Concordia’s School of Cinema expands pathways into Quebec’s film industry and beyond
Concordia’s Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema has quietly undergone a transformation. Over the past five years, the department has grown considerably in size and reach. The school has expanded programs and developed new ones, formed new industry partnerships and launched opportunities that give emerging filmmakers a critical edge in Quebec’s dynamic screen sector.
In 2022, Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts Annie Gérin was quoted in an article for Le Devoir in which she called for greater support for Quebec’s cinema infrastructure and highlighted the need for more trained talent.
Since then, the cinema school has followed through with bold actions. It launched two microprograms and developed the online French version of the Microprogram in Screenwriting and Film Producing. It also added new undergraduate course offerings and opened a passerelle with Indigenous-led Kiuna College.
A restructured MFA program in Cinematic Arts began welcoming applicants in fall 2023 for the first time under the department. They also partnered with Concordia Continuing Education in 2023 to respond to evolving industry practices and launched a drone videography course, open to the public and students alike.
Zone3 team with this year’s first cohort of interns: Siham Medjahed, William Pagé and Nicole Doumar.
Strengthening industry pipelines
The school’s growth is rooted more than ever in real-world outcomes and experiences. Last spring it launched a paid internship program with Zone3, a major Quebec-based production company, offering recent graduates 100-hour internships to develop their original screenplays under professional mentorship.
Most importantly, this internship opens the possibility of fully developing a series project for production with Zone 3, underlines Martin Lefebvre, chair of the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema.
“The internship at Zone 3 was an incredible opportunity to access both a physical and mental space to develop my short fiction series project, as well as a documentary series,” says recent intern and film production alumnus William Pagé, BFA 22.
“Beyond the development of our projects, the experience of our mentors and the workshops offered by Zone 3 provided valuable insights into the Quebec television industry — right up to pitching in front of Zone 3 executives. The tools I’ve gained and the new connections I’ve made will undoubtedly stay with me.”
Martin Lefebvre: “We’ve come a long way since we started offering our first cinema degree 50 years ago.”
The school’s long-term commitment to building stronger bridges between academia and industry is also reflected in its brand new Concordia–SODEC Emerging Filmmaker Competition, being launched this year. The competition provides Concordia alumni from BFA and MFA cinema programs with the opportunity to apply directly to SODEC’s Aid to Emergent Creation Program — one of Quebec’s top film funding initiatives.
The winning applicant will bypass initial program steps and proceed directly to development, receiving up to $15,000 in funding, with the possibility of $115,000 in additional production funds down the line.
“This competition is a significant opportunity,” Lefebvre says. “It gives our graduates a way to break into a highly competitive funding program — something we hope will have a real ripple effect.”
Meanwhile, the department continues to host panels and screenings both at Concordia and off campus — including a standout moment at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival in collaboration with Grandé Studios.
There have also been numerous events in partnership with major film festivals such as the Fantasia International Film Festival and the International Festival of Films on Art. The collaboration with the latter included a special “carte blanche” program curated by film production professor Jean-Claude Bustros. A commemorative 50th-anniversary screening series also took place at the Cinéma du Musée, led by film studies professor and school chair Martin Lefebvre.
“By every measure — student enrolment, course offerings, partnerships — we’ve essentially doubled the film production area of the school since 2020,” Lefebvre adds. “We’re embracing transnational conversations — the school was most recently featured at the Kuan Du Film Festival in Taipei, Taiwan — while staying rooted in our community. It’s about expanding our vision without losing what makes Quebec’s film culture unique.”
With a new graduate program in screenwriting on the horizon and additional programming in development, the department shows no signs of slowing down.
“We’ve come a long way since we started offering our first cinema degree 50 years ago,” Lefebvre concludes. “We have built something exciting and sustainable — a vibrant space that has trained generations of filmmakers and where the next generation of moving image artists can find their voice and thrive.”
Find out more about Concordia’s Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema and the Concordia–SODEC Emerging Filmmaker Competition.
