Alexandre Franchi

After pursuing a successful banking career in Canada, the Persian Gulf and Central America, Alexandre Franchi decided to follow his passion for film and quit the business world one month before starting his MBA at M.I.T. That was in August 1999. He then started working for free for a music video production company and ended up producing more than 30 music videos and directing two short films. After completing a directing workshop at the Canadian Film Centre in 2003, he moved back to Montréal. If there is a theme in his work so far it is that his characters escape a dreary reality and find solace in the imaginary world, which must be an ongoing reaction to his life in banking. His short film, Troll Concerto, screened at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival and his award-winning short film Terminal Venus, co-written with Joëlle Bourjolly, also screened at the 2003 Toronto Film Festival before touring the festival circuit. It won the Platinum Remi Award at the 2003 Worldfest Houston Festival and Best Direction and Best Actor at the 2004 Baja Film Festival. Fata Morgana, also written, produced and directed by Alexandre, won the 2002 Telefilm First Prize at the Manitoba French Film Festival and a Special Mention at the 2002 Taormina Film Festival. The film also won the 2003 CBC Prize for Best Short Film at the Viewfinders International Film Festival and the Fantasia 2003 Best Cinematography Award. The Wild Hunt is his first feature-length film.

Watch Alexandre Franchi and Mark Krupa talk about the making of The Wild Hunt.