Primary Poster For YOUNG WERTHER (2024).
Canadian film “young werther”
Toronto, ON / Los Angeles, CA – July 2025 — Fresh off the global success of his feature debut Young Werther, filmmaker, author, and commercial director José Lourenço has signed with Jay and Tina Horowitz at Vanguarde Artists Management for writing and directing representation in Canada. Lourenço is also represented by Mason Novick of Lost City for literary management in the U.S.
Lourenço’s debut feature, Young Werther, premiered in the Special Presentations section at TIFF 2024 and was nominated for the Jean-Marc Vallée Discovery Award. This is the first time in TIFF’s 50-year history that a debut feature achieved both these accolades. The romantic dramedy, starring Douglas Booth, Alison Pill, Iris Apatow, and Patrick J. Adams, was acquired by Lionsgate for North American distribution and has become one of the most widely distributed Canadian independent films of the last decade, with theatrical releases in over 30 countries and streaming availability in 45 territories. It was featured on Crave, Apple TV+, and JustWatch’s 2025 Streaming Guide, with its trailer premiering exclusively via People magazine. Patrick J. Adams won Best Supporting Actor from the Vancouver Film Critics Circle, and cinematographer Nick Haight received a Canadian Screen Award nomination.
Lourenço has had feature and television projects set up with eOne, Netflix, and Searchlight Pictures, and was the writer behind the acclaimed true-crime series Farm Crime, which won a Canadian Screen Award and became a sleeper international hit.
He is also a prolific commercial director and one of the most in-demand ghostwriters in global advertising, having written for some of the world’s top brands and agencies, with writing contributions to more than 30 Super Bowl Campaigns. His portfolio spans award-winning work across broadcast, branded, and digital campaigns.
His children’s book series BILLIE launches in 2025 with Tundra Books, the children’s division of Penguin Random House Canada. Lourenço is represented in publishing by Rosemary Stimola of Stimola Literary Studio, best known for her work on The Hunger Games series.
Prior to his work in film and advertising, Lourenço was a widely published journalist, with bylines in The Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail, The New York Times, and other international outlets. He was a columnist at the Star and an early contributor to publications across print, radio, and television.
“Young Werther was just the beginning,” said Lourenço. “I’m thrilled to be working with Jay and Tina—who truly understand both the artistic and business sides of this industry—and with Mason, whose creative instincts and producing track record speak for themselves. I’m building a career that crosses borders, genres, and formats, and I feel like I’ve finally got the right team around me.”
Young Werther was selected as the opening film of the Perspectiva Internacional section of the 49th Mostra Internacional de Cinema em São Paulo. In Russia, the film opened theatrically in over 100 theatres, including a sold-out Valentine’s Day screening at the prestigious 2450-seat Oktyabr Kino in Moscow.
Young Werther is playing across more than 30 countries theatrically, with streaming in 45+ territories. From Brazil (Velox Tickets) to New Zealand (Aro Video), Finland (CDON), and beyond, it’s connecting with audiences everywhere—whether in cinemas, on streaming platforms, or in big-box retail. The film is currently available in 10+ languages with localized marketing and key art per territory.
Young Werther continues its international run, recently screening as part of Istanbul’s Hillside City Club open-air cinema series, alongside acclaimed festival titles such as The Great Lillian Hall, Materialists, and A Real Pain.”