition, Daniel attempts to reconcile his body of work, the demand of his followers, and his unrelenting quest for enlightenment. Set within the world of the human potential movement, Daniel’s descent reveals the intricate web of mental health, addiction and celebrity culture. In this journey of self-discovery, Daniel must decide if he’s willing to lose everything and finally step into his most authentic self.

ABOUT TAMARA PODEMSKI
Tamara Podemski is an Anishinaabe (First Nations) and Ashkenazi (Jewish) multi-disciplinary performer whose work has spanned over three decades on stage and screen. She is best known for her acting roles in DANCE ME OUTSIDE, THE REZ (CBC), READY OR NOT (Global), RESERVATION DOGS (FX) and the Broadway company of RENT. In 2007, Tamara won the Special Jury Prize for Acting at the Sundance Film Festival for her role in Sterlin Harjo’s FOUR SHEETS TO THE WIND, which also garnered her a Film Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Tamara stepped behind the camera in 2018, writing two seasons of the Indigenous documentary series FUTURE HISTORY(APTN), earning her a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Factual Writing. The following year, she joined the Indspire Awards (CBC) as writer and researcher for this nationally-televised variety program, which was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award for Best Biography Series.

For her role in The CW and CBC’s television drama CORONER, she won a Canadian Screen Award (CSA) for Best Supporting Actress (2021), as well as an ACTRA Award for Outstanding Performance – Female. The next year, for the same role, Tamara won her second CSA for Best Guest Performance, Drama Series, and received another two CSA nominations for Best Supporting Actress in the family drama UNSETTLED (APTN/TVO) and Best Ensemble for ESSEX COUNTY (CBC) with Molly Parker.

After starring alongside Josh Brolin in two seasons of OUTER RANGE (Prime Video), Tamara went from Erica Tremblay’s FANCY DANCE (Apple TV+) opposite Lily Gladstone to the sci-fi comedy MURDERBOT (CBS/Apple TV+) starring Alexander Skarsgård. In 2026, she will be seen in two upcoming feature films: Hubert Davis’ remake of YOUNGBLOOD and Gail Maurice’s Michif-language film BLOODLINES. Back on the small screen, Tamara will reprise her roles on two very different CBC shows: the menopause comedy SMALL ACHIEVABLE GOALS and the police procedural SAINT PIERRE, while introducing a new character in the upcoming crime drama THE BORDERLINE (Crave) opposite Minnie Driver.

Tamara claimed her space as a producer in 2023, launching Blackbird Productions with her husband Jamie Thomas King. From its passion for provocative and diverse storytelling to its engagement of healthy workplace processes and practices, Blackbird is committed to amplifying the conversation of mental health and trauma recovery, while providing safe spaces for dialogue and discourse through all levels of production.

As an Indigenous storyteller, Tamara continues to advocate for authentic representation, inclusion in-front and behind the camera, as well as challenge the colonial narrative pervasive in the entertainment industry.

ABOUT JAMIE THOMAS KING
Jamie Thomas King is an English-American actor born and raised in London, England, where he began his training with the National Youth Theatre and later received a scholarship to the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). In 2005, Jamie starred in the Royal National Theatre’s production of Sir Alan Bennett’s “The History Boys”, directed by Sir Nicholas Hytner, which was followed by a UK tour and a transfer to the West End’s Wyndham Theatre.

For the next decade, Jamie moved between film and television, with characters like Guy Mackendrick in the Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning series MAD MEN (AMC), and Sir Thomas Wyatt in two seasons of the historical drama THE TUDORS (Showtime). From popular network shows like PRIVATE PRACTICE (ABC), ELEMENTARY (CBS), CALL THE MIDWIFE (BBC) and MURDOCH MYSTERIES (CBC) to roles in Oscar and BAFTA-winning films like Mike Leigh’s MR. TURNER and Tomas Alfredson’s TINKER, TAILER, SOLDIER, SPY, Jamie established himself as an international screen actor, but never forgot his theatre roots. In 2015, Jamie returned to the stage to join the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford, England starring in John Ford’s “Love’s Sacrifice” directed by Matthew Dunster.

In 2016, following the death of his son Benjamin due to preventable medical error, Jamie took a hiatus from his acting career to focus on the Coroner’s Inquest and pursue justice and accountability for his family. During what eventually became a five-year lawsuit, Jamie relocated to Toronto, Canada and joined forces with patient safety advocates around the world in their mission to improve global healthcare practices, eventually teaching workshops, offering keynote addresses and creating a Foundation in memory of his son.

Returning to the film industry in 2021, Jamie secured the rights to OBE Recipient James Titcombe’s memoir Joshua’s Story: Uncovering the Morecambe Bay Maternity Scandal and wrote his first screenplay; a dramatised version of the book, which is also inspired by his own personal experiences as a patient safety advocate and bereaved parent.

In 2023, Jamie partnered with his wife Tamara Podemski to create Blackbird Productions, subsequently acting as EP, co-writer and star of their first project, The Light Before the Sun, which had its world premiere at the Hamilton Film Festival in October 2024. Recently, Jamie has been featured as Zachary Quinto’s love interest on BRILLIANT MINDS (NBC) and in season two of MISTLETOE MURDERS (Hallmark).

#FIRSTLOOK: NEW POSTER FOR “THE LIGHT BEFORE THE SUN”

“THE LIGHT BEFORE THE SUN” is set to premiere in Toronto at the IMAGINENATIVE FILM + MEDIA ARTS FESTIVAL JUNE 5, 2025!

Notable Indigenous director Michael Greyeyes takes the helm of this 33-minute mid-length feature film, written by Canadian Award winning Rob Baker (CBC’s THIS HOUR HAS 22 MINUTES and WORKIN’ MOMS), based on a story created by Jamie Thomas King (AMC’s MAD MEN, Showtime’s THE TUDORS), Tamara Podemski (Amazon/Prime Video’s OUTER RANGE, Apple TV+’s MURDERBOT), and Rob Baker.

Produced by Tamara Podemski and executive produced by Jamie Thomas King.

Today we get an exclusive look at its official poster!

See the Trailer:

THE LIGHT BEFORE THE SUN stars:
Jamie Thomas King (AMC’s MAD MEN, Showtime’s THE TUDORS)
Rick Roberts (CTV/NBC’s TRANSPLANT, ABC’s DESIGNATED SURVIVOR) *winner of the 2025 ACTRA Award for Outstanding Performance for this role
Tony Nappo (Paramount+’s STAR TREK: DISCOVERY, CBC’s STRAYS)
Jennifer Podemski (Crave’s DON’T EVEN, FX’s RESERVATION DOGS)
Rose Napoli (JUMP,DARLING, MAX’s TITANS)
Rob Baker (CBC’s BARONESS VON SKETCH SHOW, Netflix’s GINNY & GEORGIA)
Karen LeBlanc (CBS/Paramount +’s FIRE COUNTRY, Netflix’s GINNY & GEORGIA).

THE LIGHT BEFORE THE SUN is about famed self-help guru Daniel Wolf (Jamie Thomas King) returning home to an empty house after an international book tour and then his estranged friend Freddie (Rick Roberts) arrives on the scene. They spiral into a drug-induced contemplation of the human condition, as Daniel attempts to reconcile his body of work, the demand of his followers, and his unrelenting quest for enlightenment.

Connect with BLACKBIRD PRODUCTIONS
Website: blackbirdproductions.ca
Instagram: @blackbirdprodinc
Facebook: Blackbird Productions

imagineNATIVE Film/Ticket Link here.

ABOUT BLACKBIRD PRODUCTIONS INC.
Fuelled by their mutual desire to expand Tamara and Jamie’s vision as storytellers, BLACKBIRD PRODUCTIONS is an opportunity for this husband and wife team to claim their space behind the camera as producers, writers and content creators. With a mission to educate, empower and entertain, BLACKBIRD PRODUCTIONS is passionate about provocative, socially conscious stories of resilience and the capacity of the human spirit.

THE LIGHT BEFORE THE SUN (LONG SYNOPSIS)
Struggling to find his footing after coming off an international book tour, celebrated self-help guru Daniel Wolf returns home to an empty house. With his family snowed in hundreds of miles away and without his support systems in place, he does everything he can to keep himself from calling the one person who could relieve his anxieties, but also lead him down a rabbit hole. When estranged friend Freddie arrives on the scene, Daniel succumbs to the desperate need for reassurance, liberation and intimacy. As the two friends spiral into a drug-induced contemplation of the human condition, Daniel attempts to reconcile his body of work, the demand of his followers, and his unrelenting quest for enlightenment. Set within the world of the human potential movement, Daniel’s descent reveals the intricate web of mental health, addiction and celebrity culture. In this journey of self-discovery, Daniel must decide if he’s willing to lose everything and finally step into his most authentic self.

ABOUT TAMARA PODEMSKI
Tamara Podemski is an Anishinaabe (First Nations) and Ashkenazi (Jewish) multi-disciplinary performer whose work has spanned over three decades on stage and screen. She is best known for her acting roles in DANCE ME OUTSIDE, THE REZ (CBC), READY OR NOT (Global), RESERVATION DOGS (FX) and the Broadway company of RENT. In 2007, Tamara won the Special Jury Prize for Acting at the Sundance Film Festival for her role in Sterlin Harjo’s FOUR SHEETS TO THE WIND, which also garnered her a Film Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Tamara stepped behind the camera in 2018, writing two seasons of the Indigenous documentary series FUTURE HISTORY(APTN), earning her a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Factual Writing. The following year, she joined the Indspire Awards (CBC) as writer and researcher for this nationally-televised variety program, which was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award for Best Biography Series.

In 2020, Tamara was tasked with bringing the quirky character of Alison Trent to life on CORONER (CBC), a role that won her a Canadian Screen Award for Best Supporting Actress (2021), an ACTRA Award for Outstanding Performance (2021), as well as another Canadian Screen Award for Best Guest Star (2022). She then went on to star opposite Phoebe Waller-Bridge in RUN (HBO), then opposite Josh Brolin for two seasons as Sheriff Joy in OUTER RANGE (Amazon/Prime Video), and most recently she stars as Bharadwaj on the series MURDERBOT (Apple TV+).

After years of experience in both Canadian and US markets, Tamara claimed her space as a producer in 2023, launching Blackbird Productions with her husband Jamie Thomas King. From its passion for provocative and diverse storytelling to its engagement of healthy workplace processes and practices, Blackbird is committed to amplifying the conversation of mental health and trauma recovery, while providing safe spaces for dialogue and discourse through all levels of production.

As an Indigenous storyteller, Tamara continues to advocate for authentic representation, inclusion in-front and behind the camera, as well as challenge the colonial narrative pervasive in the entertainment industry.

ABOUT JAMIE THOMAS KING
Jamie Thomas King is a English-American actor born and raised in London, England, where he began his training with the National Youth Theatre and later received a scholarship to the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). His big break came when he starred in the Royal National Theatre’s production of Sir Alan Bennett’s “The History Boys”, directed by Sir Nicholas Hytner, followed by a UK tour and a transfer to the West End’s Wyndham Theatre.

For the next twenty years, Jamie moved between film and television, with characters like Guy Mackendrick in the multiple Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning series MAD MEN (AMC), and Sir Thomas Wyatt in two seasons of the historical drama THE TUDORS (Showtime). From popular network shows like PRIVATE PRACTICE (ABC), ELEMENTARY (CBS), CALL THE MIDWIFE (BBC) and MURDOCH MYSTERIES (CBC) to Oscar and BAFTA-winning films like Mike Leigh’s MR. TURNER and Tomas Alfredson’s TINKER, TAILER, SOLDIER, SPY. Jamie established himself as an international screen actor, but never forgot his theatre roots. In 2015, Jamie returned to the stage to join the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford, starring in John Ford’s “Love’s Sacrifice”.

In 2016, following the death of his son Benjamin due to medical error, Jamie took a hiatus from his career to focus on the Coroner’s Inquest. Calling upon everything he learned during the five-year lawsuit, Jamie joined forces with patient safety advocates around the world in their mission to improve global healthcare practices, eventually teaching workshops, offering keynote addresses and creating a Foundation in memory of his son.

Returning to the industry, and following in the path of his late mother, acclaimed screenwriter Laura Lamson, Jamie wrote his first screenplay. After reading OBE Recipient James Titcombe’s memoir Joshua’s Story: Uncovering the Morecambe Bay Maternity Scandal. He secured the rights to the book and adapted it for the screen.

In 2023, Jamie partnered with his wife Tamara Podemski to create Blackbird Productions, subsequently acting as EP and star of their first project, The Light Before the Sun will world premiere at the Hamilton Film Festival in October 2024.

#FIRSTLOOK: “THE LIGHT BEFORE THE SUN” TO PREMIERE AT 2024 HAMILTON FILM FESTIVAL

Notable Indigenous director Michael Greyeyes takes the helm of this 33-minute mid-length feature film, written by three-time Canadian Comedy Award winning Rob Baker, based on a story created by Jamie Thomas King (AMC’s MAD MEN, Showtime’s THE TUDORS), Tamara Podemski (Amazon/Prime Video’s OUTER RANGE, FX’s RESERVATION DOGS) and Rob Baker. Premiere takes places at the Hamilton Film Festival October 26, 2024.

Produced by Tamara Podemski and executive produced by Jamie Thomas King.

THE LIGHT BEFORE THE SUN stars:
Jamie Thomas King (AMC’s MAD MEN, Showtime’s THE TUDORS)
Rick Roberts (CTV/NBC’s TRANSPLANT, ABC’s DESIGNATED SURVIVOR)
Tony Nappo (Paramount+’s STAR TREK: DISCOVERY, CBC’s STRAYS)
Jennifer Podemski (Crave’s DON’T EVEN, FX’s RESERVATION DOGS)
Rose Napoli (JUMP,DARLING, MAX’s TITANS)
Rob Baker (CBC’s BARONESS VON SKETCH SHOW, Netflix’s GINNY & GEORGIA)
Karen LeBlanc (CBS/Paramount +’s FIRE COUNTRY, Netflix’s GINNY & GEORGIA).

THE LIGHT BEFORE THE SUN is about famed self-help guru Daniel Wolf (Jamie Thomas King) returning home to an empty house after an international book tour and then his estranged friend Freddie (Rick Roberts) arrives on the scene. They spiral into a drug-induced contemplation of the human condition, as Daniel attempts to reconcile his body of work, the demand of his followers, and his unrelenting quest for enlightenment.

Screeners and Interviews are available upon request.

Connect with BLACKBIRD PRODUCTIONS
Instagram: @blackbirdprodinc
Facebook: Blackbird Productions
Website: blackbirdproductions.ca

ABOUT BLACKBIRD PRODUCTIONS INC.
Fuelled by their mutual desire to expand Tamara and Jamie’s vision as storytellers, BLACKBIRD PRODUCTIONS is an opportunity for this husband and wife team to claim their space behind the camera as producers, writers and content creators. With a mission to educate, empower and entertain, BLACKBIRD PRODUCTIONS is passionate about provocative, socially conscious stories of resilience and the capacity of the human spirit.

THE LIGHT BEFORE THE SUN (LONG SYNOPSIS)
Struggling to find his footing after coming off an international book tour, celebrated self-help guru Daniel Wolf returns home to an empty house. With his family snowed in hundreds of miles away and without his support systems in place, he does everything he can to keep himself from calling the one person who could relieve his anxieties, but also lead him down a rabbit hole. When estranged friend Freddie arrives on the scene, Daniel succumbs to the desperate need for reassurance, liberation and intimacy. As the two friends spiral into a drug-induced contemplation of the human condition, Daniel attempts to reconcile his body of work, the demand of his followers, and his unrelenting quest for enlightenment. Set within the world of the human potential movement, Daniel’s descent reveals the intricate web of mental health, addiction and celebrity culture. In this journey of self-discovery, Daniel must decide if he’s willing to lose everything and finally step into his most authentic self.

ABOUT TAMARA PODEMSKI
Tamara Podemski is an Anishinaabe (First Nations) and Ashkenazi (Jewish) multi-disciplinary performer whose work has spanned over three decades on stage and screen. She is best known for her acting roles in DANCE ME OUTSIDE, THE REZ (CBC), READY OR NOT (Global), RESERVATION DOGS (FX) and the Broadway company of RENT. In 2007, Tamara won the Special Jury Prize for Acting at the Sundance Film Festival for her role in Sterlin Harjo’s FOUR SHEETS TO THE WIND, which also garnered her a Film Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Tamara stepped behind the camera in 2018, writing two seasons of the Indigenous documentary series FUTURE HISTORY(APTN), earning her a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Factual Writing. The following year, she joined the Indspire Awards (CBC) as writer and researcher for this nationally-televised variety program, which was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award for Best Biography Series.

In 2020, Tamara was tasked with bringing the quirky character of Alison Trent to life on CORONER (CBC), a role that won her a Canadian Screen Award for Best Supporting Actress (2021), an ACTRA Award for Outstanding Performance (2021), as well as another Canadian Screen Award for Best Guest Star (2022). She then went on to star opposite Phoebe Waller-Bridge in RUN (HBO) and then opposite Josh Brolin for two seasons as Sheriff Joy in OUTER RANGE (Amazon/Prime Video).

After years of experience in both Canadian and US markets, Tamara claimed her space as a producer in 2023, launching Blackbird Productions with her husband Jamie Thomas King. From its passion for provocative and diverse storytelling to its engagement of healthy workplace processes and practices, Blackbird is committed to amplifying the conversation of mental health and trauma recovery, while providing safe spaces for dialogue and discourse through all levels of production.

As an Indigenous storyteller, Tamara continues to advocate for authentic representation, inclusion in-front and behind the camera, as well as challenge the colonial narrative pervasive in the entertainment industry.

ABOUT JAMIE THOMAS KING
Jamie Thomas King is a English-American actor born and raised in London, England, where he began his training with the National Youth Theatre and later received a scholarship to the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). His big break came when he starred in the Royal National Theatre’s production of Sir Alan Bennett’s “The History Boys”, directed by Sir Nicholas Hytner, followed by a UK tour and a transfer to the West End’s Wyndham Theatre.

For the next twenty years, Jamie moved between film and television, with characters like Guy Mackendrick in the multiple Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning series MAD MEN (AMC), and Sir Thomas Wyatt in two seasons of the historical drama THE TUDORS (Showtime). From popular network shows like PRIVATE PRACTICE (ABC), ELEMENTARY (CBS), CALL THE MIDWIFE (BBC) and MURDOCH MYSTERIES (CBC) to Oscar and BAFTA-winning films like Mike Leigh’s MR. TURNER and Tomas Alfredson’s TINKER, TAILER, SOLDIER, SPY. Jamie established himself as an international screen actor, but never forgot his theatre roots. In 2015, Jamie returned to the stage to join the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford, starring in John Ford’s “Love’s Sacrifice”.

In 2016, following the death of his son Benjamin due to medical error, Jamie took a hiatus from his career to focus on the Coroner’s Inquest. Calling upon everything he learned during the five-year lawsuit, Jamie joined forces with patient safety advocates around the world in their mission to improve global healthcare practices, eventually teaching workshops, offering keynote addresses and creating a Foundation in memory of his son.

Returning to the industry, and following in the path of his late mother, acclaimed screenwriter Laura Lamson, Jamie wrote his first screenplay. After reading OBE Recipient James Titcombe’s memoir Joshua’s Story: Uncovering the Morecambe Bay Maternity Scandal. He secured the rights to the book and adapted it for the screen.

In 2023, Jamie partnered with his wife Tamara Podemski to create Blackbird Productions, subsequently acting as EP and star of their first project, The Light Before the Sun will world premiere at the Hamilton Film Festival in October 2024.