A  focus on authentic casting opened the door for Vancouver filmmaker Connie Cocchia to explore heavy themes for her debut feature.

When Time Got Louder is written, directed and produced by Cocchia under her banner Cocchia Pictures alongside Gold Star Productions co-founders Ken Frith and Jason Bourque.

The film sees the protagonist torn between the life she’s built for herself at college, including a budding relationship with another young woman, and the younger brother she’s left behind, who has autism and is non-verbal.

When Time Got Louder had its Canadian theatrical release on March 31, which Cocchia tells Playback Daily was done purposely to coincide with World Autism Month in April. The theatrical run continues this weekend in Toronto and Vancouver.

For Cocchia, finding an actor who could tap into the authentic experience of living on the autism spectrum was “absolutely essential” in the casting process. While the film is fiction, it’s inspired by her own lived experience with her brother, whom she says is also non-verbal, and as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. All of the music licensed for the film was also sourced by artists within the LGBTQ+ and autism communities.

Cocchia says she met Jonathan Simao, who plays the brother in the film, while she was still in development on the script. The two were introduced through her parents’ organization the Pacific Autism Family Network after she mentioned she was looking for an actor on the autism spectrum during a panel.

“I said to him [over coffee], ‘Look, I’m nowhere near going to camera, but I’d love to keep in touch with you and talk further as we get there,” she says.

Cocchia would eventually complete financing the film through support from Telefilm and additional private investment. For the casting process, she hired Canadian casting director Judy Lee and U.S. casting director Kristi Lugo to spread a wide net for her leads.

When Lee put out a call to agencies for an actor on the autism spectrum, Simao’s submission soon popped out to Cocchia.

“I could tell he was so passionate about doing the role,” says Cocchia, adding that he was “eager and really articulate” about why he wanted to play the character. “[It was] by far the best decision I made for the entire film.”

The cast was rounded out with Willow Shields, Ava Capri, Elizabeth Mitchell and Lochlyn Munro. Both Shields and Capri, who play love interests in the film, openly identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community. “Authentic representation is really important to me in all my work, and something that we need to see more of,” says Cocchia. “I think the actors are able to connect with the material in such an incredible way that helps further that authentic and honest feeling that you get through those performances.”

Cocchia worked closely with Simao in pre-production to strengthen his connection to a character who is more severely impacted by autism. “He was able to put himself in those shoes in a way that I don’t think a neurotypical actor could have done,” she says.

When Time Got Louder went into production in January 2020, with Toronto’s levelFILM on board as the Canadian distributor. Executive producers on the film include Roy Cocchia, Frank Giustra, Austin Kolodney, and Navid Soofi. The film’s budget was not disclosed.

Cocchia says post-production suffered a number of delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic and, as a result, wouldn’t be completed for roughly two years.

The film had its world premiere at Frameline, also known as the San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival, in June 2022. Cocchia says she is still seeking U.S. and international distribution for her film, and is also looking at a launch on a Canadian streaming service following the current theatrical run.

Cocchia is now in development on a comedy about two friends in their 20s in the midst of a quarter-life crisis, which she describes as a “fun road travel movie.” She is currently seeking presales.

Image courtesy of levelFILM