Andrew Cividino is bringing his first feature film "Sleeping Giant" home to Thunder Bay. The critically acclaimed film has been shown in festivals around the world, including Cannes and TIFF. 9:19

It's travelled around the world and won critical acclaim, and now Andrew Cividino's coming of age film Sleeping Giant is coming home to Thunder Bay, Ont.

The film, which was shot against the stunning scenery of Lake Superior, and which won praise at major festivals including TIFF and Cannes, opens in theatres in several cities on Friday, including Thunder Bay.

"I'm really eager to see how the local audience responds to it," said Cividino.

"To me it feels like its real launch into the world is to be able to actually bring it home and to show it with the community that we made it with." ​

Andrew Cividino, the writer and director of Sleeping Giant, says the success of his first feature film is opening new doors for him in the industry. (www.sleepinggiant.com)

An 'incredible journey'

The film was not only shot near Thunder Bay, it also features a number of local actors who entered the project with little to no experience.

Acting newcomers and real-life cousins Nick Serino and Reece Moffett, who play two of the lead roles, were found through an online ad. Their actual grandmother, Rita Serino, was cast as their grandmother on screen.

Cividino also scoured local high schools looking for talent, and found Katelyn McKerracher to play the role of Taylor.

The choices were very deliberate, said Cividino. He wanted people who would look like they naturally belonged in the landscape.

"I knew there was no way I was going to be able to find some urban kid who grew up in Toronto at 13 who could walk and talk the way that the kind of characters I had written would," he said.

The choice paid off. The film has been praised for its lifelike quality, and Nick Serino won a Canadian Screen Award for his performance.

Cividino said the success of the film is opening doors for him in the film industry that he couldn't have imagined two years ago.

"The last year – it's been an incredible journey," he said.

Sleeping Giant also opens in Victoria, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Halifax on April 22.

Andrew Cividino will be a guest on CBC Thunder Bay's radio program Superior Morning on April 22 at 8:15 a.m.