Marie-Josée Saint-Pierre facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Marie-Josée Saint-Pierre
Born	1978 Murdochville, Quebec, Canada
Education	Concordia University, Université du Québec à Montréal
Occupation	Film director, film producer

Marie-Josée Saint-Pierre, born in Murdochville, Quebec, in 1978, is a talented Canadian director and producer. She is known for making animated films, especially animated documentaries. She also teaches at Université Laval and writes about women in animation.

Making Animated Films

In 2004, Marie-Josée Saint-Pierre started her own company, MJSTP Films. This company helps her create and produce her unique movies. She is very good at making animated documentaries, which are films that tell real stories using animation.

She often uses a special technique called rotoscoping. This is where animators trace over live-action footage, making the animation look very realistic. She also uses old video clips and photos in her films.

Two main ideas appear often in her movies. One is about motherhood, which she explored in films like Post-Partum, Passages, Femelles, and Your Mother is a Thief!. The other idea is about how artists create their work. She showed this in films such as McLaren's Negatives, The Sapporo Project, Jutra, Snowflakes, Oscar, and The Lauzon Theory.

Besides directing, she has also produced films for other directors. These include The Blue Marble by Co Hoedeman and The Delian Mode by Kara Blake. Her films have been shown at big film festivals around the world. These include the Directors' Fortnight at Cannes and the Toronto International Film Festival. She also worked as an artistic director and animator for the documentary Uyghurs: Prisoners of the Absurd.

Her Studies and Teaching

Marie-Josée Saint-Pierre studied in Montreal. She earned a bachelor's degree in animation cinema and a master's degree in film production from Concordia University.

Later, she earned a special doctorate degree from the Université du Québec à Montréal. Her studies focused on women in film. She is now a professor at Université Laval. Her research looks at women in animation, animated documentaries, and how new tools like artificial intelligence can be used in animation.

Films She Has Made

As Screenwriter, Director, and Producer

• 2004: Post-Partum
• 2006: McLaren's Negatives
• 2008: Passages
• 2010: The Sapporo Project
• 2012: Female
• 2014: Flocons
• 2014: Jutra
• 2016: Oscar
• 2018: Your Mother is a Thief!

As Screenwriter and Director

• 2022: Lauzon's Theory

As Producer

• 2009: The Delian Mode by Kara Blake
• 2014: The Blue Marble by Co Hoedeman

Research Projects

Marie-Josée Saint-Pierre has also led some interesting research projects. She worked with students to create animated series.

In 2021, she helped create twenty-two short animated documentaries for a web project called Les infirmières de la folie.

In 2024, she produced four experimental animated short films. These films were part of a project called Visuallys For a Visual Language of Mental Health. The goal was to explore how images can help change how people think about mental health. The films were Passer au travers, Espoir, Montages russes, and Impuissance.

Awards and Recognition

Lauzon's Theory (2022)

• Chosen for Not Short on Talent at Cannes 2022
• Nominated for the Quebec College Cinema Award (PCCQ), 2022 (Canada)
• Official selection at Regard - Saguenay International Short Film Festival 2023 (Canada)

Your Mother is a Thief! (2018)

• Won the Most Innovative Film Award at the Reel 2 Real International Film Festival for Youth, 2019 (Canada)

Oscar (2016)

• Won Best Animation at the Yorkton Film Festival, 2017 (Canada)
• Won the Audience Choice Award for Program A at the New York City Short Film Festival 2016 (USA)
• Nominated at the Rendez-vous du cinéma québécois (Canada)
• Nominated for best animated short film at the 2016 Quebec Cinema Gala (Canada)
• Official selection at Regard - Saguenay International Short Film Festival 2017 (Canada)

Jutra (2014)

• Won a Gémeaux Award for Best animated television show 2015 (Canada)
• Won a Jutra Award for Best short animated film 2015 (Canada)
• Won a Canadian Screen Awards for Best short documentary 2015 (Canada)
• Won Méliès "Light of Québec" at the Festival du Film Court de Mont-Tremblant 2014 (Canada)
• Received a special mention for best animated film from Canada at the Sommets du cinéma d’animation 2014 (Canada)
• Official selection at the Cannes Directors' Fortnight 2014 (Canada)
• Official selection in international short film competition at the Montreal International Documentary Meetings 2014 (Canada)

Femelles (2012)

• Won Best Short Documentary Film at the St. Louis International Film Festival 2012 (USA)

Passages (2008)

• Won Best Documentary Film at Sapporo International Shortfest 2009 (Japan)
• Won Best Animation Film at the Brooklyn International Film Festival 2009 (USA)
• Won the Public Award for Best Foreign Short Film at Créteil's Woman Film Festival 2009 (France)
• Received a Special Jury Award for Personal Expression and Advocacy at Austin Festival 2008 (USA)
• Received an Honorable Mention for Best Canadian Short Film at the Atlantic Film Festival 2008 (Canada)
• Received a Special Mention, Golden Key Award, at Kassel Dokumentarfilm und Videofest 2008 (Germany)
• Nominated for Best Short Documentary Film at the Genie Award 2010 (Canada)
• Selected for the Canada's Top Ten, Best Short Films, by the Toronto International Film Festival, 2009 (Canada)

McLaren's Negatives (2006)

• Won a Jutra Award for Best Animated Film 2007 (Québec)
• Received an Honorable Mention for best short film at Silverdocs 2006 (USA)
• Won Best Debut Film, Animation, at the Message to Man International Film Festival, St Petersbourg 2006 (Russia)
• Won Best Short Contemporary Film at Sapporo International Shortfest 2006 (Japan)
• Won Bear in Gold at Festival Der Nationen 2006 (Austria)
• Won Best Short Documentary Film at Animation Block Party New York 2006 (USA)
• Won Best Animation Film at Dokufest 2006 (Kosovo)
• Won Best International Documentary at Santiago International Short Film Festival 2006 (Chile)
• Won Best Director Animation at Monstramundo 2006 (Brazil)
• Won Best Script Animation at Monstramundo 2006 (Brazil)
• Won the Youth Jury Award for Most Inspirational Short Film at Reel 2 Real International Film Festival for Youth 2007 (Canada)
• Won First Prize in the Documentary Section at 10 Mostra Internacional de Curtmetratges de Sagunt 2007 (Spain)
• Won Best Documentary at PA Film Institute Festival 2007 (USA)
• Won Platinum Remi, Best Animation, at Worldfest Houston 2007 (USA)
• Received a Special Jury Prize, Directing, at Indianapolis Film Festival 2007 (USA)
• Won Best Documentary at Arizona International Film Festival 2007 (USA)
• Received a Special Jury Award for Best Animated Film at Ismailia International Film Festival 2007 (Egypt)
• Won Best Documentary at Filmest Badalona Festival 2007 (Spain)
• Received an Honorable Mention, Best Short International Film, at Festival International de Curtas de Belo Horizonte 2006 (Brazil)
• Received an Honorable Mention, International Animation Competition, at Monterrey International Festival 2006 (Mexico)
• Received a Special Mention Animation at Seddicorto International Festival 2006 (Italia)
• Received a Special Mention Animation at Luciana Film Festival 2006 (Italia)

Post-Partum (2004)

• Received a Special Jury Prize for Most Innovative Approach at Guangzhou International Documentary Festival 2005 (China)
• Won Gold Special Jury Award at Worldfest Houston 2005 (USA)
• Won GAIA Award at Moondance International Film Festival 2005 (USA)
• Won Shoestring Award at Rochester International Film Festival 2005 (USA)
• Won Artistic Development Award from Imperial Tobacco Canada Arts Council 2004
• Won J.A. De Sève Graduate Award 2004, Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema (Canada)