The sci-fi coming-of-age film Alien Boy has wrapped filming in Saskatchewan after a July shoot, according to Deadline (Deadline). The production marks the feature directorial debut of Fawaz Al-Matrouk, a Kuwaiti-Canadian film-maker whose short films have screened at Cannes, Dubai and Clermont-Ferrand.

The story follows Farouk, a refugee father played by Waleed Zuaiter, and his nine-year-old son Hadi, played by newcomer Teym Joseph. Hadi believes he is being targeted by UFOs. Sarah Gadon plays Ellen Connolly, a teacher who steps in to help the boy. The cast also includes makeup artist and influencer Bibi Alabdulmohsen and fellow newcomer Iylah Brown (Deadline).

Al-Matrouk, a Sundance Institute alum, based the screenplay on his own short story of the same name. Script development was supported by Cinephilia and the Whistler Film Festival Screenwriters Lab. A Kuwaiti native, Al-Matrouk moved to Canada with his family following the First Gulf War (Deadline).

Anand Ramayya and Kelly Balon produce, with Jaclyne Bohn as line producer. The executive producer roster is sizable: Kyle Castellanet, Mary Jane Skalski, Christina Piovesan, David Cormican, Waleed Zuaiter and Joana Zuaiter, plus Andrew Frank and Jonathan Wyman on behalf of Mongrel Media. Mongrel will also handle Canadian distribution. The film is produced by KarmaFilm in association with Echo Lake Entertainment, FlipNarrative, House Copper Studios and Screen Wizards Pictures (Deadline).

Public funding is part of the package: Telefilm Canada and Creative Saskatchewan both provided financial participation, standard backing bodies for Canadian film productions looking to shoot in the province.

For Zuaiter, the project adds to a career spanning both sides of the camera. The actor, whose credits include London Has Fallen and the Netflix series Mo, takes an executive producer credit here as well. Gadon, known for 11.22.63 and Alias Grace, brings a recognisable face to a cast rounded out by fresh talent.

No release date has been set. With Canadian distribution secured through Mongrel Media, the next step for Alien Boy is a likely run on the festival circuit before a theatrical or streaming rollout is confirmed.