Science-fiction coming-of-age film Alien Boy has completed filming in Saskatchewan, Canada, with Waleed Zuaiter, Sarah Gadon and child actor Teym Joseph leading the cast. The feature debut of Kuwaiti-Canadian filmmaker Fawaz Al-Matrouk uses a child’s apparent UFO fears to explore war, displacement and trauma, giving the project particular personal significance for its director.

Zuaiter plays Farouk, a refugee whose nine-year-old son Hadi believes UFOs are targeting him, while Gadon portrays a concerned teacher who supports the boy. Produced by KarmaFilm with several partners including Echo Lake Entertainment and Mongrel Media, the film will be distributed in Canada by Mongrel Media; it received backing from Telefilm Canada and Creative Saskatchewan and was developed through Cinephilia and the Whistler Film Festival Screenwriters Lab.