ABOUT
h264 is an integrated distribution studio supporting filmmakers and producers in the distribution of short films, feature film, aggregation, and discoverability. This one-of-a-kind studio has distributed several successful films including two recent Oscar®-nominated films. h264 wishes to support a handful number of films per year and developing innovative strategies tailored to each film, from screenplay to digital release.
Our values
h264 is a diverse, inclusive organization committed to promoting equality and providing a welcoming and open environment. It does not tolerate any form of discrimination based on race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, religious beliefs, gender, gender identity, gender expression, physical or intellectual disability, age, marital status, family status, source of income or sexual orientation.
OUR TEAM
Jean-Christophe J. Lamontagne
President
Driven by his passion for promoting cinema, Jean-Christophe founds h264 in 2015. His goal: to expand the reach of cinematographic works by forging strong relationships between audiences and creators. The same impulse brings him to cofound and pilot Plein(s) Écran(s), the world’s first film festival to take place on Facebook. h264 is diversifying its activities and, in 2019, it launched a new aggregation service offer in a will to improve the accessibility and the distribution on digital platforms.
Favourite movies
The Tree of Life — Terrence Malick
Tu dors Nicole — Stéphane Lafleur
Happy Gilmore — Dennis Dugan
The Killing of a Sacred Deer — Yorgos Lanthimos
Favourite meal
Chicken Biryani
Stephanie Demers
Vice-President and Associate – Distribution
Stéphanie has been working for 12 years in distribution. She has an in-depth knowledge of the market and stands out with her collaborative approach. In May 2021, Stéphanie is involved in the implementation of h264’s feature film division and takes on the role of vice-president. Her primary objective is to accompany filmmakers and to help promote their works to their target audiences.
In parallel, Stéphanie is a co-founder of Aime ton cinema and a member of both the CRCQ (Comité de relance du cinéma au Québec) and the executive committee of the RDIFQ (Regroupement des distributeurs indépendants de films du Québec), sits on the PCCQ’s (Prix collégial du cinéma québécois) board of directors and loves reality shows.
Favourite movies
Before Sunrise — Richard Linklater
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind — Michel Gondry
Her — Spike Jonze
Juno — Jason Reitman
Monsieur Lazhar — Philippe Falardeau
Favourite meal
Club Social PS pizza is MTL’s finest
Justine Baillargeon
Head of Distribution (Short film)
After studying film at Concordia in Montreal and Sorbonne Nouvelle in Paris, as well as journalism at Université de Montréal, Justine marries her professional passions and becomes a journalist for Qui fait Quoi. In 2017, she leaves Quebec for France to work for the Cannes Film Festival Market, first collaborating with the Cinando team, the largest database dedicated to film professionals. She then joins the Industry Programs Department where she plays a part in developing of the first edition of the Online Film Market. In 2021, Justine integrated the h264 team as Head of Distribution.
Favourite movies
La strada — Federico Fellini
C.R.A.Z.Y. — Jean-Marc Vallée
Moulin Rouge — Baz Luhrmann
Druk — Thomas Vinterberg
Shoplifters — Kore-eda Hirokazu
Favourite meal
Korean & Vietnamese cuisine
Ariane Deschênes
Vice-President and Associate – International sales
Ariane holds a bachelor’s degree in intellectual property law and digital law from Laval University and Université Paris-Saclay. She has always been passionate about cinema and new technologies. She started at H264 as Director of Business and Legal Relations to develop the aggregation offer. After a brief absence to complete her professional training to become a lawyer, she returns to her first love as Legal Counsel and Head of Business Relations at H264.
Favourite movies
Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion — Elio Petri
Black Christmas — Bob Clark
Paris, Texas — Wim Wenders
The Double Life of Veronica — Krzysztof Kieslowski
La Grande Bellezza — Paolo Sorrentino
The Handmaiden — Park Chan-wook
Favourite meal
Dumplings (and vinegar chips)
Léa-Marie Montreuil
Communications and distribution manager
With a certificate in Public Communication from Université Laval and a bachelor’s degree in cinema from Université de Montréal, Léa-Marie first joined the h264 team as an intern. She then took the role of coordinator in 2020, before taking on the mantle of Communications and Distribution Manager since 2022. She boasts a wide range of experience as an Assistant Director, Art Director and Production Manager for several short films. Among her greatest interests are art in all its forms, travel, music, craft beer tasting and a love for horticulture.
Favourite movies
Whiplash — Damien Chazelle
Birdman — Alejandro G. Iñárritu
Fight Club — David Fincher
Parasite — Bong Joon Ho
La La Land — Damien Chazelle
Laurence Anyways… — Xavier Dolan
Favourite meal
Always happy with a plate of fresh pastas!
Gaëlle Graton
Distribution Coordinator – h264 Studios
Gaëlle studied Sociology and Film Production at Concordia University. She is committed to making her worldview more complex and to reflect on the representation of social issues in arts and cinema. She is also a screenwriter and director. She recently directed the short film L’autre rive (2021), which won the audience award in the parallel competition of Festival Regard. She is currently developing Petticoats (Jupons), a second short produced by Ugo Media. While working as a producer on a few short films, Gaëlle has been interested in distribution for several years. In 2022, she joined the h264 team to contribute to the promotion of feature films. In addition to her talent for finding easter eggs in films, she is passionated with filmmakers who seek to create new images through utterly unique stories and cinematographic propositions.
Favourite movies
Le cercle by Jafar Pahani
The Selfish Giant by Clio Barnard
American Honey by Andrea Arnold
J’ai perdu mon corps de Jérémie Chaplin
Portrait of a Lady on Fire by Céline Sciamma
A Women Under The Influence by John Cassavetes
Favourite meal
Oyster and seafood fan
Sarah Moustakim
Sales Executive
Born of a double culture, Sarah grew up in Morocco and then moved to Paris to study literature and cinema at the Sorbonne Nouvelle. She then completed a master’s degree in film heritage development during which she gained experience in film conservation funds in Paris and New York. Back in Paris, she worked in international sales and then in an association of independent cinemas. She then joined the film department of the French Institute where she participated in the promotion of French and European cinema around the world. In 2022, she arrived in Montreal and joined the H264 team as head of digital sales. She is very excited to discover the Quebec film industry!
Favourite movies
In the Mood for Love by Wong Kar-wai
2001: A Space Odyssey by Stanley Kubrick
Mes voisins les Yamada de Isao Takahata
Julie (en 12 chapitres) de Joachim Trier
Favourite meal
Lebanese mezzes
Marie Papp
Technical coordinator
With a Bachelor’s degree in Film Studies with a minor in Animation from Concordia University, I begin my journey in distribution as an intern at MK2 Mile-End and participate in the outreach of quality independent cinema works in Quebec. In 2019, I join Les Films Séville as a technical operations assistant, deepening my skills in digital distribution on an international scale. In 2021, the new position of coordinator that I assume reinforces my knowledge of the issues that major distribution players face in an ever-changing industry. Ready to take on new challenges, I join the h264 team in 2022 as technical coordinator.
Favourite movies
Pride and Prejudice by Joe Wright
Little Miss Sunshine by Valerie Faris, Jonathan Dayton
American Beauty by Sam Mendes
Les Enfants de la Pluie by Philippe Leclerc
Nocturnal Animals by Tom Ford
Favourite meal
Duck magret with peaches
Andréa Rousseau
Administrative agent
Andréa completed a bachelor’s degree in international relations and a bachelor’s degree in law. During her studies, her main field of interest being human rights, she worked as coordinator of the International Human Rights Clinic at UQAM and also completed an internship at the Human Rights Tribunal. She then pursued her professional career in the administrative field in several organizations with missions that were close to her heart, including La Pépinière Espace collectif – an organization working in urban design – and the Société de développement social – an organization working in the field of homelessness and social inclusion. Throughout her employment, she has developed skills in administration, accounting and governance that make her an asset to the team. She is detail-oriented and enjoys being a helpful resource to her colleagues and collaborators.
Favourite movies
Boyhood by Richard Linklater
La La Land by Damien Chazelle
Les Choristes by Christophe Barratier
Favourite meal
Brunch at Hélico !
Julia-Rose Bond
Coordinator
Initially studying journalism, Julia-Rose rediscovered her childhood passion for cinema, and is currently finishing her bachelor’s degree in film studies at the University of Montreal. She joined the h264 team in 2022 as an intern, before becoming coordinator. A fan of international cinema, Quebec cinema, reading and editing, Julia-Rose discovers the cinema of today and its actors with dynamism and enthusiasm.
Favourite movies
Funeral Parade of Roses by Toshio Matsumoto
Burning by Lee Chang-dong
L’audition by Luc Picard
Visages, Villages by Agnès Varda
Moonrise Kingdom by Wes Anderson
Spirited Away by Hayao Miyazaki
Favourite meal
The Argentinean milanesas of his family
BOARD OF DIRECTORS - SHORT FILM
Jean-Christophe J. Lamontagne
President
Driven by his passion for promoting cinema, Jean-Christophe founds h264 in 2015. His goal: to expand the reach of cinematographic works by forging strong relationships between audiences and creators. The same impulse brings him to cofound and pilot Plein(s) Écran(s), the world’s first film festival to take place on Facebook. h264 is diversifying its activities and, in 2019, it launched a new aggregation service offer in a will to improve the accessibility and the distribution on digital platforms.
Lisa Kachani
Vice-president
After completing her master’s degree in marketing (HEC Montreal), Lina quickly turned to the music industry for a career. After a stint at Avalanche Prod (M for Montreal, Mundial) as operations and financing coordinator, Lina was hired as artist manager at Bonsound, a record label, show production and management company, where she has been working for nearly seven years. She has worked with artists such as Lisa LeBlanc, Les Louanges, Félix Petit and Laurence-Anne. In addition to sitting on the board of directors of H264 Distribution since 2015, she also sits on the board of the Caisse Desjardins de la Culture and MUTEK.
Gab Alberola
Administrator
Gab loves design, marketing and entrepreneurship. He cofounded SmartHalo, a startup that invented an innovative gadget for bikes. Financed in part via Kickstarter (and beating Canadian records!), it was then sold in more than 70 countries as well as in Apple Stores. It won several awards, from the Design Museum of London’s Design Award to being named an Innovation of the year by TIME Magazine. This experience has taught him the basics of entrepreneurship, such as branding, distribution, hiring as well as managing a board of directors. He has shared the many trepidations of the startup life in talks such as TEDx, the World Design Summit, Tout le monde UX and more. He now focuses his time on projects that motivate him, such as creating digital interfaces, copywriting or helping out fellow entrepreneurs. As a fan of cinema, it’s with enthusiasm that he joins h264’s board.
Mylène Fraser
Administrator
Mylène Fraser specializes in producing audiovisual content. She began her career in 2013 at Les Films Séville, where she worked at promoting feature films. She then joined the media creativity team at Bell Media, in 2017. In early 2020, she enthusiastically joined the ranks of URBANIA, where she developed her expertise in documentary production and in creating specific contents for social platforms. She notably produced the Fragments series, the podcast Les pires moments de l’histoire as well as the documentary Madame Fisher for which she won a Gémeaux prize in 2021. Mylène is currently working on numerous projects, magazines and even on a video exhibition project, in collaboration with the MEM – Centre des mémoires montréalaises.
Marie-Élaine Riou
Treasurer
After studying film production in Barcelona where she participated in several film and cultural projects, Marie-Elaine returned to Quebec (Canada) to obtain a degree in cultural production strategies at the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM). In parallel, she participated in the production of several short films, a web series and some cultural events. In 2012, Marie-Élaine moved to work as programming assistant and Short Film Market coordinator for REGARD-Saguenay International Short Film Festival. Three years later she became REGARD’s festival director from up to 2022, during which
she fell in love with short films forever. She has also been part of juries in ShortFest Palms Springs (US), Certamen of Soria (Spain), BISFF (South Korea), FIFF (Belgium), Off-courts (France) and Curta Cinema (Brazil).
Vincent B. Deslauriers
Secretary
Passionate about creation, Vincent has been working in the advertising field for almost 10 years. His training in film and graphic design has allowed him to develop an expertise in audiovisual creation and branding. In addition to film, marketing and communications are his main areas of interest. He currently works as an art director for the LG2 advertising agency.