Jean-François Leblanc
Director | Screenwriter
Originally from Quebec, Jean-François obtained his degree in Cinematographic Studies from the University of Montreal in 2007. He wrote and then directed the short films L’ENFARGÉE, 12 HOMMES EN TABARNAK and ORDINAIRES, which toured several festivals worldwide. Jean-François moved on to web series with the writing and production of LE POOL, a series of 24 episodes which will span three seasons. In 2015, he wrote and directed LE GARS D’LA SHOP, which, in addition to having its world premiere at TIFF, won three awards at the Gala Prends Ça Court and was selected for more than 20 international festivals. He returned to the web in 2018 as the director of L’ARÈNE which won the Best Webseries at the Larochelle Fiction Festival and competed for the best digital series at the Canneseries and Gémeaux Awards. In 2020, CONNEXION EN COURS won the Best Cultural Diversity Web-Series Toronto Webfest award and a nomination for the 35th Gémeaux Award Best Web-Series, Comedy. His fascination with spoken language, masculinity and likelihood is at the centre of his artistic approach, which stands out for the frequent use of improvisation. Like the short film LE PRINCE DE VAL-BÉ (2019), his most recent short film LANDGRAVES (2020) has already had a run at significant Festivals and the film has won numerous awards including the prestigious TIFF Avrich Award given to 10 promising filmmakers, according to the festival team, Best Director at the Festival Off Courts Trouville, in addition to Prends Ça Court, Macabro and Fantasia.
Jean-François will present his short film VIRGA to the public in 2023 and is working on the adaptation to the big screen of the comic strip VIL ET MISÉRABLE by Samuel Cantin, which will be his first fiction feature film.
Filmography
Virga
TBR 2023
Short film
Director | Screenwriter Charles Dionne
Producer Geneviève Gosselin | Travelling Distribution
Le Larron
In development
Feature film
Director | Written by Alexandre Auger
Ô Films
Un Statut
In development
Short film
Director | Co-written with Samuel Cantin
Colonelle Films
*Harold Greenberg Option Grant * Grant from the Conseil des Arts et Lettres du Québec * Telefilm Canada grant * SODEC funding - Scriptwriting assistance - Young Creators
Vil et Misérable
In development
Feature film (adaptation of Vil et Misérable published by Pow Pow)
Director and coscreenwriter with Samuel Cantin
Colonelle Films
*Sodec Funding *Harold Greenberg Fund *Conseil des Arts et Lettres du Québec Grant
*Téléfilm Canada Grant
LANDGRAVES
2020
Short film written by Alexandre Auger | HD
Director, associated producer with Couronne Nord
*Sodec Funding
Vimeo's Staff Pick (2021)
Achat Bloody Disgusting TV (US), 2021
TIFF Avrich Award 2020 - delivered to ten promising filmmakers according to the festival team
Award – Best Short Film - Festival Cinémania, 2020
Award – Best film - Fantasia International Film Festival, 2020
Award – Best director - Brooklyn Horror Film Festival
Award – Best screenplay - HorrorFest International
Quebec Public Award - Plein(s) Écran(s)
Best supporting actor (Pierre-Luc Brillant) - Nightmares Film Festival
Best emerging producer - Fantasia International Film Festival
PRIXBest direction - Festival Off Courts Trouville 2020
Grand Price H264 - Gala Prends Ça Court 2020
SODEC Award – Gala Prends Ça Court 2020
Trou du Diable Award - Gala Prends Ça Court 2020
SLA Location Award – Gala Prends Ça Court 2020
Ottoblix Award - Gala Prends Ça Court 2020
Best film - Fantasia International Film Festival 2020
MENTION Best international short film - Macabro International Film Festival
FESTIVALS
Haapsalu Õudus- ja Fantaasiafilmide Festival - Official selection Little Nightmares program, 2021 (Estonia)
Uppsala International Short Film Festival, October 2020 (Uppsala, Sweden)
Prague Short Film Festival (Karlovy Vary), March 2021 (Prague, Czech Republic)
Thess International Short Film Festival, October 2020 (Thess, Greece)
Off-Courts Trouville, September 2020 (Trouville-sur-mer, France)
Macabro International Film Festival, August 2020 (Mexico City, Mexico)
Nightstream - Brooklyn Horror Film Festival, October 2020 (Brooklyn, US)
Nightmares Film Festival, October 2020 (Columbus, US)
Regard sur le court métrage, March 2020 (Chicoutimi, Canada)
Purchase of license Shorts TV, Chaine télé US, 2021
Purchase of license TV5/Unis, 2021
Purchase of license Alter/Dust (US), 2021
Grossman Fantastic Film and Wine Festival, July 2020 (Ljutomer, Slovenia)
Fantasia International Film Festival, August 2020 (Montréal, Canada)
Ravenheart International Film Festival, August 2020 (Oslo, Norway)
DC Shorts International Film Festival, September 2020 (Washington, US)
Cinefest Sudbury International Film Festival, September 2020 (Sudbury, Canada)
Blacksphere Festival, September 2020 (Prague, Czech Republic)
HorrorFest International, October 2020 (Utah, US)
Festival du Cinéma International en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, November 2020 (R-Noranda, Canada)
Blood in the Snow, November 2020 (Toronto, Canada)
Sound Unseen, November 2020 (Minneapolis, US)
Festival Cinémania, November 2020 (Montréal, Canada)
Festival International du Cinéma Francophone en Acadie, November 2020 (Moncton, Canada)
Festival Images en vues, November 2020, (Iles-de-la-Madeleine, Canada)
Soho Horror Film Festival, December 2020 (Londres, UK)
Plein(s) Écran(s), January 2021 (Montréal, Canada)
Film Maudit 2.0, January 2021 (Santa Monica, US)
Cinéma on the Bayou, January 2021 (Lafayette, US)
Nevermore Film Festival, February 2021 (Caroline du Nord, US)
Les Rendez-vous du cinéma québécois et francophone, February 2021 (Vancouver, Canada)
Cine-Maniacs Filmfest, March 2021 (Turkheim, Germany)
Les Rendez-Vous Québec Cinéma, April 2021 (Montréal, Canada)
Dawson City International Short Film Festival, April 2021 (Dawson City, Canada)
Les Percéides, August 2021 (Percé, Canada)
Le Prince de Val-Bé
2019
Short film | HD
Screenwriter, director and assiocated producer
Colonelle Films
*Grant from the Conseil des Arts et Lettres of Quebec
Best picture - Fantasia International Film Festival
FESTIVALS
Regard sur le court métrage, 2019 (Chicoutimi, Canada)
Seattle International Film Festival, 2019 (Seattle, USA)
Fantasia International Film Festival, 2019 (Montréal, Canada)
Les Percéides, 2019 (Percé, Canada)
Festival de Cinéma de la Ville de Québec, 2019 (Québec, Canada)
Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival, 2019 (Sudbury, Canada)
Plein(s) Écran(s), 2020 (Québec, Canada) *** Opening Film
Cinéma on the Bayou, 2020 (Lafayette, USA)
Les Rendez-Vous du Cinéma Québécois, 2020 (Montréal, Canada)
Flicker's Roving Eye International Film Festival, 2020 (Rhode Island, USA)
Tout Court Bologne, 2020 (Italia)
SENE Film, Music, & Amp; Arts Festival, 2020 (Rhode Island, USA)
Prends ça court! Official Selection – Montréal, 2020
Le Gars d'la Shop
2015
Short film | 16MM | 15 minutes
Screenwriter, director
Colonelle Films
Roméo et Fils Award - Gala Prends Ça Court 2016
Best male role (Serge Boulianne) - Gala Prends Ça Court 2016
Special jury mention (Best film) – Gala Prends Ça Court 2016
Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), 2015 (Toronto, Canada)
Festival International du Cinéma Francophone en Acadie, 2015 (Moncton, Canada)
Cinema on the Bayou, 2016 (Lafayette, USA)
Les Rendez-Vous du Cinéma Québécois et Francophone, 2016 (Vancouver, Canada)
Les Rendez-Vous du Cinéma Québécois 2016, 2016 (Montréal, Canada)
Kingston Canadian Film Festival, 2016 (Kingston, Canada)
BFI Flare – London LGBT Film Festival, 2015 (London,UK)
Festival Vues d’en face, 2016 (Grenoble, France)
Short N Sweet Session no 11– Centre Culturel Canadien, 2016 (Paris, France)
Norwegian Short Film Festival, 2016 (Grimstad, Norway)
Palm Springs International Shortfest, 2016 (Palm Springs, USA)
Rio Gender and Sexuality Film Cinema Festival, 2016 (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
Queer Lisboa, 2016 (Lisboa, Portugal)
Festival de Cinéma de la Ville de Québec, 2016 (Québec, Canada)
Festival International du Film Francophone de Namur, Octobre 2016 (Namur, Belgium)
Holebi Film Festival, 2016 (Louvain, Belgium)
Image+Nation Film Festival, 2016 (Montréal, Québec)
Diffusion - Tou.tv
Ordinaires
2013
Short documentary essay | HD | 15 minutes
Screenwriter, director, producer, editor, cameraman, sound designer
La Garnotte
Official selection of SODEC
International Short Film Festival Market (official selection), Clermont Ferrand 2013
Regard sur le Court Métrage au Saguenay, 2013
12 Hommes en Tabarnak
2011
Short film | HD | 12 minutes
Screenwriter, director, producer, actor
La Garnotte
McAulsan Award 2012 at the Gala Prends Ça Court! (RVCQ 2012)
Public Choice Award - Tourner À Tout Prix (Regard 2012)
Purchased by Canal Plus (France) 2012 (national diffusion)
Presented at 7 festivals (Raindance, Regard, FCVQ, RVCQ, Fantasia, Abitibi, Juste pour rire)
L’Enfargée
2010
Short film | HD | 26 minutes
Screenwriter, director, producer, editor
La Garnotte
L’Humain
2007
Short film | 16mm | 10 minutes
Screenwriter, director, editor assistant
Purchased by Mange ta ville, ARTV, Émission Provocation
Short film of the year at the St-Sulpice's projections, 2008
Presented at 5 festivals (Trouville, FFM, Images en Vues, Young Cuts, Micro-Cinéma)
Television & Web
Avril sur Mars
In development
TV series written by Marie-Josée Ouellet and Raphaël Codebecq
Director
Toast Média
Les Furies
In development
TV series | 6 x 60min
Director and co-screenwriter with Marc-Antoine Rioux
Trio Orange
Pour Andreas
In development
Webseries | 6 x 10 min
Director and screenwriter
Ô Films
L'Arène (season 2)
2021
Webseries written by Marjorie Armstrong | HD | 6 X 10 minutes
Director
Nitrofilms | Babel films
36e Prix Gémeaux - Nomination Best direction, 2021
Connexion en cours - Season 2
2020
Webseries written by Mani Soleymanlou | HD | 35 X 3 Minutes
Director
TV5 Québec Canada | TV5 Monde | TV5Unis.ca
* Canada Media Fund
Toronto Webfest - Best webseries for the cultural diversity
Nominated for the 35th Gémeaux Award - Best webseries, comedy
FESTIVALS
Toronto WebFest - Toronto 2020
Melbourne WebFest - Austalia 2020
L'Arène
2018
Webseries written by Marjorie Armstrong | HD | 6 X 10 minutes
Director
Nitrofilms
Best webseries - Festival de la Fiction (La Rochelle, France) 2018
Nomination : Best web series - Gémeaux Awards 2018
Canneseries Digital Competition, Canneseries, (Cannes, France) 2018
Hubert et Fanny - Web Content
2018
Web capsule | HD | 23 X 2 minutes
Director, creator
Sphère Média Plus | Ici Tou.tv
Gémeaux Awards for Best Numeric Content, 2018
Ma première fois...Au Cinéma! Season 1 et 2
2017-2018
Web capsule | HD | 30 X 1m30
Creator, director
Couronne Nord
Gémeaux Awards - Nomination for best webseries, 2018
LOS - Wonders
2016
Videoclip web | HD | 4 minutes 10 secondes
Screenwriter, director
Colonelle films
7 Heures
2015
Webseries written by Jean-François Leblanc and directed by Jean-Christophe J. Lamontagne | HD | 6 X 5 minutes
Screenwriter, creator
Jimmy Lee
NOMINATIONS
Best series - Webfest Montréal 2016
Best male interpretation (Guy Richer)- Gémeaux Awards 2016
Le Cas – Le Pilote
2015
TV game directed by Jean-François Blais | HD | 60 minutes
Creator, screenwriter
Canoe | TVA Productions
Dans la Bulle de Prise 2
2014
TV variety program directed by Pierre Ouimet, HD, 12 X 22 minutes
Creator and screenwriter
Prise 2 | TVA Productions
Dans la Bulle de Prise 2
2014
Webserie created by Jean-François Leblanc, HD, 22 X 3 minutes
Screenwriter, director
Prise 2 | TVA Productions
Le Pool – Season 1 at 3
2012-2014
Webseries, HD, 24 X 10 minutes
Screenwriter, director, producer
Jessie Films | Z Télé & LibTV
Nomination - Best Actor (Guillaume Girard) - Gémeaux Awards 2015
Publicity ( Web & TV)
Patrice Michaud - À qui l'aura
2020
Videoclip | 5min
Scrennwriter and director | Parce Que Films & Maison Fauve
Gouin Ouest avec Mehdi Bousaidan
2017-2018
Web ads, 6 X 90s
Director
La Guérilla
Journées de la Persévérance Scolaire
2017
TV ad, 15s
Creator, screenwriter, director
Prêt à Rabais
2017
TV ads, 2 X 15s
Creator, screenwriter, director
La Guérilla
Vincent d'Amérique
2016
TV & Web ad, 30s
Screenwriter, director
Colonelle films
Fondation Jean Lapointe
2016
Web capsule, 1m15s
Creator, screenwriter, director
La Guérilla
Stafbox
2016
Web ads, Colonelle films, 2 X 40s
Creator, screewriter, director
Personnal Award
TIFF - Avrich Award - Awarded to the 10 most promising Canadian filmmakers | 2020
Work Experiences
Filmmaker/Trainer - One month at Rapid Lake| Wapikoni Mobile - 2017
Development designer (TV and other platforms) | Québécor Content - 2011-2017
Other Experiences
Musée Grévin - Exhibition Les coulisses de l'animation | Design, direction - 2018
Air Canada enRoute Film Festival | Speaker - 2015
Education
2007
Bachelor in Film Studies | University of Montréal - 2007