Quebec filmmaker Vincent René-Lortie is going to the Oscars with his film “Invincible.”
Inspired by a true story, the short film looks back on the last 48 hours in the life of Marc-Antoine Bernier, a 14-year-old boy confronted with his crying need for freedom.
“We can say that this is a childhood dream come true and we feel blessed to have been selected by the Academy among all the outstanding films of this year,” said Vincent René-Lortie and the film's producer Samuel Caron in a press release .
The thirty-minute film is available online for free.
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Quebec director Philippe Falardeau, whose film Monsieur Lazhar was nominated for the 2011 Oscars in the Best Foreign Language Film category, supported the short film “Invincible” as an Oscars ambassador. In a press release, he said he wanted to use his experience and influence to spread the word about Invincible and its powerful message.
Last December, Vincent René-Lortie's film won the Iris Prize for the best short fiction film in Quebec at the Québec Cinéma Gala. He was also awarded the Special Jury Prize at the Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival in early 2023.
Montreal distribution company h264, which has been promoting Invincible since its release, also attended the prestigious Hollywood ceremony during the nominations of the short fiction films Fauve by Jeremy Comte and Marguerite by Marianne Farley, both nominated in 2019.
Invincible will compete against four other productions in the Best Short Fiction category: “The After” by Misan Harriman and Nicky Bentham, “Knight of Fortune” by Lasse Lyskjær Noer and Christian Norlyk, “Red, White and Blue” by Nazrin Choudhury and Sara McFarlane and The Wonderful Story. by Henry Sugar by Wes Anderson and Steven Rales.
More Canadian nominations
The National Film Board of Canada's To Kill a Tiger, directed by Toronto-based Nisha Pahuja, was nominated in the Best Documentary category. Pahuja's film centers on Ranjit, a farmer from Jharkhand, who embarks on the fight of his life as he seeks justice for his 13-year-old daughter, a survivor of sexual assault.
Canadian actor Ryan Gosling is nominated for best supporting actor for his role as Ken in Barbie. Canadian writer and director Celine Song received nominations for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay for her romantic drama Past Lives.
The late Toronto musician Robbie Robertson was nominated for his work on the score for Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon.
Nova Scotia filmmaker Ben Proudfoot received a nomination in the Best Documentary Short category for his co-direction of “The Last Repair Shop.”
The winners will be announced during the 96th Academy Awards on March 10.
With information from The Canadian Press