Therapy Dogs is a 2022 documentary-comedy film directed by Ethan Eng and written by Eng and Justin Morrice. It starred Kevin Tseng alongside the film's writers.[1] The movie first premiered in January at the Slamdance Film Festival, making Eng the youngest filmmaker to premier at this festival.[2][3] Eng was 17 years old at the time of the festival and had been working on the film's production as early as the Grade 10.[4]
The coming-of-age film delves into the lives of two best friends attending Cawthra Park Secondary School, a Mississauga high school just past Toronto. Eng and Morrice are seventeen year-olds who endeavor to produce a video for their yearbook and graduating class of 2019 as they find themselves grappling with adolescence, growing up, identity, the boundaries they push, and the recklessness and intensity of male adolescence. The film also features interviews with many of their fellow, unsuspecting high school students.[5]
Awards and nominations
editTherapy Dogs was a New York Times Critics Pick.[6] Eng received an AGBO Fellowship with the Russo brothers.[7][3]
| Festival | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guanajuato International Film Festival | Best International Feature Film | Won | |
| Festival Prize | Nominated | ||
| NOAM Faenza Film Festival | Best Film | Won | |
| Slamdance Film Festival | Best Narrative Feature | Nominated | [8] |
References
edit- ^ Eng, Ethan (2023-03-17), Therapy Dogs (Drama, Comedy), Justin Morrice, Ethan Eng, Kevin Tseng, shy kids, archived from the original on 2023-03-31, retrieved 2024-02-28
- ^ Mele, Rick. "A Mississauga Teen Just Became the Youngest Filmmaker to Premiere at Slamdance". Complex. Archived from the original on 2024-02-28. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
- ^ a b Lambert, Harper (2022-02-04). "Slamdance Film Festival Awards Winners for 2022". TheWrap. Archived from the original on 2023-10-23. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
- ^ "Review: Therapy Dogs — Fact vs. fiction". CanCulture. 2022-03-02. Archived from the original on 2024-02-28. Retrieved 2024-02-28.
- ^ Smith, Justine. "Therapy Dogs movie review & film summary (2023) | Roger Ebert". Rogert Bert Website. Archived from the original on 2024-02-28. Retrieved 2024-02-28.
- ^ Yu, Brandon (2023-03-08). "'Therapy Dogs' Review: It's Time to Be Real". New York Times. Archived from the original on 2024-02-28. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
- ^ Simonpellai, Radheyan (2023-03-08). "Ethan Eng spent his college fund on making his first feature film instead". CBC Arts. Archived from the original on 2024-02-28. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
- ^ Wheeler, Brad (2022-01-27). "How a Mississauga high school student tricked school officials and got his debut film into Slamdance". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on 2023-11-02. Retrieved 2024-03-19.