Entrusted with delivering a sack of rice to his family's restaurant, 9-year-old Tent is tested when he encounters three unruly teens who challenge his sense of duty.

Rice Run is a coming-of-age drama from writer/director Pon Torthienchai that explores notions of duty and burden within the Asian diaspora.

Drawn from his experiences working in the restaurant business from a young age, Pon seeks tomake the all too familiar scenario of the takeout kid a little more adventurous, a little more dangerous, and a little more herculean.

Set against a hot summer's day, our epic odyssey explores the clash of Eastern and Western values as our protagonist, Tent, is torn between familial commitment and the unruly lifestyle he idolises in an older group of boys.

Ultimately, we pose the question - Is duty worth the burden it brings?

This is a discord universal to many and one which we aim to tackle in a bold and evocative manner. Rice Run is a frenzied portrait of childhood rebellion; a coming-of-age about a boy growing into a boy.

Currently in post-production

Director/writer: Pon Torthienchai
Producer: Sara Chen
Producer: Harry Wynn
Director of Photography: Hendrikus De Vaan
Editor: Jolin Lee

The New Zealand Film Commission