Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema grads win top international awards

Two graduates of Concordia’s Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema gained prominence on the world stage this month, winning competitive prizes in the film and television industry.

Eric Gravel, BFA 94, was awarded best director in the Orizzonti sidebar competition of the 78th Venice International Film Festival for his film Full Time (A plein temps). Winners were announced on Saturday, September 11.

Full time tells the story of Julie — played by Laure Calamy — a single mother of two who juggles child-rearing responsibilities with her job at a luxury hotel in Paris. The outbreak of a national transit strike causes personal and professional chaos.

“I am interested in the dynamics between humans and their work,” Gravel recently told Cineuropa. “My father, who struggled all his life as a labourer, was an important source of inspiration. The working class, where the majority of the people live, is not often represented at the cinema.”

Calamy won the best female actor award for her portrayal of Julie. The actor is best-known for her work on Call My Agent!, the popular French TV show on Netflix.

Primetime Emmy

Felix & Paul Studios won the same category in 2017 for The People’s House, which gave an interactive view of the White House while Barack Obama, former president of the United States, was in office.

In 2019, Lajeunesse was named among Concordia’s Top 50 under 50 Shaping Business. When asked about his favourite part of his job, he said, “I love that we keep inventing stuff. We invent stories, technology, we contributed to the invention of an industry, we are constantly in innovation mode.”

Know a Concordia grad with an interesting story? We’d love to hear it. Email us at magazine@concordia.ca.