Toronto filmmaker Amar Wala is in production on his scripted feature debut Shook.

Wala is a co-writer, director and producer on the feature, which is currently in principal photography in Toronto and scheduled to wrap on June 30. The film was also written by novelist Adnan Khan.

The drama feature is a coproduction between Wala’s banner Scarborough Pictures and Toronto prodco Film Forge, with Film Forge co-president Karen Harnisch producing alongside Wala. Elevation Pictures is the Canadian distributor.

Shook is set in the Toronto suburb of Scarborough and follows an aspiring writer who finds himself torn between seeking success in the city and staying close to his family.

The film stars Saamer Usmani (Succession; pictured left) and Ontario-born actor Amy Forsyth (CODA; pictured right), alongside additional cast members Bernard White (Big Sky) and Winnipeg’s Pamela Mala Sinha (Y: The Last Man).

Shook is produced with the support of Telefilm Canada and Ontario Creates, with a budget of approximately $2.5 million, according to a spokesperson for the film. Executive producers include Omar Chalabi and Adrian Love of Elevation Pictures, and Travis Farncombe for Triple Point Media.

Wala released his debut documentary film, The Secret Trial of 5, in 2014, and has produced the docuseries Witness and comedy anthology Next Stop for CBC.

Usmani is represented by the Gersh Agency and Anonymous Content, Forsyth is repped by David Dean Management, Gersh, and Artists Management Inc., White is repped by Greene & Associates Talent Agency, and Sinha is repped by Noble Caplan Abrams.