Jett Klyne experienced something most young actors never will: the chance to see their own movie in their hometown theater.
Klyne, the lead character in Rebecca Snow's Holocaust drama The Boy in the Woods, was on hand Monday for a screening and Q&A at Landmark Cinemas in Penticton.
Klyne, who turned 15 last week, has been acting since he was a baby. Best known as Tommy in the Marvel series Wandavision and the theatrical sequel Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, this was his first leading role in a film.
He literally carries the film since he is there in every scene, except in the epilogue.
“Wow! This is the first time I'm seeing my film in the cinema. It's really cool,” he said in an interview before the screening.
Family and friends came to watch Game 7 of the Stanley Cup on Monday, including several school friends and a large contingent of teenage girls.
When he first appeared on screen, about 20 seconds into the film, there was a huge cheer in the auditorium. This was followed by a standing ovation after his 30-minute question-and-answer session with audience members, one of whom burst into tears.
The Boy in the Woods is the childhood biography of Maxwell Smart who hid from the Nazis in the woods of Poland for almost a year. It was filmed when Klyne was still 12 years old.
All the episodes in the movie are true. There is no Hollywood BS added to the story.
At times it's not an enjoyable film to watch, but it's extremely powerful.
He worked with the real Maxwell Smart, a co-producer who appears in a present-day scene at the end of the film.
With North Bay, Ontario, as Poland's home, the film premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival and enjoyed a limited release in Canada this week, including in Kelowna and Penticton.
I think it's my best work. This obviously means a lot to me. I am Jewish, my great-grandmother survived the Holocaust. Being able to tell this story the way I did, I think it's my best work.
Because of his auditions and film roles, he has been homeschooled on film sets for most of his life, but enrolled at Pen-Hi for the second semester of this year. In between filming, he also works part-time as a receptionist at the Local Public Eatery. (I like to work.)
During the Q&A, Klyne was asked what the differences are between blockbuster films and an independent Canadian film.
He said Marvel films are heavily staffed and run like clockwork, while independent films allow for more creativity.
With a smaller cast and crew, we become like a family, he said.
What's next for the Penticton-born actor?
Later this year, a horror film called Shaman and filmed in Ecuador in 2023 will premiere.
“For my next film, I would like to do a comedy, something I have never done before,” he said.
Thanks to positive word of mouth around The Boy in the Woods, the run was extended to Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Penticton.
The film is playing at Landmark Cinemas in Penticton until Tuesday with daily showings at 4 p.m. only. For tickets and times, visit: landmarkcinemas.com/showtimes/Penticton
The Boy in the Woods is expected to be released on streaming later in 2024.
