Jann Arden, Cassandra Naud, Hunter Cardinal Lead ‘Expiry Date’ Dark Dramedy (Exclusive)

Top Canadian singer-songwriter Jann Arden, Influencer star Cassandra Naud and Hunter Cardinal (BET) have nabbed lead roles in Expiry Date, a dark cancer dramedy from writer and director Rylan Oleksyn.

Naud plays Jessica and Cardinal is Milton, two young people living with terminal cancer. While initially clashing, they eventually find friendship and comic relief as they deal with family tensions and differing attitudes to treatment and possibly dying young. Arden, who along with Naud identifies as a queer artist, plays Jessica’s mother.

“Jessica pushes Milton to take chances, while Milton helps Jessica confront what she has been avoiding. The film finds humor in their disagreements without losing sight of the circumstances that bring them together,” a synopsis from the producers states.

The film, indigenous director Oleksyn’s first feature that expands on an earlier short film of the same name, draws on the filmmaker’s experience in losing family members to a deadly disease. “Cancer has ripped holes in my family multiple times,” Oleksyn said in a statement. “With this film, I wanted to explore what these brave people can teach everyone who is lucky enough to stay healthy. I hope people will laugh, I hope people will cry, and I hope people will take it as a reminder of how quickly everything can go away, so go live.”

Arden, a multi-platinum recording artist and entertainer, as an actor co-created, executive produced and starred in the comedy Jann picked up by Hulu. Naud stars in Shudder’s Influencer and the sequel Influencers, also appeared in Mike Flanagan’s Carrie series for Prime Video and has film and TV credits that include It’s a Wonderful Knife, opposite Joel McHale, and the series Tracker and Loudermilk.

Cardinal plays Michael in Netflix’s BET live action TV adaptation of the hit Japanese manga thriller Kakegurui and has appeared in CBS’s Sheriff Country. He is also an indigenous artist and a veteran stage actor.

Expiry Date is shooting in Tisdale, Saskatchewan and is produced by Ryan Feaney and Kurtis Burke. Steven Gary Banks is executive producing.

“Working on Expiry Date is pretty kick ass. The entire town of Tisdale, Saskatchewan is behind Rylan and his crew. Great script, great actors, all coming together to make something wonderful,” Arden, a veteran of 16 studio albums and concert touring, said in a statement.