PIERRE GENDRON, PRODUCER
Pierre Gendron is a well established figure within the Canadian and Quebecer film industry.
He first started as a production assistant, then quickly moved up ranks to produce his first feature film, at only 30 years old, Sonatine by Micheline Lanctôt, which won the Silver Lion at that year's Venice Festival.
In 1984, he is Associate Producer and Line Producer on the internationally acclaimed Le Déclin de l'empire américain (The Decline of the American Empire), released in 1986. Also in 1986, he produces Jean-Claude Lauzon's Un Zoo la nuit (A Night Zoo), which opened la Quinzaine des Réalisateurs (The Director's Fortnight) in Cannes and won a total of thirteen Genie Awards.
In 1988, he produces another feature film by Denys Arcand, Jésus de Montréal (Jesus of Montreal), winner of the Special Jury Award at the Cannes Film Festival. This movie was also nominated for an Academy Award as Best Foreign Film.
He then goes on to produce several MOWs, notably Un autre homme, directed by Charles Binamé in 1990, and in 1991 he acts as the Executive Producer on Ding et Dong, le film which earned the Best Box office Award that same year.
In 1993, he produces Paule Baillargeon's Le Sexe des étoiles, which opens Montreal's World Film Festival and wins a great many national and international awards. Then, with IMA Productions (France), he co-produces Kabloonak , directed by Claude Massot, starring Charles Dance, which opened the official competition at the 1994 World Film Festival of Montreal where it won Best Photography Award.
In 1995, he produces Jasmine, a ten-episodes drama series directed by Jean-Claude Lord, a series dealing with Quebec’s new multi-cultural realities. That same year he co-writes and co-produces with SoftImage West of Eden, presented at the World Film Festival of Montreal.
In 2000, he produces Quadra, a TV-mini-series written and directed by Jean-Claude Lord, which aired on Radio-Canada (CBC). He also co-produces a Christmas story, the feature film Station Nord, directed by Jean-Claude Lord.
Pierre Gendron also produced, in 2003, Le Dernier Tunnel, directed by Érik Canuel, starring Michel Côté, the most bankable actor in Quebec.
From 2004 to 2006, Gendron produced many other projects such as Maman Last Call, based on Nathalie Petrowski’s famed book, directed by François Bouvier, as well as Sans Elle, directed by Jean Beaudin, starring Karine Vanasse.
In 2007, he produces Les 3 P’tits cochons, directed by reknown comedian Patrick Huard, becomes a box-office sensation both in Quebec and Canada. In the beginning of 2009, the Rendez-vous du Cinéma québécois opens with yet another Gendron produced film entitled Cadavres, a feature directed by Erik Canuel, who is a regular collaborator.
In 2009, he reunites the same cast and director as Les 3 P’tits cochons, in the movie Filière 13, which grossed almost $2 millions dollars at the Quebec’s box-office, a success for this small market.
In 2010, Gendron continues his streak of success with 10 ½, directed by Podz, premiered on the opening night of the Festival du Nouveau Cinema of Montréal, and received the Main Award from the Mannheim-Heidelberg International Film Festival in Germany, as well as eight nominations, including Best Motion Picture, at the 31st Genie Awards.
For the past five years, Pierre Gendron has dedicated himself in the development of over 15 feature projects, as well as expanding the English branch of the company by opening an office in Toronto, ON with his daughter and partner Laurence Gendron.