Directed by Phuong Mai Nguyen and AJ Dungo, Author of Autobiographical Novel
Animated | 91 Minutes | English | Boston Premiere
In Los Angeles, AJ, a shy teenager, meets Kristen. She lives for surfing; he loves skateboarding and drawing. They fall madly in love, and a happy future seems within reach. But everything changes when Kristen faces a sudden illness. Together, they face adversity, driven by the strength of their love, their friends, and their newly shared passion for surfing and the ocean. timeless tale of love, music and family.
Director’s Bio – Phuong Mai Nguyen
Vietnamese-born director PHUONG MAI NGUYEN graduated from Gobelins and La Poudrière. She co-directed the adaptation of Pénélope Bagieu’s graphic novel Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World into a 30-episode animated series broadcast on France Télévisions in 2019. She regularly collaborates with other directors on storyboarding and visual development for animated films and series. She has directed several short films, including My Home, which was pre-selected for the César Awards and shortlisted for the Oscars in 2016. In Waves is her first feature film
Author of Autobiographical Graphic Novel – AJ Dungo
AJ DUNGO is an illustrator and graduate of the ArtCenter College of Design (California). Equally active in advertising (Nike, Vissla, Skechers…) and editorial work (The New York Times, Esquire…), he published his first graphic novel, In Waves, in 2019 with Nobrow/Flying Eye Books Ltd, and with Casterman for the French edition. In 2026, he returns to comics with the publication of a new graphic novel, Skating Wilder, once again with Flying Eye Books and Casterman. If you’re looking for him, you’ll probably find him surfing somewhere around Los Angeles.