Production is underway in Toronto on Gloria Ui Young Kim’s first feature, Queen of the Morning Calm starring Tina Jung (Kim’s Convenience) and Jesse LaVercombe (Mary Goes Round).

Based on Kim’s screenplay (pictured), which she developed through the WIDC Story & Leadership program at the Whistler Film Festival, the drama follows Jung as a Korean sex worker named Debra, who tries to build a new life for her 9-year-old daughter Mona (Eponine Lee) with Sarge (played by LaVercombe). The film also stars Shaun Benson (22 Chaser).

The feature is set to be produced by Kim’s Gloryous Productions and coproduced by Josh Barsky. Exec producers include Hawkeye Pictures’ Sonya Di Rienzo and WIDC co-founder, president and CEO Carol Whiteman.

Following Marie Clements’ Red Snow and Sonia Bonspille-Boileau’s Rustic Oracle, Queen of the Morning Calm (also known as Debra and Mona) is the third feature supported by the WIDC to go to camera this year. All three women are past winners of the WIDC’s Feature Film Award.

Kim won the prize in 2016, taking home $200,000 in cash and in-kind rentals and services towards her feature debut. The award also gave the writer/director the opportunity to attend the WIDC’s and WFF’s Story & Leadership program. The initiative, which recently announced its class of 2018, helps eight women develop their feature film or webseries projects at the festival and attend sessions on leadership, story development, marketing and working with actors.

She is also a previous recipient of the Toronto Screenwriting Conference’s Telefilm Canada New Voices Award and the Corus Diverse TV Director program with the NSI. Queen of the Morning Calm received support from the WIDC, Telefilm Canada, the Ontario Arts Council and the Toronto Arts Council.