The debut feature film Thanks to the Hard Work of the Elephants from actor-turned writer/director Bryce Hodgson has gone to camera in Toronto. The film, which is based on a true story, stars Hunter Dillon (Riceboy Sleeps, To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before) and newcomer Kevin Nguyen in title roles and also features Fred Nguyen Khan (The Sympathizer), Tony Nappo (Four Brothers, Saw II), Ryan Mcdonald (Seven Veils, The King Tide) and musician Kimberly Ha.

Thanks to the Hard Work of the Elephants follows two teenage boys who escape incarceration, while high on LSD. During their escape, they steal the treatment centre van, driving 400 kilometers to a Walmart parking lot, determined to start an alternative youth commune in a nearby suburban forest.

The film is inspired by a story that was passed down like folklore at a psychiatric youth residential treatment center that has been made infamous in the news. In 1993, two boys did in fact escape high on LSD, stole the school van and fled to a parking lot in Bend, Oregon only to turn themselves in a few days later. Thanks to the Hard Work of the Elephants has been closely developed with one of the boys who stole the van that night who will continue to be part of the process of bringing this incredible story to life.

The film centres on the troubled teen industry; a multi-billion dollar industry consisting of residential facilities designed to control the behavior of thousands of young people who are sent to them by their parents every year. These facilities have several different names – boot camps, behavior modification facilities, wilderness therapy, therapeutic boarding schools, residential treatment centers, gay conversion therapy – but they are all marketed to parents who believe they need to change their child’s behavior.

Originally born in Vancouver, BC, Bryce Hodgson is known for his work as an actor in projects including iZombie, The Killing, Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Kid Cannabis. He directed the short film Blackbear in 2022 and has an extensive background on stage. Hodgson is a graduate of the Neighbourhood Playhouse in New York City, co-founder of the Blind Pig Theatre in Vancouver, long time member of the Godlight theatre company (NYC) and Artistic Director of the Blood Pact Theatre. Bryce writes, acts, and creates music for theatre productions.

Thanks to the Hard Work of the Elephants is produced by Hammerhead Ventures, CouKuma Productions, and Harrington Studio, written, directed and edited by Bryce Hodgson, Producers are Caitlyn Sponheimer (Wild Goat Surf), Mike Johnston (I’m Just Here for the Riot), Katia Shannon (Standstill), Director of Photography is Robert Mentov (Gypsy Son) and Executive Producers are Matt Kerr (Riceboy Sleeps), Charlie Kerr (Riceboy Sleeps), Abubakar Salim (Raised By Wolves) and Robert Montcalm (Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy) of Surgent Studios.