Breaking Glass Pictures is releasing 1:54 THIS WEEK. Starring Antoine-Olivier Pilon, the dazzling young French-Canadian actor who stole Xavier Dolan‘s 2014 art-house hit Mommy, the film held its world premiere at the Angouleme French-Language Film Festival where it walked away with the Best Actor and the Student’s Jury prize. An actor for most of his career, writer-director Yan England scored an Oscar nomination for his exceptional 21-minute short film Henry back in 2013. 1:54 marks his directorial debut for a feature film.
Tim (Pilon) is a shy sixteen-year-old athlete with a natural gift for running. He’s dealing not only with the recent loss of his mother, but also with his hidden sexuality. However, the last four years of high school have been tough on him mostly because of Jeff (Lou-Pascal Tremblay) and his crew. In his last year of school, Tim becomes sick and tired of feeling like a loser, and wants to shine for once. He decides to stand up to Jeff by dethroning him in the 800-meter championship, an event that Jeff is known for winning in school. But behind the competition and rivalry, a Tim’s secret longing is wreaking havoc. After a personal video is shared on social media, Tim’s private life explodes into the public eye. Soon Tim finds himself pushed to the edge because of the pressure he endures, an edge where human limits reach the point of no return.