Hot on the heels of the US premiere of TEHRANTO, his feature directorial debut, Iranian-Canadian filmmaker Faran Moradi has found his next project in near-fi romantic drama ACROSS WAVES. Written by Jonny Wax and Matthew Hoch, the project will be produced by Wes Ambrecht through his newly launched shingle, Only Living Boy Productions. With Moradi now firmly attached, the project will begin casting shortly with an eye toward shooting in early 2024.
ACROSS WAVES marks the first collaboration between Wax, a music manager and founder of NYC based 4x4 Artist Management, and Hoch, co-writer of Gravitas Ventures’ LOOK AT ME. Based on a story by Wax, the script follows a young father on a solo boating trip in honor of his late wife's memory. After a terrible storm maroons him, his only method of communication with the outside world is a ham radio he confiscated from his daughter prior to the solitary voyage. But, as fate would have it, his S.O.S. reaches a female astronaut 250 miles up in space. Together, this unlikely pair build a meaningful relationship that rescues each of them, physically and emotionally.
“Faran and I have been looking to work together for some time now and I’m very excited that ACROSS WAVES will provide us that opportunity. Jonny and Matt’s script is a riveting survival story and a heart wrenching examination of grief. When I first read it during the pandemic, and was feeling quite isolated myself, the story offered me solace and a light at the end of the tunnel. I feel lucky to help shepherd its path to the big screen” said Ambrecht.
“We need more stories that engage audiences in elevated conversations,” says Moradi. “Whether that be through the vessel of a rom-com, a superhero film or a sci-fi - the throughline here is that when the credits roll, I want the audience to turn to the person next to them and have a conversation about what they just watched. I want to tell stories that really inspire meaningful social dialogue, and ACROSS WAVES does just that. I’m also someone with a personal obsession with space, and a fear of the open water; this film centers both of these things. My immediate reaction to this story was actually excitement to watch the film.”
Moradi, best known as a Telefilm "Talent to Watch" recipient for TEHRANTO which debuted at the Canadian Film Festival last year, won Best Feature at Cinequest, and went on to net multiple Canadian Academy Award nominations. He has also directed for the Emmy Award winning children’s series ODD SQUAD. His other credits include Hulu’s HOLLY HOBBIE. He is repped by Play Management.
