TAO/S join Holiday Films for Canadian representation

Chinese-American writing and directing duo Aaron and Winston Tao are known for their emotionally compelling and humanistic approach to their work with a strong emphasis on social causes. 

“We’re well acquainted with the social justice space and have done quite a few films for non-profits,” says Aaron. “Every time, it’s a delicate balancing act, a tightrope. We have to build an approach that shines the light on these difficult subjects in a way that both gives the subjects a voice, yet simultaneously allows the audience to see their reality for what it is. So, it’s important for us to represent them properly and adequately.”

Winston explains the team’s thinking on their recent project, The Rabbit Hole. “Our approach was to create a visual language that brought the audience into the world of the children, to see life from their perspective, their eyes, then switch perspectives at the last minute to create a strong sense of both empathy and awareness for the audience.” As described by Director’s Notes, The Rabbit Hole “envelops us in a story where the purity of childhood hopes, and a strong sisterly bond are disturbingly undercut by the stark realities of child exploitation and abuse born of poverty and enacted by a trusted caregiver. It’s a hard watch, but one which effectively fulfills its mandate of conveying the horrifying reality of the situation, and also demonstrates tao/s’ humanistic approach of using the power of cinema to highlight important social issues and causes.”

Rabbit Hole was recognised at One Screen for Best in Craft - Directing, Best in Craft - Emerging Filmmaker, and Best in Genre - Fiction.

The Tao brothers’ ethos and approach has helped many brands tell important stories such as Ford, Teva and Volvo. Their work is often a departure from a brand’s traditional advertising and taps into another side of company culture and messaging. “The arts influence our culture like nothing else”, explains Aaron. “Music, films, paintings, photography, you name it. We’re affected by the things we see. We want to show people things that could benefit them. These types of films likely aren’t going to pay for houses. But it’s a reward in itself when you get an email that says, “I saw your film, and it made me want to be a better father.” It’s a different kind of story, you know?”

“Pushing cultural boundaries and questioning social norms, Aaron and Winston have an innate ability to lead with authenticity and their storytelling abilities are a strong representation of our HUG for Good initiative,” says Holiday EP and founder Josefina Nadurata. “Not only are they thoughtful and impactful storytellers that make the viewer feel things but they have a natural empathy built into their DNA which resonates with the films they create for brands and cause driven narratives.”

 “We just finished a narrative short film about a pair of Asian American siblings who try to re-settle their mother, Daisy, back home after picking her up from the mental hospital,” says Aaron. “It’s more of a slice-of-life character study and is an incredibly personal project for us. We’ve been very open in the past about our mother’s struggle with schizoaffective bipolar disorder and how it’s really affected our lives, especially with how it’s informed the films we create. So, this film in particular explores themes of parentification, stigma, and mental health specifically within an Asian American context."

"We’ve also written a feature we’re currently in development for called, Goodbye, Hurricane, which deals with similar themes as well as the revolving door of the mental health system. The script is an Academy Nicholls semi-finalist, Sundance Development Track semi-finalist, Blacklist recommend, and CAPE x Blacklist finalist for 2021. Aside from that we've attached ourselves to another feature we can't talk about right now and are co-developing two TV shows on the narrative side."