Katak, the Brave Beluga

Christine
Dallaire-Dupont

ChristineDallaire Dupont has been part of Quebec’s animated film scene for nearly 20 years. Over that period, she’s worn numerous hats,starting out as a 2D animator and character designer, then specializing as a storyboard artist. In that capacity, she contributed to a dozen animated features, including Snowtime!, Ballerina, Riverdance and Felix and the Hidden Treasure. Now,she has overseen the creation of her first feature film as director of Katak,the Brave Beluga.
She has also been active in the comicbook world. In 2017, her first work, SkyRover, which she wrote and illustrated,was crowned Best Self-Published Canadian Comic Book, and also took home the honours at the Japan Media Arts Festival. Since then, she has returned to Japan frequently to participate in exchanges and collaborations. Her most recent album,Un Billet Pour Nulle Part(A Ticket to Nowhere),came out in2019. She is currently working on herthird book.

Nicola
Lemay

In 2021, Nicola was proud to direct 10th Ave Productions ’Felixand the Hidden Treasure, his first 3D animated feature film. 10th Ave is delighted to be teaming up with him again on his second full-length animated film.
Having worked as a director, art director, animator and storyboard artist in animation and live-action cinema forover 25 years, Nicola won or was nominated for multiple awards for Felix and the Hidden Treasure, which was sold in 170 countries and territories and selected by twenty film festivals. He also won two Gémeaux Awards for Une Minute de Science and Noël Noël, all of which proves that Nicola Lemay is definitely aversatile artist!

In 2003, Nicola directed and animated the 23 minutes animated short film Noël Noël for the NFB, earning numerous distinctions: winner of the 2005 Grand Prize for animation at the Toronto (English) gala of the Alliance for Children and Television; winner of the 2004 Gémeaux Award for Best Animated Television Production; winner of the jury prize at the (French) 2004 awards gala ofthe Alliance for Children and Television in Montreal; and winner of the Hermina Tyrlova Award for Best Director under 35 at the 2004 International Film Festival for Children and Youth in Zlín.

While his peers have all turned white, as expected at their age, young beluga Katak is still small and grey. To prove that he has grown up and to grant the last wish of his adored grandma, Katak departs on a perilous journey to the Great North…