One of the quirkiest and funniest films ever made in Canada, Crime Wave follows neophyte screenwriter Steven Penny (Paizs), a strangely silent young man who aspires to make the best “colour crime films” imaginable. But Steven has one major problem: he’s only good at writing the beginnings and endings of scenes. With the help of a young neighbour (Kovacs) and the mysterious “Dr. Jolly,” Steven struggles to beat his writer’s block. Set in a 1950s fantasy world, this wryly humorous combination of post-modernism, surrealism and genuine affection for old Hollywood films is irresistible for anyone who likes unusual films with an inventive and unique take on storytelling.

“Paizs’s midnight-movie-going, crowd-pleasing aesthetic comes with a personal vision.” — Mark Peranson, Take One