Sleeping Giant film from Thunder Bay, Ont. director debuts at Cannes Critic's Week

"Wonderful applause" greeted Thunder Bay, Ont. filmmaker Andrew Cividino and two young actors from the city at the debut of their film, Sleeping Giant, in Cannes, France on Thursday.

The film centres on three boys on the cusp of adolescence who spend the summer together in Thunder Bay. It was screened three times as part of Critics' Week, a competitive program devoted to features by first- and second-time directors.

The rookie writer/director said the whirlwind of Cannes with its global media attention and long line-ups of cinephiles has been both nerve-racking and "kind of like a waking dream, overwhelming and really wonderful."

"You dream of coming to a place like this your whole life as a filmmaker," he told CBC News on the line from Cannes. "So to be able to come with my first feature is, it's definitely a dream come true."

Sleeping Giant is the first film for Thunder Bay actors Nick Serino and Reece Moffett, and Cividino said the boys are handling the wall-to-wall interviews with aplomb. 

"Being in Cannes is amazing. It's like the CNE [Canadian National Exhibition] times six," Cividino said. "It's just people everywhere and there's a real kind of buzz to the place."

The young director said he's proud to be part of a Canadian tradition at Cannes and is looking forward to the opportunities the international exposure may bring.