Finding Your Persons
A Conversation with Filmmakers About Casting
In Finding Your Persons, The Storyteller Session meets with the filmmaking team behind a project to discuss their process find the cast that give their vision life.
OUR GUESTS
Writer/Director Sebastien Tobler
&
Producer Theresa Chiu
of
THIS TIME
LOGLINE: Long lost high school sweethearts, Laela and Colin, unexpectedly reunite in Los Angeles 23 years after being separated in Jakarta by the 1998 riots. What begins as a sentimental look back at an exciting upbringing forces the characters to draw a line between love and nostalgia.
SEBASTIEN TOBLER
Sebastien Tobler is a Filipino-Swiss writer-director whose storytelling reflects his mixed race and cultural background as well as the constant sense of impermanence that stems from growing up in seven different countries. His diverse background is the foundation of his artistic vision from Switzerland to the Philippines, Poland to Indonesia, Thailand to England, and the US.
Although he earned a business degree from the American University and worked in finance and hospitality marketing, Sebastien's urge to create never faded. He began filming short travel documentaries and music videos and eventually embarked on his own narrative projects as writer-director.
His feature scripts have earned him recognition in various script competitions, but his latest short film, Joyrider, which premiered at the Newport Beach Film Festival, captured the hearts of audiences. Now, his feature film debut as writer and director, THIS TIME, has earned fiscal sponsorship from the Stowe Narrative Labs and is set to premiere during the LA Asian Pacific Film Festival centerpiece weekend on Saturday May 6, 2023.
With each project, Sebastien pours his heart and soul into his creations, infusing each story with a nostalgic quality that captures the essence of the human experience. As he continues to create and explore new horizons, Sebastien remains forever grateful for the experiences that have shaped him into the person and artist he is today.
THERESA CHIU
Theresa Chiu is a Taiwanese American writer and producer who champions compelling character-driven storytelling with an eye toward inclusion and social justice. Her award-winning debut feature film Love Arcadia enjoyed a successful tour on the festival circuit before featuring prominently in Comcast's Cinema Asian America series and landing distribution with Gravitas Ventures.
She has since produced an array of narrative work, collaborating with Emmy-nominated and first-time filmmakers alike. Recent credits include producing the independent romantic feature This Time by Filipino-Swiss director Sebastien Tobler and line-producing the Duplass Brothers Productions’ feature film Paper Marriage.
Theresa won the Josephson Entertainment Screenwriting Fellowship at the 2021 Austin Film Festival and was selected to participate in the 2022 Stowe Sidewalk Narrative Lab. A Duke Blue Devil from Alpharetta, Georgia, Theresa cut her teeth working at Endeavor, CBS Drama Development, and the Center for Asian American Media before shifting her focus to independent cinema.
SYNOPSIS: Long lost high school sweethearts, Laela and Colin, unexpectedly reunite in Los Angeles 23 years after being separated during the 1998 riots in Jakarta, where they were torn apart without notice, unable to say goodbye, and flown away to different countries.
When they see one another again, the temptation to reconnect with a kindred spirit is irresistible despite Laela’s looming deadline and Colin’s impending move to Pennsylvania.
As the star-crossed lovers examine the choices that led them down their separate paths and back again, Laela and Colin must decide if they’re still in love or just nostalgic for the past.
ALL TIMES POSTED AS EASTERN STANDARD TIME (EST)