Serville Poblete’s Sunburn Acquired by MoreThan Films at TIFF 2026

Serve Films and Tinygiant have revealed that the feature film Sunburn from award-winning director Serville Poblete (In the Morning Sun) has been acquired by MoreThan Films.

The films highly-anticipated world premiere in the Centrepiece Program at the Toronto International Film Festival took place this week. MoreThan Films, the boutique international sales agency, known for its focus on distinctive arthouse cinema from around the world and emerging talent, will be handling international sales and Julien Levesque from Gersh is handling US domestic sales.

In Sunburn, when a citywide blackout shuts down phone networks on one of the hottest days on record, a group of kids roams their neighborhood trying to escape the heat as their youth begins to slip away. A hang-out movie set in St. James Town, a high-rise community in Toronto, Sunburn follows a group of young people trying to stay cool during the summer’s hottest day. The film stars Joshua Obra (Settle Down), Dashawn Blackwood (Scaring Women at Night), Arianna Shannon (Plan B) and Milan Deng (Trap).

“Serville Poblete is one of the most exciting emerging voices in Canadian cinema today. We were immediately drawn to his distinctive aesthetic and his ability to transform a single summer day into a rich portrait of a community rarely represented on screen,” says Lidia Damatto, co-founder MoreThan Films.

Coming of Age Story

“Sunburn, is a deeply authentic and vibrant mosaic of coming-of-age stories that capture the energy, humor and uncertainty of youth with remarkable warmth and specificity. The film is both intimate and expansive, celebrating the beauty of everyday moments while evoking the emotional intensity of adolescence. While firmly rooted in Toronto’s St. James Town community, the film speaks to universal experiences of friendship, identity and belonging, making it a title we believe will resonate strongly with audiences around the world.”

Serville Poblete

Serville Poblete is a Filipino-Canadian screenwriter and film director from Toronto. His short documentary King’s Court, premiered at Hot Docs 2025 and received a nomination for a 2026 Canadian Screen Award. His latest short, In the Morning Sun, won the Grand Jury Prize at SXSW 2026. It also won the Golden Gate Award at SFFILM. It also won the Golden Reel at LAAPFF and is currently in the festival circuit and in consideration for the Academy Awards. Serville was selected for the TIFF Next Wave at this years Toronto International Film festival.

“Making a movie about my neighbourhood with so many amazing collaborators felt like summer camp. We had so much fun making it,” says Poblete. “I’m so excited to partner with MoreThan Films and Gersh to share this project with the world and offer that same warmth with audiences. It’s something I feel the world needs right now.”

Serville Poblete wrote and directed Sunburn. Nicole Dane produces with Neil Champagne Ryan Bobkin (Infinity Pool), Veronica Diaferia (Good One) and Sara Eolin (Blue Heron) executive producing. Christian Bielz is in charge of cinematography, Juno-Award winning composer Aaron Paris provides the score.