ONE PERFECT DATE

COMING TO CANADIAN CINEMAS

Emma, a young woman with Down syndrome, must navigate the high-wire act of 21st century dating under the overbearing watch of her older sister Blake.

Directed and written by Lucas Frison
Produced by Lucas Frison and Élise Beaudry-Ferland
Starring Madison Tevlin, Amy Matysio, Matthew Von Der Ahe and Félix-Antoine Duval

After her overbearing father dies, Emma, a young woman with Down syndrome, seeks the romance and career she’s always dreamed of—much to the chagrin of her worrying older sister Blake. Blake was always the favourite child and now Emma must battle with her sister about everything from boyfriends to cupboard space. Although Emma tests the waters of social media and dating apps, what she really hopes for is to meet the young man she saw at her father’s funeral—she just needs to figure out who he is! And if she does find him, their meet-cute would technically be at her dead dad’s interment. Not the most Shakespearean of romances. She also wants to become “employee of the month” at the local grocery store, but to do that she must convince the manager to hire her. Trouble is, he's her sister’s boyfriend Brad, and he’s a real jerk. Brad doesn’t see eye to eye with Emma and he would find his life much easier if she wasn’t a part of it. Can Emma live her dreams, find love and a career, and do it before her sister shuts it all down? She’ll need the skills, smarts, and maybe one perfect date, to do it.

CANADA | 2026 | 107 MINUTES | 4K | English

One Perfect Date is a loose adaptation of a short comedy I directed in 2022 called Pen Pals, which was about a young man with Down syndrome who pursues a romantic relationship with his pen pal. The pen pal in question was played by actress Madison Tevlin and Madison is a big reason why I wanted to make One Perfect Date. I wrote the lead role specifically for her, and collaborated with her as a story consultant throughout the writing process as large parts of the story relate to Madison’s lived experience in the Down syndrome community. But going back further, the story was initially inspired by a childhood friend of mine. I went to a public K-12 school in Strasbourg Saskatchewan and was lucky enough to be in a class with a boy named Jon. Jon had Down syndrome and my peers and I knew he was different when we were young children, but we didn’t understand why. Unfortunately, this led to some bullying toward Jon, as it wasn’t until our middle years that the students fully accepted Jon for who he was. A fun-loving guy who enjoyed nothing more than going to school and hanging out with friends. Fast forward a few years, and Jon received the loudest ovation of any high school graduate I’ve ever heard. It was a far cry from the young boy who struggled to make new friends. Although it was problematic that it took my class several years to fully accept Jon, we were kids who were ultimately given a new perspective going into our adult lives. In this film, Blake’s boyfriend Brad is the person who never experienced that new perspective. It might not have made a difference if he had. Some adults can be just as cruel as children. So, if Brad is those of us who won’t grow or accept, Emma is everyone else. She doesn’t let what others think get in the way of what, or who, she loves. The audience will see a glimpse of the world from an underrepresented community through humour and romance, which are universal in their impact. Just like my friend Jon taught me as a kid; leave your expectations at the door and be ready to laugh.

Lucas Frison is a 2014 graduate of the University of Regina with a BFA in Film Production. After finishing film school he founded Prairie Cat Productions and started work on the short film Fragments of Penny. In 2015 he started developing the feature comedy Talent, which was a selection for the 2016/2017 Telefilm Talent to Watch program. In 2018 Lucas started development work on the documentary Humboldt: The New Season. He co-directed and produced the film which premiered August 2019 on CBC and was nominated for Best Documentary Program at the 2020 Canadian Screen Awards. In 2024 Lucas directed and produced a documentary episode of Our Community for the Accessibility Network as well as the documentary series We Were Broncos in 2025. In 2026 he wrote, directed, and produced the feature comedy One Perfect Date.

Élise Beaudry-Ferland is also a graduate of the University of Regina Film program. She has produced work for Telefilm Canada, the Accessibility Network, City TV, Crave, Hollywood Suite, SK Arts, Canada Council for the Arts, SGI, Safer Roads Canada, and CBC, including the Canadian Screen Award-nominated documentary, Humboldt: The New Season. Most recently she produced the documentary series We Were Broncos and The Canine Unit, as well as the feature-length comedy One Perfect Date.

Martin Cadieux-Rouillard is a Montreal-based producer, sound designer and the founder of Montreal's Liquid Love Records, a cornerstone of the city's musical landscape. His recent work in film includes: War on Science (CBC, Canada), Who I Am Not (SXSW Official Selection, Thessaloniki Documentary Festival Winner of Silver Alexander Prize), Montréal Girls (Cinequest Official Selection), H2: The Occupation Lab (DocAviv, FIPADOC, FIFDH Geneva Official Selection), Film: The Living Record of Our Memory (DocNYC, SEMINICI, Sao Paulo international film festival, 50 plays in international festivals and museums), and Antisémitismes which aired primetime on ARTE in France, to name a few. Martin's creative journey reflects the depth of his multifaceted artistic career. Through his music and work in film, he embarks on a voyage of self-expressionism, delving with both traditional and modern approaches while steadfastly following his passion. His work traverse the gamut of emotions, from the most visceral tones to the gentlest textures, all with the ultimate objective of eliciting profound feelings.He is one of the up-and-coming, most influential voices in today’s Montreal cultural industry.