“Alien Boy” Wraps Production in Canada, Spotlighting Refugee Experience Through Sci-Fi

The feature-length sci-fi coming-of-age film Alien Boy has finished principal photography in Canada. Filming took place in Saskatchewan after a July shoot, with the cast led by Waleed Zuaiter (known for *The Girlfriend*), Sarah Gadon (*Alias Grace*), and Teym Joseph (*House of David*) as the titular nine-year-old Hadi. Supporting talent includes makeup artist-influencer Bibi Alabdulmohsen and newcomer Iylah Brown. The project is a co-production of KarmaFilm, Echo Lake Entertainment, FlipNarrative, House Copper Studios and Screen Wizards Pictures, with financial participation from Telefilm Canada and Creative Saskatchewan.

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Director Fawaz Al-Matrouk, an alumnus of the Sundance Institute’s Feature Film Program and USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, adapts his own short story “Alien Boy” into his feature debut. The narrative follows Farouk (Zuaiter), a refugee adjusting to a new life, while his son Hadi becomes convinced he is being targeted by UFOs. Al-Matrouk, a Kuwaiti native whose family relocated to Canada after the First Gulf War, describes the film as a personal exploration of war, displacement and childhood trauma, using science-fiction as a conduit for human connection.

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• Waleed Zuaiter – lead actor, also an executive producer.

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• Sarah Gadon – supporting actress, executive producer.

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• Teym Joseph – child lead.

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• Anand Ramayya – producer.

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• Kelly Balon – producer.

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• Jaclyne Bohn – line producer.

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• Executive producers include Kyle Castellanet, Mary Jane Skalski, Christina Piovesan, David Cormican, Joana Zuaiter, Andrew Frank and Jonathan Wyman (Mongrel Media).

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Waleed Zuaiter said the story resonated with him as a refugee with roots in Palestine and Kuwait, emphasizing its blend of wonder and the trauma of displacement. Producer Anand Ramayya praised the film as “bold, emotional genre filmmaking” that feels both intimate and expansive, highlighting the performances of the principal cast. Al-Matrouk’s remarks underscore his intent to use the sci-fi framework to examine the impacts of war and the search for connection.

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“Alien Boy is a personal story told through science fiction. I love science fiction as a way to connect people across time and space. Before I knew a word of English, I knew a little alien called ET. Alien Boy is about war, displacement, and childhood trauma, but ultimately for me, it’s about human connection,” — Fawaz Al-Matrouk, said producer

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