Sydney Film Festival Winner ‘Time and Tide’ Boarded by Inwave Films

Vee Shi’s debut feature “Time and Tide” has found an international sales home at Inwave Films, the Paris-based outfit revealed.

The hybrid nonfiction film, which world premiered in competition in the Burning Lights section at Visions du Réel earlier this year, will be introduced to buyers as the company continues building its documentary slate.

Set in a remote Chinese town, “Time and Tide” follows the unraveling of one family after their patriarch is felled by a stroke. His estranged wife – who has long wanted out of their unhappy marriage – and his second daughter, raising a child alone on a tight budget, are left to carry the weight of his care. Shi draws on his own family history to examine ageing, domestic violence and intergenerational duty in contemporary China, working in a mode that marries close observational filmmaking with formally inventive cinematic language.

After its Visions du Réel bow, the film went on to take the Documentary Australia award at the Sydney Film Festival. It will next screen at the Melbourne International Film Festival.

“‘Time and Tide’ is a raw and deeply intimate hybrid nonfiction film, transforming one family’s crisis into a wider reflection on ageing, care, violence and responsibility in contemporary China,” the Inwave Films team said. “For us, ‘Time and Tide’ stands out as one of the most compelling Asian documentary features to emerge this year. It is deeply honest in its subject matter and remarkably inventive in form. We were struck by the courage and emotional openness of this filmmaking approach, and are proud to support the film on its international journey. We believe its deeply personal yet universal story will resonate with audiences around the world.”

Shi, who first drew attention through award-winning short films including “Jia” before making his feature debut, added: “‘Time and Tide’ is a film that is intimate and specific in its story and locale, but thematically universal, speaking to a broader experience of contemporary China. We were looking for a sales agent who understands both the film’s audience and the international market, but more importantly, who is open to collaborating with us on international strategy. Inwave ticks all of those boxes.”

The deal extends Inwave Films’ recent push into feature documentary sales. The company also recently boarded “Lust,” a Berlinale title from director Ralitza Petrova, as it broadens a slate centered on internationally recognized auteur cinema.

“Time and Tide” is written and directed by Shi and produced by Nicholson Ren and Shi for Niu Studios, in association with Big and Little Films. Michael McMahon serves as executive producer alongside Ren and Shi. Ren also served as cinematographer, with editing by Shi, original music by Luna Pan, and sound post-production by Music and Effects.