opinion
APPEARANCES
Filmmaker Alexandre Franchi writes about his new film “Happy Face”—inspired by his mother’s battle with cancer and featuring a cast of actors with facial differences.
After a successful banking career in Canada and in the Persian Gulf, Alexandre Franchi decided to quit the business world and follow his passion for storytelling. After several short films and completing the Canadian Film Centre’s directing program, Alexandre settled in Montreal where he directs television commercials.
The Wild Hunt, written and directed by Alexandre Franchi was his feature debut and premiered at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival where it won the award for “Best Canadian First Feature” It also received the Audience Award at the 2010 Slamdance Festival. The film was released theatrically in Canada in the spring of that same year. Roger Ebert gave the film 3 stars and Variety said that “first-time feature director Alexandre Franchi deserves mainstream cred for his own cheeky role-play – initially impersonating a benign satirist of the rubber sword-swinging set when his ultimate goal is a good deal more savage.”
Other awards include: Canada’s Top Ten 2009 Outstanding Achievement in Filmmaking –Newport Beach Film Festival Best Feature Film – Icon Tel Aviv Fantasy Film Festival 2010 Golden Oosikar Award – Anchorage Film Festival 2010.
Happy Face, the second feature of Alex, in 2019, wins several awards (Boston Underground Film Festival, Festival du Cinéma International en Abitibi-Témiscamingue) and continues its way to international festivals.