The intimate sophomore feature from writer-director Sadaf Foroughi received three 2023 Canadian Screen Awards nominations

Toronto, April 6, 2023 – The Canadian Film Centre (CFC), First Generation Films and Sweet Delight Pictures are pleased to announce that Summer With Hope, the poignant second feature from award-winning Iranian-Canadian filmmaker Sadaf Foroughi, is set for its streaming premiere on Crave in Canada on April 21, 2023.

Summer With Hope is the second film in a planned trilogy from Montreal-based Foroughi. Much like her award-winning 2017 debut Ava, Summer With Hope paints a picture of adolescent life in Iran under a broken and repressive patriarchal system. The film examines the pressure-filled expectations of a new generation, both for themselves and their families, as they explore beckoning horizons and newly discovered freedoms. It follows the story of a young swimmer, Omid (Mahdi Ghorbani), who forges a close relationship with his coach, Mani (Benyamin Peyrovani), which is met with strong disapproval from their community in a small town in Iran. Variety heralded the film as “lyrical,” adding that the film should “cement Foroughi as one of the most distinctive voices in new Iranian cinema.”

Summer With Hope is nominated for three 2023 Canadian Screen Awards; Original Screenplay for Foroughi, Performance in a Supporting Role for Leili Rashidi (who plays Omid’s mother), and for the top prize, Best Motion Picture.

“In her second feature Summer With Hope, Sadaf — in addition to continuing the thread she started with her first feature, Ava — deftly crafted a Chekhov-like drama that delicately challenges a patriarchal society through the story of a single mother and her son and the problems they face,” said Kiarash Anvari, Producer and Editor, Summer With Hope. “Ironically, much like the issues faced by the main characters in Summer With Hope, Sadaf and I encountered many challenges while producing the film in Iran. Therefore, as one of the producers and the editor of Summer With Hope, seeing the results of our efforts on screens around the world is a miraculous experience for me. We’re grateful to Crave for bringing our film to Canadian audiences.”

“Sadaf has created a beautiful and moving chamber drama about life in Iran,” added Christina Piovesan, Producer, Summer With Hope and Founder, First Generation Films. “I couldn’t be more proud of the film.”

The film’s debut on Crave follows a strong showing on the festival circuit. Summer With Hope had its world premiere at the 2022 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, where it won the Crystal Globe Grand Prix for Best Feature Film, before it went on to play the Hamptons International Film Festival, BFI London Film Festival, Haifa International Film Festival and Outfest Fusion Film Festival, among others. Next, the film will screen at TIFF Next Wave, on Sunday, April 16, 2023 at 12:30 p.m. at TIFF Bell Lightbox, featuring a live in-person Q&A with Foroughi. 

“The CFC is proud to have supported this bold and uncompromising film from Sadaf,” shared E.J. Alon, Executive Lead, Creative Impact & Revenue, CFC. “Summer With Hope explores essential stories and themes, and we’re grateful to Crave for bringing these stories to viewers here in Canada. We urge everyone to watch this moving film and continue supporting Canadian storytellers.”

Summer With Hope is produced through Sweet Delight Pictures and First Generation Films, with Christina Piovesan, Kiarash Anvari and Sadaf Foroughi as producers. It is the 26^th feature produced by CFC Features, with the participation of Crave, a division of Bell Media Inc. The film stars Mahdi Ghorbani (Omid), Alireza Kamali (Saadi), Benyamin Peyrovani (Mani), and Leili Rashidi (Leili).

For interview requests or screeners, please contact Cory Angeletti-Szasz at cangeletti@cfccreates.com. 

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About the CFC
The Canadian Film Centre (CFC) is a charitable cultural organization that drives the future of Canadian storytelling. Our intensive, hands-on programs in film, television, and entertainment technologies empower, shape and advance opportunities for Canadian creators and entrepreneurs working in screen-based industries. Learn more at cfccreates.com.

@cfccreates

About First Generation Films / First Generation Media
First Generation Films (FGF) is a leading independent production company responsible for award- winning, internationally distributed productions. Recent productions include Brandon Cronenberg’s Infinity Pool, Azazel Jacobs’ French Exit, starring Michelle Pfeiffer, The Nest directed by Sean Durkin and Alice, Darling directed by Mary Nighy and starring Anna Kendrick. On the television front, FGF worked with best-selling author Kate Beaton to adapt her book to series called Princess & the Pony for DreamWorks Animation and Apple TV+. Other productions include Home Sweet Rome! for HBO Max and WildBrain and an adaptation of Scaachi Koul’s debut novel One Day We’ll All Be Dead for Crave/Bell Media.

About Sweet Delight Pictures
Sweet Delight Pictures is a Montreal-based company founded by Kiarash Anvari and Sadaf Foroughi. It was nominated for the best Canadian Emerging Producer Award in 2017 at the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) Indie Screen Awards.

About Crave
Crave is Canada’s prestige entertainment offering, delivering more Oscar^®-nominated and Emmy^® Award-winning programming than any other service, with HBO, HBO Max Originals, SHOWTIME^®, STARZ, Hollywood-hit movies, and boasts a robust slate of English and French original series. It is a bilingual TV and streaming service, with thousands of hours of exclusive French-language content. Crave is available directly to all Canadians with access to the Internet at Crave.ca, via iOS and Android, and other platforms such as Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, select LG Smart TVs, PlayStation, Roku, select Samsung Smart TVs, and Xbox One, and  through participating service providers across ten, 24-hour High Definition linear and on demand channels.

Media Relations

Cory Angeletti-Szasz
Director, Marketing & Communications, CFC
647.273.2795
cangeletti@cfccreates.com

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