DIRECTOR

Biography
Claude Gagnon spent an entire decade in Japan in the 70’s. With his first feature, “Keiko” (1979), he became the first and only foreigner ever to receive the Japanese Association of Film Director’s prize for Best Film. Back to Canada in the 1980’s, Gagnon and his wife Yuri Yoshimura founded their own film company Aska Film.

The Grand Prize of the Americas at 1987 World Film Festival in Montreal was given to Claude Gagnon’s “The Kid Brother” (Kenny) with a unanimous decision of the Jury. Never before nonr after in the 27 year history of the Montreal World Film Festival did this prize go to a Canadian director. “The Kid Brother” (Kenny) also received the UNESCO prize at the Berlin Film Festival as well as many other prizes and was sold to over 40 territories.

In 1994, TF1 entrusted a major project to Gagnon. In addition to directing and co-producing, he co-wrote the screenplay of “Pour L’amour de Thomas”, (For the Love of Thomas), a prime-time feature with Brigitte Fossey, that scored 38,2% share on TF1.

He wrote and directed his last two feature films to date in Japan, Revival Blues in 2003 and Kamataki in 2005, featuring Japanese stars such as Tatsuya Fuji (Realm of the Senses and Realm of Passion) and Kazuko Yoshiyuki (Realm of Passion).

Filmography

1978 – KEIKO (117 minutes)
Director / Writer / Editor
35mm feature film / Japan

1981 – LAROSE, PIERROT ET LA LUCE (102 minutes)
Director / Writer / Editor
35 mm feature film / Canada

1985 – VISAGE PÂLE (101 minutes)
Director / Writer / Editor
35mm feature film / Canada

1986 – KENNY (100 minutes)
Director / Writer
35mm feature film / Japan-Canada-United States

1991 – THE PIANIST (90 minutes)
Director / Writer
35mm feature film / Canada-Japan

1994 – POUR L’AMOUR DE THOMAS (99 minutes)
Director / Co- Writer
Super 16mm / Canada-France (TF1)

2003 – REVIVAL BLUES (114 minutes)
Director / Writer
35mm feature film (shot with DVCAM) / Canada-Japan

2004 – DAN AND THE SUPERDOGS
Director: André Melançon
Original idea and script
35mm feature film / Canada

2005 – KAMATAKI (110 minutes)
Director / Writer / Editor
35mm feature film (shot with HDCAM) / Canada-Japan


Prizes

KEIKO

Best Young Director
Japanese film directors Association (Japan)

Official Competition
World Film Festival, Montreal, 1979 (Canada)

Special Jury Prize
Hochi Newspaper (Japan)

Third Best Film of the Year
Kinemajumpo Magazine (Japan)



PALE FACE (Visage Pale)

International Press Award
World Film Festival, Montreal, 1985 (Canada)

Nominated for Best Film in French Speaking World
Ceasar (France)


THE KID BROTHER

Grand Prize of the Americas
World Film Festival, Montreal, 1987 (Canada)

Unesco Award
Berlin Film Festival, 1988 (Germany)

Unicef Special Award
Festival de films de Berlin, 1988 (Allemagne)

Prix Spécial Du Jury
Festival des films pour la Jeunesse, Paris, 1988 (France)

Prix Spécial Du Jury
Festival international de Films de la jeunesse de Moscou, 1989 (Russie)

Meilleur Film du Festival
Festival international de Films de la jeunesse de Moscou, 1989 (Russie)