Help Us Bring Quiet Father (short film) to Life!

Hello everyone, my name is Kennedy Kao and I'm a filmmaker who focuses on stories about Asian Canadians. I've been making shorts since 2017 and am preparing for my next short film, Quiet Father.

Quiet Father will be a 15-minute drama short film that follows Victor Leung, a 65-year-old car repair shop owner who lives with his 25-year-old son, Gabriel. It’s just the two of them, and when Gabriel moves out, Victor finds it difficult to say goodbye. The film will star real-life father-son duo Wilson and Denis Wong.

My team and I are hoping to get enough funding before our shoot date in Aug/Sept 2025. Any help is much appreciated, and if you can't donate, I'd be grateful if you could share this fundraiser with your friends and family.

MORE ABOUT QUIET FATHER…

Quiet Father is about the absence of connection between family members and the struggle to have loving conversations with people you ultimately care about. With Victor, I wanted to write a character who realizes everything has passed him and wants to show more affection at this stage of his life.

Why does Victor struggle to have loving conversations with his son? Well, there’s loneliness, and the bitterness that comes with being alone. There’s the inability, whether from lack of experience, limited time, or exhaustion, to communicate how he truly feels. There are the fights and the baggage that make loving harder. There’s the slow distancing that occurs when you live with someone for a long time.

I think there’s a different kind of pain when you feel distant from family members you share a home with. Of course, I think of you, dad. Two years ago, I wrote this screenplay as a way to explore the delicate and hardened parts of my father, who passed away in 2021. While I can never have a conversation with him again, I want to try to do something like that with this film.

WHAT DO WE NEED THE MONEY FOR?

In short, we need the money for expenses leading up to post-production. That means we need the money for:

We are waiting for a grant from the Ontario Arts Council to cover post-production costs (editing, sound mixing, colouring, festival submissions). Any costs that we don’t secure funding for will be covered out of pocket.

WHO IS WORKING ON QUIET FATHER?

For Gabriel, I cast actor Denis Wong through a casting call in June 2024. For Victor, Denis suggested that I cast his dad, Wilson, and I thought their real-life father-son dynamic would add specificity to the film. Wilson also had never acted before, which was even more intriguing to me. I’ve worked with first-time actors in the past (check out my films Danica’s Mom and Good Boy), so I was confident that I could help Wilson play the part of Victor.

I re-wrote the screenplay to make it easier for Wilson to act. Originally Victor was an appliances salesman, which is what my dad was. Now Victor owns a car repair shop. To get a glimpse of Denis and Wilson, and Wilson's shop, check out the video below: Sounds From Wilson's Shop.

See more below about our cast & crew.

Kennedy Kao – Writer & Director

I focus on stories about loneliness, family and the Asian-Canadian diaspora. Some of my past highlights include: my film Danica’s Mom winning the Grand Prix Prize at Montreal Festival du Nouveau Cinema 2020, winning a Netflix prize and a Research and Creation Residency with the National University of Colombia, and my film We Don’t Need Your Kind screening at the Vancouver Asian Film Festival, Emerging Lens Cultural Film Festival, the Canadian Film Fest and being broadcasted live on Super Channel Fuse.

Melody Shang – Producer

Melody Shang is an award-winning Chinese-Canadian multi-hyphenate producer and creator. In the past couple of years, Melody was a producer of multiple short films that premiered at film festivals in North America. Most of these films were supported by the Canadian Arts Council and Ontario Creates. In 2024, she was invited to produce the ReelWorld Film Festival Award show. Leveraging her Asian background and cultural insight, Melody has crafted solid commercial portfolios and impactful short films. Simultaneously, she collaborates with Canadian mainstream directors, contributing to the rich tapestry of Canadian cinema.

Tomo Nogi – Production Manager

Tomo Nogi is a Toronto & Tokyo-based producer, photographer, videographer, and editor, who recently migrated from Japan. His visual presentation appears in various forms such as promotional videos, music videos, narrative work, documentaries, behind-the-scenes work, product photography, portraits, event documentation, and live music photography.

Zeyad J. Saber – Director of Photography

Zeyad Jamal Saber is an Egyptian cinematographer and filmmaker based in Toronto, Canada. Zeyad's experience as a director of photography spans short documentaries, fiction films, experimental projects, and music videos. He holds a BFA in Film Production from York University, where he was mentored by esteemed filmmakers such as Matt Johnson, Matt Miller, Kazik Radwanski, Ali Kazimi, and other influential professors who enriched his pursuit of a career in film.

Wilson Wong – playing Victor

Wilson Wong is a first-time actor making his debut in Quiet Father. Born and raised in Hong Kong, he moved to Canada in the 1990s and later studied Automotive Technician Training at Centennial College. Since 2001, he has run his own auto repair business, Will Sun Auto Repair in Markham, Ontario. Wilson will draw from his own life as a car repair shop owner and father in Quiet Father, bringing authenticity to the role of Victor.

Denis Wong – playing Gabriel

Denis Wong is a Canadian actor based in Scarborough, Ontario. Already performing in front of crowds as a dancer since the age of 14, Denis knew that performing was for him. With his passion for entertaining people, he extended his talents to acting. His recent works include the short films Dosa, Bridges We Build and As I Wish, films that are making their festival runs through 2025. Denis brings an authentic presence to all his roles and plans to continue that as Gabriel in Quiet Father.

BACKER REWARDS

any money donated - Special Thank You in the credits

$1000 - Executive Producer Credit

$5000 - Executive Producer Credit Solo (name & company), screening rights, First Calls for feature and/or next project

ALL IN ALL...

Thank you so much everyone! If you’re able to get involved in any way, whether by contributing, sharing, or even volunteering on set, it would mean so much. I truly appreciate your support and belief in this project.