Tinygiant director, Serville Poblete, has won Best Canadian Feature at Toronto International Film Festival with Sunburn, with the judges describing the film as “vibrant, funny, and deeply human,” and Poblete himself as a filmmaker with “a generous vision.” Sunburn was produced by Tinygiant and Serve Films with Nicole Dane serving as producer and executive producer, Ryan Bobkin.

It’s a particularly significant win for the independent, woman-owned production company as it continues to build its reputation by identifying distinctive filmmaking voices and championing directors across formats. Sunburn exemplifies the director-led work Tinygiant favours – it is culturally resonant and rooted in a strong point of view.

The recognition follows a strong run for Tinygiant’s growing film slate, including She Keeps Me Young, Blue Heron and The Travel Companion, and comes as the company continues to expand its work across commercials, features, short-form and other formats.

For Tinygiant, the win underlines the company’s ethos of knowing which filmmakers have something distinctive to say, recognising the potential in their work, and having the conviction to champion it.

As the volume of content continues to grow across the creative industries, Tinygiant sees taste and curation as crucial parts of a production company’s role. That means looking beyond a director’s reel or the immediate commercial opportunity to understand the voice behind the work, Tinygiant says. Sunburn is the latest example of that – a film rooted in one specific community and experience but made with the confidence and humanity to connect far beyond it.

“We’re constantly looking for directors who have undeniable voices and truly authentic, honest points of view. When those voices and perspectives are matched with an equal attention to detail and craft, you can create something truly special that can find its way into the world. Serville is exactly this kind of filmmaker. He embodies all of those qualities in every fiber of his being. Sunburn is an incredibly beautiful piece of work, and we’re thrilled to see it received so warmly and recognised at TIFF,” stated Neil Champagne, head of development at Tinygiant.