By Joanna Orland @ TIFF 2026
For her debut feature, director Phuong Mai Nguyen has adapted AJ Dungo’s graphic novel In Waves. Originally produced in French, the animated film portrays a personal story of love and loss. AJ (Will Sharpe) is a young skater who meets Kristen (Stephanie Hsu), a surfer who is living with cancer. They bond over their passion for the ocean, while discovering grief also comes in waves. As Dungo preserved Kristen’s memory through his drawings, Nguyen has brought it new life through her animation.
Joining Phuong Mai Nguyen on the red carpet for the film’s TIFF 2026 premiere were the two stars of In Waves, Will Sharpe and Stephanie Hsu.
In Waves: Stephanie Hsu, Will Sharpe & Phuong Mai Nguyen
“I think this one was a particularly special kind of witchcraft.” – Stephanie Hsu
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“It’s almost like a musical exercise of getting the breathing just right or getting the sort of timbre just right of how you’re saying something.” – Will Sharpe
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“He (AJ) wasn’t shocked, you know, about some of the changes that we made for his story.” – Phuong Mai Nguyen
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“I feel a deep desire to make sure that these characters are loved on and honoured and celebrated.” – Stephanie Hsu
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“I felt like we just kind of found our own flow.” – Will Sharpe
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“Maybe I’m glad I hadn’t met him before playing a version of him.” – Will Sharpe
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“I myself and my team… we always go to the ocean and, you know like, look at the waves and see how it works.” – Phuong Mai Nguyen
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“I had missed directing until I’d recently finished a TV show for Apple called ‘Prodigies’.” – Will Sharpe
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“It started with the promise to tell the story with a book and a drawing.” – Priscilla Bertin, Producer
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In Waves
Directed by Phuong Mai Nguyen
Starring Will Sharpe and Stephanie Hsu
TIFF Premiere September 14, 2026
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