When 13-year-old Liam Diaz auditioned for Scarborough, he had no idea that the Canadian indie film about three kids from a low-income Toronto community would become one of the country’s most critically acclaimed films of the year.

Diaz was attending a performing arts school in his hometown Mississauga, Ont., when an acting teacher suggested he throw his hat into the ring for the role of Bing, a young, gay Filipino boy from a troubled family.

“It’s definitely been a journey,” he said.

“I thought it was just going to be a small little product, but I’m happy that it bloomed into a big one.”