INVINCIBLE
A FILM BY VINCENT RENÉ-LORTIE
Short Film – Québec – 2022 – 30 min
Color | French English subtitles | 4:3 | 5.1
SYNOPSIS
Inspired by a true story, Invincible recounts the last 48 hours in the life of Marc-Antoine Bernier, a 14-year-old boy on a desperate quest for freedom.
Cast
Léokim Beaumier-Lépine, Élia-St Pierre, Isabelle Blais, Pierre-Luc Brillant, Ralph Prosper, Florence Blain Mbaye, Naoufel Chkirate, Miguel Tionjock
Crew
DIRECTOR : Vincent René-Lortie
WRITER : Vincent René-Lortie
PRODUCERS : Samuel Caron et Élise Lardinois (Telescope Films)
CINEMATOGRAPHY : Alexandre Nour Desjardins
PRODUCTION DESIGN : Geneviève Boiteau
SOUND DESIGN : Nataq Huault
EDITING : Thomas Bellefleur
MUSIC : Simon P. Castonguay
Director statement
On July 5th, 2008, I learned that my best friend Marc-Antoine Bernier had tragically died at the age of 14 after driving a stolen car into a river. I will never forget the overwhelming feelings of sadness and incomprehension I felt that day. Feelings that have followed me ever since.
Marc and I were the same age, we had the same friends and went to the same school. But suddenly, everything changed. Over the course of a year, Marc went from being a bright, curious, loving boy to an angry and troubled young man. This person with whom I once shared an immense connection and friendship had become totally unrecognizable to me and those close to him.
Invincible is the end of a long and complex chapter in my life. Marc’s death raised many complicated questions to which I didn’t yet have the answers. But, through making this film, I found a way to dive into that dark, tragic abyss in order to better understand my friend and the decisions that led up to his death. I learned more about Marc and, more broadly, mental health and behavioral issues that many teenagers face daily.
I hope this film will raise more questions and draw awareness to the incomprehension that is still very strong in our society towards teenage mental health. Becoming aware of these stories and opening dialogues may help us prevent events like Marc’s.
DIRECTOR’S BIOGRAPHY
Vincent René-Lortie is a Canadian film director and screenwriter known for his grounded, dreamlike narratives. His work is a testament to purposeful and deeply personal storytelling, intended to make his audience reflect on themes such as mental health and childhood. He is a graduate of Montreal’s Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema, and is a member of the Young Guns ’20 class, an award ceremony dedicated to creatives under 30 from across the globe.
Invincible (2022), his debut narrative short, won the Special Jury Prize at the Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival and has since garnered several international accolades. Most recently, Vincent has been focusing on bringing to life the experimental film La Peau de L’Autre (2023), currently in post-production, and is developing his first feature film, You Were Always An Island.
FILMOGRAPHY
INVINCIBLE I 2022
SIT STILL I 2021
THE MAN WHO TRAVELED NOWHERE IN TIME I 2019
THE AVIARY I 2017
FESTIVALS & AWARDS
Tirana International Film Festival, 2022
Festival du Nouveau Cinéma (FNC), 2022
Thessaloniki International Short Film Festival, 2022 *CINEMATIC ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Curtocircuito International Film Festival, 2022
Chicago Children’s Film Festival, 2022 *BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM — Oscar-qualifying Award
Festival International de Clermont-Ferrand, 2023 *INTERNATIONAL SPECIAL JURY PRIZE
Cinema on the Bayou, 2023 *NARRATIVE SHORT SPECIAL JURY AWARD
Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma, 2023 *BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
In the Palace Film Festival, 2023
Festival REGARD, 2023 *GRAND JURY PRIZE
Busan International Film Festival, 2023
Brussels Short Film Festival, 2023 *BEST ACTOR – LÉOKIM BEAUMIER-LÉPINE
Gala Prends Ça Court!, Mars 2023 *COUPE DU COURT MELS AWARD *UNION DES ARTISTES AWARD – BEST MALE PERFORMANCE TO LEOKIM BEAUMIER-LÉPINE *CINELUME AWARD *METAFILMS AWARD *OBJECTIF 9 AWARD *COLONELLE FILMS AWARD- BEST DIRECTION OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Formentera Film Festival, 2023 *SPECIAL MENTION
Valencia International Film Festival – Cinema Jove, 2023 *AUDIENCE AWARD – BEST SHORT FILM
Curtas Vila do Conde, 2023 *MY GENERATION AWARD
CineFest Miskolc, 2023
Short Out, 2023
Melbourne International Film Festival, 2023
Off-Courts Trouville, 2023 * PUBLIC PRIZE
Les Percéides, 2023
HollyShorts, 2023
San Gio Verona Video Festival, 2023
Festival de Saint Paul Trois Châteaux, 2023
Frontières Film Festival, 2023 *INTERPRETATION PRIZE *GRAND PRIZE
5è Festival du Film Social, 2023
FICBUEU, 2023
Postira Seaside Film Festival, 2023
CineFest Sudbury, 2023
Le Cri du Court, 2023
Festival de Cinéma de la ville de Québec (FCVQ), 2023
Cinemagic BELFAST, 2023
Ivano-Frankivsk International Short Film Festival 4:3, 2023
Courts Circuit 66, 2023 * JURY PRIZE * INTERPRETATION PRIZE
Festival du Film Court de St-Pierre, 2023
Izmir International Short Film Festival, 2023 (Turquie)
Festival international de Courts Métrages d’Aix-en-Provence, 2023
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