Mean Dreams

Mean Dreams is a 2016 Canadian coming-of-age thriller film directed by Nathan Morlando and written by Kevin Coughlin and Ryan Grassby. The film stars Sophie Nélisse, Josh Wiggins, and Bill Paxton. It was screened in the Directors' Fortnight section at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival.

Described as "a coming-of-age drama that evolves into a crime thriller", the film begins with teenagers Jonas and Casey meeting, introduced by Casey's faithful dog Blaise. Jonas spends his days working on his father's cattle ranch in the Great Lakes region of North America; Casey and her father Wayne, a police sergeant, are the new neighbors. Wayne tries to quell the romance blossoming between Casey and Jonas. When Jonas sees Wayne hit Casey, Jonas and Wayne get into fight and Wayne threatens Jonas's life. Later, Jonas sees Wayne steal a large sum of money; Jonas takes the money from Wayne and he and Casey go on the lam, living outdoors and trying to stay one step ahead of Wayne and the authorities.

Principal photography on the film began on October 29, 2015 in Northern Ontario, including Sault Ste. Marie. William Woods would be producing the film through Woods Entertainment, while it would be financed by Tip Top Productions, Project AMB, Vigilante Productions, Telefilm Canada, Northern Ontario Heritage Fund, and Ontario Media Development Corporation.

Following its world premiere at the Directors' Fortnight in Cannes,Mean Dreams played major Canadian film festivals.Elevation Pictures released the film in anglophone-Canadian theatres on 21 October 2016.

Distribution rights for France were acquired by LaBelle Company.Vertical Entertainment bought United States distribution rights, and intends to release the film there in January 2017.