Paul Middleditch’s latest feature film ‘Uproar’ to premiere at Toronto International Film Festival

Director Paul Middleditch’s latest feature film UPROAR has been selected to premiere at the renowned Toronto International Film Festival in September.

UPROAR stars Julian Dennison (Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Godzilla v Kong), Minnie Driver (Circle of Friends, Good Will Hunting) and Rhys Darby (Our Flag Means Death, Flight of the Conchords) and was co-directed by Middleditch and Hamish Bennett, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Sonia Whiteman.

The film is a coming-of-age story is set in New Zealand in 1981 when a tour by the South African Rugby team sparks nationwide protests against apartheid and racism. Josh Waaka (Dennison), a 17-year-old young man of mixed race who has been a passive bystander all his life, is suddenly forced to stand up for himself, his whānau, and his future.

Says Middleditch: “Uproar is a pretty personal project for me – the original inspiration came from my teenage experience growing up in Wellington. Like Josh (Dennison) I was the awkward kid with glasses – an outsider with a passion for art and film in a sport obsessed school, trying to figure out my path.”

The Toronto International Film Festival is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a permanent destination for film culture and the most prestigious major marketplace in North America.

UPROAR, produced by Firefly Films in NZ, is set for a southern summer release in Australia and New Zealand through Kismet Distribution. International sales are handled by Blue Fox Entertainment.