“This Time,” a romantic drama from director Sebastien Tobler and starring “The Pitt’s” Ken Kirby, has been acquired by Freestyle Digital Media. The film will be available on North American digital HD internet, cable and satellite platforms, as well as on DVD, starting Feb. 10.
Tobler’s feature directorial debut, “The Time” follows two high school sweethearts, Colin (Kirby) and Laela (Leilani Nicol), as they unexpectedly reunite in Los Angeles after they were separated during the 1998 Jakarta riots. 23 years later, Laela is now a world-traveling sculptor, using her professional success to hide her loneliness, while Colin is about to leave California for Pennsylvania in order to support his wife’s ambition.
“Over the course of a single day, the pair revisit the choices that pulled them apart and confront whether their connection is rooted in enduring love or nostalgia — and what it might cost to rekindle the past,” reads the film’s official logline.
“We live in an age of infinite scroll and constant distraction,” said Tobler. “‘This Time’ is about two people choosing to give each other one uninterrupted day of presence — no phones, no performances, just the unvarnished experience of being seen by someone who knew you before you learned to curate yourself. In a world engineered for shallow connection, that level of honesty feels almost radical. My hope is that audiences recognize a piece of their own longing in these characters and feel invited to slow down long enough to truly see — and be seen by — the people they love.”
Also written by Tobler, “This Time” first premiered at the 2023 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, where it was the centerpiece selection. At the 2023 Asian American International Film Festival, the film earned the writer-director the Emerging Director Award. Tobler was also named a Stowe Launch Fellow in 2024. His next features, “Bodies of Water” and “Kamikaze Blue,” a coming-of-age drama set in 1990s Bangkok, are both currently in development.
Best known for playing night shift attending physician Dr. John Shen on HBO Max’s “The Pitt,” Kirby has also made appearances on “Dynasty,” “Good Trouble” and “Grand Hotel.” Nicol’s past credits include the 2024 film “You Are Always Right Here” and “Filthy Animals.” Star and co-writer of “The Baltimorons” Michael Strassner will also appear in the film playing the role of Marc. “This Time” was produced by Theresa Chiu.
Freestyle Digital Media is the digital film distribution division of Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group. Global and airline rights for the film are owned by EST N8.
English (US) ·