Martin Villeneuve

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Martin Villeneuve
Filmmaker Martin Villeneuve in April 2015
Born
Alma materUniversité du Québec à Montréal
Occupation(s)Screenwriter, film producer, film director, actor, art director, writer
Years active2001–present
RelativesDenis Villeneuve (brother)
Websitewww.bulbapp.com/MartinVilleneuve

Martin Villeneuve (French:

Mars et Avril, his feature film debut.[1] He is also known for The 12 Tasks of Imelda, his second feature film released in 2022, in which he portrays his own grandmother,[2] and for his animated series Red Ketchup premiering in 2023.[3][4][5] Villeneuve previously worked for Cirque du Soleil as an artistic director for commercials and films.[6]

Early life

He studied film production at

and Corteo. He found the name for these three shows, as well as for Guy Laliberté’s One Drop Foundation. When the agency (formerly known as Diesel) changed its name in 2006, Villeneuve had the idea for the anagram Sid Lee. He also directed TV commercials for Cirque du Soleil,[8] in addition to music videos and documentary shorts.[9]

Career

Villeneuve began his career as a writer and graphic artist in 2002. He has created the comic book La voix du tonnerre (Les 400 coups, 2004), as well as the two graphic novels Mars et Avril (Sid Lee & la Pastèque, 2002-2006).

On February 27, 2013, Villeneuve gave a TED Talk about

Mars et Avril has been sold to the U.S. and is available online.[27]

In 2014, Villeneuve made his acting debut in his short comedy film Imelda, in the role of his paternal grandmother, for which he won three awards, including the Union des Artistes’ Best Actor Award at the 12th Prends ça court ! Gala (2015).[28]

In 2016-2017, he directed the first episodes of the second season of Real Detective for Investigation Discovery Channel and Netflix.[9]

On August 3, 2020, a 14-minute documentary about filmmaker Martin Villeneuve was released online. Directed by Jean Benoit, it features interviews with stage director Robert Lepage, illustrator François Schuiten and filmmaker Denis Villeneuve.[29]

Martin Villeneuve shot two sequels to his short film Imelda, both released in fall 2020. Imelda 2: The Notary had its world premiere and opened the Quebec City Film Festival on September 16, 2020, and won the Cinémental Award for Best Canadian Short Film 2020.[30] Imelda 3: Simone had its world premiere and opened the Festival du cinéma international en Abitibi-Témiscamingue on October 31, 2020, in front of a real audience despite the Covid crisis.[31]

He gave a one-hour storytelling masterclass for Goalcast, which went live on January 7, 2021.[32]

Villeneuve's second feature film, The 12 Tasks of Imelda, which he wrote, directed, produced and starred in, had its world premiere at the Quebec City Film Festival on September 9, 2022, before going into commercial release in 29 theaters across Quebec on October 28, 2022.[33] It was also screened at the 2022 Whistler Film Festival,[34] where it won the award for "Best Editing" in a Borsos Competition film.[35][36] On March 26, 2023, Villeneuve won the "Best Actor" award at the Festival du Film Canadien de Dieppe, France, for his role of Imelda, and on August 31, 2023, he won the "Best Director" award at the Canada China International Film Festival.[37]

In 2023, Martin Villeneuve has directed Red Ketchup, based on Quebec’s cult graphic novels. Produced by Sphere Animation, this 20-episode animated series airs on Adult Swim in English and on Télétoon la nuit in French. Villeneuve also lends his voice to the character of Bill Bélisle in the French version of the show, which holds the top spot on Télétoon la nuit and is part of Bubbleblabber’s “Top 10 Adult Animated TV Series For 2023”.[38][39][40][41]

Personal life

Martin Villeneuve is the younger brother of filmmaker Denis Villeneuve.[42][43] However, he has carved his own path in the world of filmmaking, highlighting that being "the brother of" didn’t provide him any special advantages or privileges, as evident by his sci-fi epic Mars & Avril which took him seven years to make on a shoestring budget, and in his nine-year endeavor, The 12 Tasks of Imelda, which he self-produced.[44]

He is in a relationship with Kika Martinez, and they are raising two children.[45]

Selected bibliography

Graphic novels

  • Mars et Avril, tome 2 : À la poursuite du fantasme, photo-novel, photography by Yanick Macdonald, Éd. Diesel & la Pastèque, 2006[46]
  • La voix du tonnerre, comic book, illustrations by Daniel Svatek, Éd. Les 400 coups, 2004[47]
  • Mars et Avril, tome 1, photo-novel, photography by Yanick Macdonald, Éd. Les 400 coups, 2002 (revised version published by Diesel & la Pastèque in 2006)[10]

Selected filmography

Awards and mentions

References

  1. ^ Mars and April // Mars & Avril Archived June 10, 2015, at the Wayback Machine, review from Variety, July 16, 2012
  2. ^ THE 12 TASKS OF IMELDA - A film by Martin Villeneuve Archived October 3, 2022, at the Wayback Machine, Maison 4:3, September 3, 2022
  3. ^ English Dub Review: Red Ketchup Season One Part One Archived July 17, 2023, at the Wayback Machine, Bubbleblabber, July 12, 2023
  4. ^ New animated series based on classic Quebec comic strip Archived April 20, 2023, at the Wayback Machine, Global News, April 20, 2023
  5. ^ Red Ketchup, the long-awaited animated adaptation Archived June 4, 2023, at the Wayback Machine, cmf-fmc, April 20, 2023
  6. ^
    The Gazette
    , October 5, 2012
  7. ^ Sid Lee website Archived 2011-06-20 at the Library of Congress Web Archives
  8. ^ a b Cirque du Soleil – Advertising on Vimeo, 2003-2013
  9. ^ a b c d e f "Martin Villeneuve on IMDb". Archived from the original on October 13, 2017. Retrieved June 30, 2018.
  10. ^ a b “Mars et Avril” leaps off the pages of graphic novels Archived July 16, 2019, at the Wayback Machine, BULB, 2002-2006
  11. ^ Mars and April Archived July 15, 2019, at the Wayback Machine, review from Screen Daily, July 13, 2012
  12. ^ Spend the weekend watching the impossible (and beautiful) Mars & Avril Archived December 9, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, review from io9, December 6, 2013
  13. ^ Out there down here: Sci-Fi-London 2013 Archived October 26, 2023, at the Wayback Machine, review from Sight & Sound, May 27, 2013
  14. ^ Sci-Fi London 2013 Review: MARS ET AVRIL Deserves Greater Attention Archived March 3, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, review from Screen Anarchy, May 8, 2013
  15. ^ Mars et Avril directed by Martin Villeneuve Archived July 15, 2019, at the Wayback Machine, review from Exclaim!, March 21, 2013
  16. ^ a b “Martin Villeneuve: How I made an impossible film” Archived February 28, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, TED, June 7, 2013
  17. ^ 10 jaw-dropping images from the film “Mars et Avril,” and how the magic was created Archived June 10, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, article from the official TED Blog, June 7, 2013
  18. ^ A sci-fi film with a $2 million budget: Martin Villeneuve at TED2013 Archived March 3, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, article from the official TED Blog, February 27, 2013
  19. ^ Quebec's first TED Talk Archived September 21, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, article from Cult Montreal, June 7, 2013
  20. ^ How translation amplifies ideas: TED speakers show appreciation Archived November 5, 2019, at the Wayback Machine, article from the official TED Blog, August 28, 2014
  21. ^ Mars et Avril – Opening Sequence (TED2013) Archived March 5, 2016, at the Wayback Machine on Vimeo
  22. ^ Mars et Avril – Creating the Visual Effects (TED2013) Archived September 19, 2016, at the Wayback Machine on Vimeo
  23. ^ Four TED talks every filmmaker should watch Archived July 15, 2019, at the Wayback Machine, article from IndieWire, September 23, 2013
  24. ^ 3 Things You Need to Make an Impossible Movie Archived 2016-03-05 at the Wayback Machine, article from Film School Rejects, July 1, 2013
  25. ^ Making an Impossible Film: How Director Martin Villeneuve Brought His Sci-Fi Drama to Life Archived July 26, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, article from No Film School, June 14, 2013
  26. ^ "10 talks about the making of movie magic". Archived from the original on August 7, 2013. Retrieved July 25, 2013.
  27. ^ a b c A futuristic tale of fantasy and desire Archived December 12, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, BULB, December 2, 2013
  28. ^ Imelda: A funny and moving short film Archived March 5, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, BULB, February 20, 2015
  29. ^ a b Once Upon A Time Martin Villeneuve (English subtitled) on Vimeo Archived August 4, 2020, at the Wayback Machine, July 24, 2020
  30. ^ IMELDA 2: THE NOTARY by Martin Villeneuve Archived October 3, 2022, at the Wayback Machine, festivalcinema.ca, November 1, 2020
  31. ^ Imelda 3: Simone at the FCIAT Archived January 10, 2021, at the Wayback Machine, Festival du cinéma international en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, October 31, 2020
  32. ^ Goalcast Storytelling Mastermind – Martin Villeneuve, Vimeo, January 7, 2021
  33. ^ The 12 Tasks of Imelda: The feature film! Archived October 3, 2022, at the Wayback Machine, BULB, September 3, 2022
  34. ^ Alyssa Noel, "Whistler Film Festival announces film lineup" Archived November 8, 2022, at the Wayback Machine Pique Newsmagazine, November 2, 2022.
  35. ^ Rachel West, "2022 Whistler Film Festival Online Viewing Guide" Archived December 8, 2022, at the Wayback Machine, December 5, 2022.
  36. Point of View
    , December 4, 2022.
  37. ^ Martin Villeneuve's Awards page on IMDb, September 1st, 2023
  38. ^ Red Ketchup, Abacus, September 21st, 2023
  39. ^ Red Ketchup – Trivia & Fun facts about the series, BULB, December 18, 2023
  40. ^ Bubbleblabber’s Top 10 Adult Animated TV Series For 2023 (International Comedy), Bubbleblabber, December 27st, 2023
  41. ^ Exclusive Interview - Martin Villeneuve on Finding the Right Ingredients For ‘Red Ketchup’s’ Gonzo Recipe, Bubbleblabber, January 25, 2024
  42. ^ Cronenberg’s son Brandon, Villeneuve’s brother Martin debut in 2012 Archived July 15, 2019, at the Wayback Machine, article from The Canadian Press, December 30, 2011
  43. ^ Denis Villeneuve’s brother Martin imagines future Montreal with ‘Mars et Avril’ Archived July 15, 2019, at the Wayback Machine, article from The Canadian Press, October 26, 2011
  44. ^ "Trivia & Fun facts about the film (The 12 Tasks of Imelda)". Archived from the original on June 19, 2023. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  45. ^ "Martin Villeneuve's Trivia page on IMDb". Archived from the original on August 12, 2023. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  46. ^ Mars et Avril – Interviews on Vimeo, 2011-2013
  47. ^ Martin Villeneuve – Interviews on Vimeo, 2002-2004
  48. ^ Corus Entertainment announces 200+ hours of Canadian originals including Adult Swim original ‘Red Ketchup’ Archived April 17, 2023, at the Wayback Machine, Animationxpress, May 2022
  49. ^ The 12 Tasks of Imelda with English subtitles, Vimeo On Demand, September 12, 2023
  50. ^ Imelda 3: Simone on IMDb
  51. ^ Imelda 2: The Notary on IMDb
  52. ^ More Of The World by Summersett on YouTube Archived May 10, 2020, at the Wayback Machine, April 13, 2020
  53. ^ The Crab: Prelude to Aquarica on BULB Archived August 22, 2019, at the Wayback Machine, May 15, 2019
  54. ^ Real Detective episode on Vimeo, March 23, 2017
  55. ^ a b c Imelda on Vimeo with English subtitles Archived March 3, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, September 8, 2015
  56. ^ 22-minute Making of “Mars et Avril” on Vimeo with English subtitles Archived April 13, 2022, at the Wayback Machine 2013
  57. ^ "Mars and April on IMDb". Archived from the original on August 12, 2020. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  58. ^ Deux immortels : Prélude à Mars et Avril on Vimeo with English subtitles Archived June 8, 2015, at the Wayback Machine December 11, 2011
  59. ^ Jouisseland on Vimeo Archived April 15, 2019, at the Wayback Machine, 2002
  60. ^ "Chrysanthème on IMDb". Archived from the original on February 13, 2017. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  61. ^ "WFF22 Award Winners Announced" Archived December 6, 2022, at the Wayback Machine, Whistler Film Festival, December 4, 2022.
  62. ^ Quebec filmmaker gives a TED Talk Archived February 21, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, Martin Villeneuve on Bernard St-Laurent's show "C’est la vie" on CBC Radio One, June 16, 2013
  63. ^ Martin Villeneuve on TED Talks, Martin Villeneuve on CBC's "All in a Weekend", June 2, 2013
  64. ^ Benoît Charest: How music can set you free Archived December 16, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, BULB, December 2, 2013

External links