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Former Lovers Reunite in LA After Decades Apart
30 Jan
Summary
- Two high school sweethearts unexpectedly reunite in Los Angeles.
- They confront enduring love versus nostalgia and its potential cost.
- The film premiered at the 2023 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival.
A romantic drama titled "This Time" has been acquired for distribution, set to release on North American digital platforms and DVD on February 10, 2026. The film follows Colin and Laela, high school sweethearts separated by the 1998 Jakarta riots who unexpectedly reunite in Los Angeles two decades later.
Laela is now a world-traveling sculptor, while Colin is preparing to move to Pennsylvania to support his wife's career. Over a single day, they revisit past choices and question if their bond is true love or mere nostalgia.
Director Sebastien Tobler, who also wrote the film, described it as a story about choosing presence in an age of distraction. The film debuted at the 2025 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, earning Tobler the Emerging Director Award at the 2025 Asian American International Film Festival. His next projects, "Bodies of Water" and "Kamikaze Blue," are in development.
