Quebec’s SODEC (the Société de développement des entreprises culturelles) have opened the coffers backing the next wave of projects that will shoot next year and we learn that Philippe Lesage, Annie St-Pierre and Charlotte Le Bon are among those moving into 2026 with new projects.
Lesage who last premiered Comme le feu (read review) at the Berlinale (its North American premiere was NYFF) is moving into dramedy terrain with I Just Want a Great Love Story and it appears that the main characters will move up slightly in age from the young adults we found in his last drama. A project that received some support last week, is Le Bon’s sophomore project La symphonie du sens – we learn that this is a drama that like Falcon Lake (read review) will get in the headspace of a child. And after working in the docu and short film format realms (her heartbreaking 2021 short “Les grandes claques,” was among the best offerings at the pandemic Sundance edition) is moving into her debut feature film with a horror fantasy film set in 60’s Montreal. La portraitiste is written by the most sought after talents in Florence Longpré. Rounding out the half dozen projects as part of its production assistance program are new oeuvres by Kim Nguyen, Patrick Kiely and Geneviève Albert. Here is the presser:
La portraitiste
Writer: Florence Longpré
Director: Annie St-Pierre
Production: Max Films inc.
Montreal, 1962. Françoise leads a stifling life, dictated by her husband Germain and supported by her aunt Agathe. A receptionist at the police station where Gilles, her beloved cousin, is a police officer, Françoise is unexpectedly asked to draw a composite sketch of an attacker. This event rekindles her passion for drawing and reveals the contours of her telepathic gift. But no sooner does she realize her clairvoyance than Gilles, broken by intimidation, takes his own life. A devastated Françoise flees and joins Sergeant Stevenson in an investigation into her own family in Causapscal. Françoise’s prophetic intuition will then uncover family secrets that echo her own story. Driven by budding love and the encounter with her gift, Françoise discovers that all quests inevitably lead back to the self.
La symphonie du sens
Writer/Director: Charlotte Le Bon
Coproduction : Metafilms inc. (Québec) et Tandem (France)
Ten-year-old Sam sees her father Richard reappear after a long absence. The reassuring world she shared with her mother and stepfather begins to waver. Richard, with his whimsical love, his dark areas, and his metaphysical aspirations, disrupts Sam’s emotional bearings. In this tender chaos where opposing forces clash, will Sam manage to preserve her share of light?
Le sablier
Writer/Director: Kim Nguyen
Coproduction : Item 7 inc. (Québec) et Fasten Films** (Espagne)
The Hourglass is the story of Edith and Luca, two young adults who decide to embark on a grand adventure that takes them from Spain to Togo. The adventure goes awry: they are kidnapped by jihadist forces and taken to the Malian desert, where they are held captive for 465 days before attempting a highly risky, almost suicidal escape. This epic and spectacular feature film is based on a true story.
Bénévolat
Writers: Geneviève Albert, Maud de Palma-Duquet
Director: Geneviève Albert
Production : K.O. 24 inc.
Every week, Amaryllis (22), a high-achieving biological sciences student, volunteers to teach French to Anthony (32), who is incarcerated for murder in a penitentiary. Consumed by anxiety and obsessed with success, Amaryllis doesn’t volunteer altruistically: she wants to enhance her resume to increase her chances of being admitted to medical school. However, her encounter with Anthony will throw a wrench in the works of her perfectly regulated daily routine. Will her volunteering deflect her trajectory? One thing is certain: between two rules of grammar, these two people, who have nothing in common, will be profoundly transformed.
Good in the Room
Writers: Patrick Kiely, Mark O’Brien
Director: Patrick Kiely
Coproduction : Productions Maison Banner inc. (Québec) et Grand Touring Productions inc. (Ontario)
A retired hockey player, Charlie has seen his life crumble under the weight of his mistakes. His only moment of glory dates back to the time when he formed a formidable duo with his friend Remy Lafrenière, star goaltender and public idol. Everything Charlie is no longer, Remy is: brilliant, adored, lucky. Overwhelmed by debt, Charlie decides to risk everything. He plans to rob Remy with Julius Brice, a former henchman with an explosive temper. Will his luck change?
I Just Want a Great Love Story
Writer/Director: Philippe Lesage
Production : Les Productions des Films de l’Autre inc.
Guillaume, a passionate and idealistic young man, struggles to find his place in life. When his older sister Charlotte—who supports his uncompromising artistic dreams—invites him to spend a few days with her fiancé’s family in a quiet village in Bas-Saint-Laurent, the meeting of the two families leads to life-changing moments for everyone involved.
