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Blue Heron film image; young girl sitting despondently in the grass holding a camcorder

Blue Heron

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In the late 1990s, eight-year-old Sasha (Eyul Guven) and her Hungarian immigrant family relocate to a new home on Vancouver Island. As they settle in, the younger siblings are equally enchanted with the surrounding nature and the rudimentary paint programs on their father’s PC. But Jeremy (Edik Beddoes), the oldest child, grows increasingly withdrawn as he busies himself hand-drawing elaborate maps of fantasy realms. As his erratic behaviour escalates, his family are gripped by a sense of powerlessness.

Having amassed an extensive filmography of internationally celebrated shorts, Sophy Romvari helms a staggeringly assured debut feature that’s richly detailed, sophisticatedly designed, and deeply felt. Kurt Walker’s adroit editing instils an enthralling rhythm and allows for seamless temporal shifts in which we’re introduced to an adult Sasha (Amy Zimmer). Meanwhile, the shots composed by Romvari and cinematographer Maya Bankovic are nothing short of exquisite. But more than its captivating imagery, it’s Blue Heron’s haunting heartache that ensures that it’s an indelible viewing experience.

 

Swatch First Feature Award, Locarno 2025; Best Canadian Discovery, Toronto 2025

Oct 4 & 5: Q&A

 

Presented by

Telefilm logo

Media Partner

Global BC logo    CKNW logo     Vancity Lookout logo

Director
Cast

Eylul Guven, Iringó Réti, Ádám Tompa, Edik Beddoes, Liam Serg, Preston Drabble

Credits
Country of Origin

Canada/Hungary

Year

2025

Language

In English and Hungarian with English subtitles

Film Contact
Links
Content Warning

Coarse language

PG

Open to youth at The Cinematheque

19+

At Fifth Avenue

90 min
Award Winners BC Spotlight Drama Family Relations Talent to Watch Women Directors
Nine Behind Productions, Boddah

Book Tickets

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Credits & Director

Executive Producer

Riel Roch-Decter, Lauren Melinda, Neil Champagne, Veronica Diaferia, Sara Eolin, Jasmin Karibzhanova, Sam Sutcliffe

Producer

Ryan Bobkin, Sara Wylie, Sophy Romvari, Gábor Osváth

Screenwriter

Sophy Romvari

Cinematography

Maya Bankovic

Editor

Kurt Walker

Production Design

Victoria Furuya

Sophy Romvari headshot

Sophy Romvari

Sophy Romvari is a Canadian-Hungarian filmmaker based in Toronto. Her acclaimed short films have screened at TIFF, Hot Docs, Sheffield, and True/False, earning her recognition as a rising talent. In 2020, she completed her Master’s at York University, where her thesis film Still Processing premiered at TIFF and was later featured on the Criterion Channel. She has directed for CBC and Kino Lorber. Her latest short is available on The New Yorker and MUBI. Blue Heron is her feature debut.

Filmography: Pumpkin Movie (2018); Still Processing (2020); It’s What Each Person Needs (2022)

 

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