Schulich graduate and film producer Luc Déry (MBA ’92) took home the top prize from the Canadian Screen Awards on Mar. 9 for his film, Gabrielle. The Best Picture winner, a French-language drama about a music prodigy with a developmental disability, was also nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at this year’s Academy Awards.
Déry studied biology at university before turning to moviemaking.Enemy, a film co-produced by Déry and starring Jake Gyllenhaal, was also a big winner Sunday evening – Denis Villeneuve was awarded Best Director and Sarah Gadon won Best Supporting Actress – and at the non-televised ceremony on Mar. 4, the film was presented with Canadian Screen Awards for Cinematography, Editing and Original Score.
“After film school, I decided that one of the weakest links in the [film] industry was producing… I thought a formal business background was an interesting way to start,” Déry told the Ottawa Citizen in 2011.
In the interview, he describes producing as “bizarre” because it requires juggling both the artistic and business components of making a film.
“That’s where the MBA from York comes in handy”, he said.
Déry completed his MBA at Schulich in 1992 and specialized in arts and media administration. With a focus on the Canadian experience in a globalized environment, the program provides a deep and current understanding of management issues and practices in the arts, media and entertainment sectors, from broadcasting, digital and social media industries to not-for-profit arts and social enterprise organizations.
Déry’s production company, micro_scope, which he founded in 2002, aims to develop and produce innovative, inventive and accessible feature films. Working with his team, Déry strives to ensure each of the company’s films reaches its full potential once released. The young company’s productions have been noticed by some of the world’s most prestigious festivals, including Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Locarno and Toronto.
Following the success of Incendies, Déry produced the 2011 film Monsieur Lazhar, a French-language drama about an Algerian immigrant hired to replace an elementary school teacher who died tragically. The film won numerous awards, including Best Motion Picture at the 2012 Genie Awards, Best International Motion Picture at the 2013 Jutra Awards and Best Canadian Feature Film at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2011. The film was also nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 84th Academy Awards.In 2010, Déry produced the mystery drama Incendies. Adapted from Wajdi Mouawad’s play of the same name, Incendies follows the journey of twin brother and sister as they attempt to unravel the mystery of their mother’s life. The film premiered at the Venice and Toronto Film Festivals and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2011. The film also won eight awards at the 31st Genie Awards, including Best Motion Picture, Best Actress, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Editing, Overall Sound and Sound Editing.
Schulich offers Canada’s only English language MBA with a specialization in arts and media. For more information, please visit the Arts & Media website.