The 42nd Festival du cinéma international en Abitibi-Témiscamingue will feature a first-rate pro program. The Watch takes place in a magnificent log cabin in the heart of the Abitibi-Témiscamingue forest. On October 27 and 28, by invitation only, film specialists with impressive portfolios will meet with filmmakers presenting a film in the short films section. This event is designed to contribute to the development of careers, the professionalization of artists, and the building of contact networks.
This year’s guests include:
Éric K. Boulianne, one of the most prolific Canadian screenwriters of his generation. Since 2019, no fewer than six feature films have been scripted or co-scripted by Éric K. Boulianne: Avant qu’on explose, nominated in the Best Screenplay category at the 2019 Québec Cinéma gala, Menteur, Canada’s biggest box-office hit (2019), Les Barbares de la Malbaie (2019), Viking in competition in the TIFF Platform section (2022), Farador (2023), in which he also plays the lead role, and Le Plongeur (2023), with close to a million at the Québec box-office. Recently, Faire un enfant, a short film he wrote and directed, had its international premiere at the Locarno Film Festival, where it won the award for Best Direction in the Pardi di Domani section. This film will also be presented in our main program on Monday evening, October 30.
Miryam Bouchard began her career directing over twenty music videos in record time, before turning to television with Chroniques d’une violence ordinaire. She also contributed to the documentary Les têtes à claques: une histoire unbelievable. Her short films, La Cérémonie and Roastbeef, have won numerous awards. She has also directed successful series such as Destinées and L’échappée. In 2020, she directed her first feature film, Mon cirque à moi, which won an award at the Kids Kino International Film Festival. She also directed 23 Décembre, winner of the Coup de cœur du jury award at the Alpes d’Huez Comedy Festival and the Écrans d’or award at the Canadian Screen Awards.
Mariloup Wolfe, a Quebec media icon for over 20 years, is a renowned director, actress, and host. Her television credits include roles in Unité 9, Ramdam and 30 vies. Her film credits include C.R.A.Z.Y. and À vos marques… Party! However, her career has refocused on directing, with a variety of projects including Cœur de slush and Arlette. She also hosted and directed Le grand move, an award-winning documentary series. Mariloup Wolfe is a versatile figure in Quebec entertainment.
Guillaume Lespérance is a Canadian film and television producer, best known for Tout le monde en parle, En audition avec Simon, Le trip à trois and Bye bye (2016-2017-2018). Guillaume Lespérance has been involved in production for over 15 years and has had the opportunity to work on a wide range of projects. Whether it’s talk shows, TV series, documentaries, or films, he has always been able to adapt and evolve with TV, while ensuring that he works to make it inclusive, social, and intelligent.
Alec Pronovost is one of the most effervescent comedic voices in Quebec, and soon, in the world. He was named one of 10 young writers to watch by Plus on est de fous, plus on lit in 2020. A Montreal-born filmmaker, he directed the short film Piscine Pro (2022), presented at the Sundance Film Festival. He is one of the creators behind the successful parody series Complètement Lycée (winner of Gémeaux, Oliviers and Canneseries awards), as well as one of the directors of the sketch series Club Soly. He is also one of the winners of the Bell Fund Award for our events in 2022 and 2023.
Ariane Louis-Seize made her mark on the film world with her first award-winning short film, La peau sauvage (2016), exploring wacky worlds. She went on to make several short films, including Les petites vagues (2018) and Les Profondeurs (2019), tackling a variety of themes. Her success was confirmed with Comme une comète (2020), a short film that won international awards, including the Prix Télébec at the Festival du cinéma international en Abitibi-Témiscamingue. In 2023, she made her feature film debut with Vampire humaniste cherche suicidaire consentant, acclaimed at the Venice Film Festival 2023 for its exceptional direction.
Robin Aubert has made a name for himself in Quebec cinema with acclaimed films such as Saint-Martyrs-des-Damnés (2005) and Les Affamés (2017), winner of the best canadian movie award at the International film Festival of Toronto. Aubert is renowned for his unique style that blends horror, fantasy, and the social. In addition to his career as a director, he is also an actor and has appeared in various film and TV projects. His work often explores deep and engaging themes, while captivating audiences with his narrative and visual talent. Robin Aubert remains an important figure in contemporary Quebec cinema. His next feature film, Tu ne sauras jamais, is scheduled for release in 2023.
Pascal Plante gained attention with Les faux tatouages, his first feature-length fiction film, winner of the Focus Québec/Canada Grand Prize at the FNC 2017 and selected for the 2018 Berlinale. Graduating from Concordia University in Montreal in 2011, Pascal soon went on to write and direct a number of short films, including Blonde aux yeux bleus (Best Canadian Short, VIFF 2015), Nonna (Slamdance 2017) and Blast Beat (Slamdance 2019). His film Les chambres rouges won Best Feature at the Fantasia Festival in 2023.
Larissa Corriveau began her career in theatre before turning to film and television. She is known for her roles in popular TV series such as Unité 9 and Fugueuse. Corriveau has been praised for her versatility and acting talent. She has also been involved in independent film projects, winning several awards for her performances. She recently appeared in Denis Côté’s Mademoiselle Kenopsia and Stéphane Lafleur’s Viking.
Joël Vaudreuil had his first feature Adam change lentement screened in official competition at Annecy. In addition to directing several music videos, Joël Vaudreuil has made a number of short films, including La vie magnifique sous l’eau (2015), L’enfant aux six hot-dogs (2011) and La récréation du midi (2009), as well as the animated short Le courant faible de la rivière (2013), which has been screened at over 100 festivals worldwide, including the Annecy International Animated Film Festival and the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival.
Denis Côté is renowned for his singular cinematic approach and his exploration of existential themes. A movie buff, he studied cinema at Collège Ahuntsic in Montreal, then founded Nihil Productions around 1994. He has been very active, shooting some fifteen short films. At the same time, he was a film journalist on the radio, head of the cinema desk for the Montreal cultural weekly Ici between 1999 and 2005, and vice-president of the Association québécoise des critiques de cinéma (AQCC). Côté has directed acclaimed films such as Vic + Flo ont vu un ours (2013) and Boris sans Béatrice (2016), which won international awards. His latest film Mademoiselle Kenopsia had its world premiere at Locarno.
Vincent Biron is a Canadian director. He is best known for his debut feature Prank (2016) and his short Little Flowers, which won Best Canadian Short at the Toronto International Film Festival (2010). A voracious movie buff with an eclectic appetite, Vincent also collaborates with numerous filmmakers as photography director, including Denis Côté (Bestiaire), Matthew Rankin (The Twentieth Century), Alexandre Dostie (Je finirai en prison), for which he received the Best Cinematography award at the Brooklyn Film Festival in June 2020. And most recently with director Lawrence Côté-Collins for Bungalow (2023) and Les chambres rouges with Pascal Plante, the film opened the Fantasia 2023 festival.
Patrice Vermette is recognized for his outstanding work in the film industry as art director, winning several awards for his work on the film C.R.A.Z.Y. (2005), including a Genie and a Jutra Award. Vermette has collaborated with such renowned directors as Denis Villeneuve and Jean-Marc Vallée. He has worked on such acclaimed films as Sicario (2015), Arrival (2016) and Vice (2018). Not to mention Denis Villeneuve’s Dune in 2021 for which he von an Oscar for best production design.
Martin Dubreuil has appeared in films such as Les signes vitaux (2009) and Tu dors Nicole (2014), both of which received critical acclaim. His remarkable performance in À l’origine d’un cri (2010) earned him several nominations and awards. More recently, he starred in Le temps d’un été, the biggest box-office hit in Quebec since 2019. He also won the Iris award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in 2019 for his portrayal of poet Yves Boisvert in Yan Giroux’s À tous ceux qui ne me lisent pas.
Sylvain Corbeil founded Metafilms in 2003, a film production company often associated with the revival of Quebec cinema. Metafilms’ success is based on greater international visibility thanks to success at major festivals (Cannes, Venice, Locarno, Berlin, Toronto, etc.). He is producer of Xavier Dolan’s Mommy, Charlotte Le Bon’s Falcon Lake, Monia Chokri’s Simple comme Sylvain and Rojek, the documentary that will represent Canada at the Oscars.
The Watch is made possible with the support of SODEC, the Bell Fund, the Independent Production Fund, the Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Autobus Maheux, and Hécla-Québec.
13 September 2023
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