Written by: Martin Villeneuve
Adapted by: from the graphic novel of the same title by Martin Villeneuve
Cast: Paul Ahmarani, Jacques Languirand, Caroline Dhavernas, Robert Lepage
Martin Villeneuve began his career in advertising, working for companies such as Sid Lee and Cirque du Soleil. He directed promotional material alongside music videos and short films in this period while also authoring comic books and photo novels. MARS & AVRIL, his first feature, is an adaptation of his photo novel of the same name, vol. 1 & 2. Premiering at Karlovy Vary in 2012, MARS & AVRIL was shown in over 20 festivals and was the object of a TEDTalk by Villeneuve in 2013. More recently, he has directed episodes of the television series REAL DETECTIVE.
Mars & Avril
2012
Where to Watch
- Apple TV
A surprising photo novel brought to life, MARS & AVRIL takes place in a futuristic Montreal just as humans are preparing to walk on Mars. Prominent septuagenarian Jacob Obus makes music from instruments with feminine curves built by his friend Arthur. Both men fall under the spell of the same woman, a young photographer named Avril. The ageing musician’s true nature will be revealed by his first love and his readiness to follow her to the Red Planet. Eugène Spaak, Arthur’s disembodied-head cosmologist father, will come to Jacob’s aid and help him retrieve his muse.
Festivals
Festival du Film Canadien de Dieppe, France : Closing gala, September, 2014
FICG Festival Internacional de Cine en Guadalajara, Mexico, March 2014
Lund Fantastisk Film Festival, Sweden, September 2013
Tel-Aviv International Festival of Fantastic Film, Israel, September 2013
Festival de Cinéma de la Ville de Québec & Vitesse Lumière, Canada, September 2013
Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival, Switzerland: international competition, July 2013
Sci-Fi London Film Festival, UK, May 2013
Imagine Film Festival in Amsterdam, Netherlands, April 2013
Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival, Belgium: “7th Orbit” 2013 international competition, April 2013
Rendez-vous du cinéma québécois, Montreal, Canada: in competition for the Gilles-Carle Award, February 2013
Boston Sci-Fi Film Festival, United States: Opening film, February 2013
Monsters and Martians International Film Festival, Toronto, Canada: Opening film, December 2012
Whistler Film Festival, Canada: Section / Film Type: “Discoveries”, December 2012
Mumbai Film Festival, India, October 2012
Distributor : Filmoption International