Directed by Singaporean filmmaker Anthony Chen, his new feature, Wet Season will make its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) this September. The Chinese-language film is a follow-up to his award-winning 2013’s Ilo Ilo.


Image credit: Wet Season's Facebook

Starring Yeo Yann Yann, Koh Jia Ler, Christopher Lee and Yang Shi Bin, Wet Season is a story of Ling, a Chinese-language teacher struggling with a failing marriage, who forms a life-changing friendship with a student.

The film will compete in the Platform programme, a section that recognises films with "audacious directors making bold choices", according to former Tiff director Piers Handling on the festival's website. The Platform Competition will consist of 10 world premiere films this year, with Wet Season as the only Asian title in the list.  The winner will receive the Platform Prize of C$20,000 (S$20,780) which will be decided by a jury. Last year’s prize went to Taiwan-based filmmaker Ho Wi-ding’s Cities Of Last Things.

Chen’s debut film, Ilo Ilo, earned numerous accolades, including the Golden Horse Award for Best Film and Best New Director, and the prestigious Camera d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

Wet Season will be released in Singapore in late November.