CONTENT ADVISORY
Strobing lights; depictions of smoking, drinking
USA2024110 minEnglishCanadian PremiereAvailable Online, Comedy, Drama, First Feature, Romance
It’s the holidays, and Ben Santhanaraj shows up to Sri Lanka to see Suzanne Hopper, his long-distance partner who works there. Unfortunately, Suzanne’s been informed she now has to work through the holidays, thwarting their dream vacation plans (and his amorous intentions). They decide to go along with their itinerary, her laptop in tow, but nothing seems to work out as planned, leading to candid conversations and chaotic twists. Will their relationship endure — or have they grown too far apart?
Ben and Suzanne, A Reunion In 4 Parts is the continuation of a 10-year partnership with its lead actors (Sathya Sridharan and Anastasia Olowin) and director Shaun Seneviratne, where they made three short films exploring Ben and Suzanne’s relationship. Seneviratne writes and directs a charming and relatable “will they, won’t they?” romantic comedy deftly placed in a context of interracial dating, gender expectations, and diasporic alienation.
– Aram Siu Wai Collier
Sathya Sridharan
Anastasia Olowin
OFFICIAL SELECTION
SXSW, 2024
Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles, 2024
Bentonville Film Festival, 2024
AWARDS
Best Brooklyn Project, Brooklyn Film Festival, 2024
Shaun Seneviratne
Shaun Seneviratne is a writer and director of emo movies. He teaches at the Brooklyn STEAM Center, co-hosts RohmerCast, and runs Redacted Screenings. He’s based in New York City.
15 Nov, 2024 5:30 pm
TIFF Lightbox C4AA
CONTENT ADVISORY
Strobing lights; depictions of smoking, drinking
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This film is scheduled to be presented fully captioned (all dialogue subtitled + sound cues indicated). Wheelchair spaces and step-free seating is available for this screening – click below to book accessible seats.
Information on available captions will be added soon, thank you for your patience.
Join us for a Q&A immediately after the theatrical presentation with director Shaun Seneviratne.
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It’s no secret that filmmaking requires grit, stamina, and a whole lot of determination. Reel Ideas celebrates the behind-the-scenes perseverance that drive creators to follow their instincts and shape their stories.
Founded in Toronto in 1997, Reel Asian is Canada’s largest pan-Asian film festival and a year-round cultural organization dedicated to championing Asian, Asian diasporic, and Asian Canadian artists and storytellers. What began as a grassroots film festival has grown into a national platform supporting filmmakers and audiences through screenings, education, industry initiatives, artist development, and community programming presented across Toronto, the GTA, and online across Canada.
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