Anthony Chen’s Wet Season has been picked up for North American distribution by Strand Releasing, with international markets will be handled by Memento Films International. The film is also being submitted by Singapore in the Oscar race for best international feature film. Wet Season centers on a Chinese language teacher whose marriage and school life are falling apart due to her inability to have a child. She forms an unlikely bond with one of her students, which helps her reaffirm her identity as a woman. 

The film premiered in the Platform section at the Toronto International Film Festival and, as of now, sits at an 86% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes with 14 total reviews. This is Chen’s sophomore feature, with his first being the acclaimed Ilo Ilo, which won the prestigious Camera d’Or award for best first film at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. 

“Anthony’s second directorial feature is such a strong and accomplished work,” said Strand Releasing co-founder Marcus Hu. “We’re thrilled to be representing it for the Oscars and his rapport and direction of the talent is handled so masterfully.” 

Chen is based in London and is currently working on his first English-language film, which is due to shoot in 2021.