In a quiet Toronto apartment, an immigrant mother finds comfort in her Alexa—weather updates, love songs, and the time back home become a lifeline to the Philippines, reminding her of the family she left behind. In the Morning Sun is a gentle portrait of aging, migration, and memory.
“This film thoughtfully captures the pull of returning to a place once called home. The beautifully crafted imagery reveals a family story full of humor, fear and heart. With honesty and care, it balances the lightness of childhood with the weight of loss, shaping a film that feels intimate, clear, and deeply human."
- 2026 SXSW Jury
"The jury awards Best Documentary Short to In the Morning Sun for its warm, observant portrait of a multi-generational family and the quiet passage of time. The film covers a lot of ground while feeling effortless – personal without being indulgent, cinematic without losing its intimacy. Its vision is sharp and clever, its humor unexpected, and its handling of themes of mortality and home genuinely moving. A refreshing, artfully restrained piece of filmmaking."
- 2026 SFFILM Jury
SERVILLE POBLETE
DIRECTOR
NICOLE DANE
PRODUCER
Serville is an independent filmmaker and writer from Toronto's Bleecker Street neighbourhood. His short documentary King's Court, produced with Kate Vollum and the National Film Board of Canada, had its world premiere at Hot Docs 2025, was nominated for a 2026 Canadian Screen Award for Best Short Documentary, and is now streaming on NFB.ca. Serville's latest short documentary, In the Morning Sun, won the Grand Jury Prize at SXSW 2026, the Golden Gate Award at SFFILM 2026, and the Golden Reel at LAAPFF, and continues to screen at festivals internationally. He is currently completing post-production on his debut narrative feature, Sunburn, which was selected for the Tribeca Creators Market, while his next film, A Good Commotion, is in development.
Nicole is a Toronto-based emerging film producer and community-driven arts professional. In The Morning Sun marks the first documentary short she has produced, and she is currently in post-production on her debut feature as a producer, Sunburn, both collaborations with filmmaker Serville Poblete. Her work in the community arts sector has both inspired and influenced who she is as an artist and the types of projects she contributes to, making Serville a natural collaborator due to the community-centric nature of his films.
PUBLICITY CONTACT
Nicole Dane
Nicole@servefilms.com