Jeanne and the Perfect Guy

Background:

French director and screenwriter Jacques Martineau often collaborates with his partner/companion Olivier Ducastel (director and writer) and they received a César nomination, a Golden Berlin Bear nomination and an Étoiles d'Or Award for their first effort, “Jeanne and the Perfect Guy” (1998). They have since directed and written “The Adventures of Felix” (2000, won awards at the 2000 Berlin International Film Festival, to name a few), “My Life on Ice” (2002, won a Milan International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival: Award), “Côte d'Azur” (2005, won a Berlin International Film Festival Award), “Born in 68” (2008) and “Family Tree” (2010).

France

Childhood and Family:

The son of well-known mathematician André Martineau (1930-1972), Jacques Martineau was born on July 8, 1963, in Montpellier, France, but grew up in Nice, France. He attended the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris. After graduating, he taught at the facility.

The Adventures of Felix

Career:

Jacques Martineau met Olivier Ducastel in 1995. Three years later, the two co-wrote and co-directed “Jeanne and the Perfect Guy” (“Jeanne et le garçon formidable”), an HIV/AIDS themed musical comedy starring Virginie Ledoyen, Mathieu Demy and Jacques Bonnaffé. The film was shown at the 1998 Toronto International Film Festival on September 10 and was released in the United States on April 16, 1999. It earned them a César nomination for Best First Work, a Golden Berlin Bear nomination at the 1998 Berlin International Festival and a Golden Precolumbian Circle nomination for Best Film at the 1999 Bogota Film Festival. They also won a Grand Prix Spécial from the 1999 Étoiles d'Or.

In 2000, Martineau and Ducastel reunited for their second film, “The Adventures of Felix” (“Drôle de Félix”), a movie starring Sami Bouajila. The film premiered at the 2000 Berlin International Film Festival in February, where it won a Reader Jury of the “Siegessäule” and a Teddy for Jury Award “For its refreshing portrayal of a man living with HIV who finds an enthusiasm for life and his chosen family.” In addition, it received a limited theatrical release in the U.S. on June 15, 2001. The duo also picked up the Audience Award for Best Feature Film or Video at the 2000 Toronto Inside Out Lesbian and Gay Film and Video Festival and the Best Film Award at the 2001 Milan International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival.

The couple's next film, “My Life on Ice” (originally “Ma vraie vie à Rouen”), which observes a year in the life of a figure skater, was shown at the 2002 Locarno International Film Festival in Switzerland, where it was nominated for a Golden Leopard, and the 2002 Toronto International Film Festival before being released in France in February 2003. Starring Jimmy Tavares, it won Best Film for Special Mention at the 2003 Milan International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival.

In 2005, Martineau and Ducastel co-directed and co-wrote the musical comedy “Côte d'Azur,” starring Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Jean-Marc Barr, Gilbert Melki, Jacques Bonnafé, Édouard Collin, Romain Torres and Sabrina Seyvecou. Although it earned mixed reviews from critics, “Côte d'Azur” won a Label Europa Cinemas from the 2005 Berlin International Film Festival. In addition to directing and working on the script, Martineau co-wrote the soundtrack with Philippe Miller.

Three years later, the pair directed Laetitia Casta, Yannick Renier and Yann Trégouët in the dramatic film “Born in 68” (“Nés en 68), in which they also co-wrote the screenplay with Guillaume Le Touze. Under their direction, Casta won a Golden Swan for Best Actress at the 2008 Cabourg Romantic Film Festival for her portrayal of Catherine.

In 2010, Martineau and his partner co-directed and co-wrote the dramatic film “Family Tree” (“L'arbre et la forêt”), which starred Guy Marchand, Françoise Fabian and Sabrina Seyvecou. The film was shown at various festivals throughout the year, including the Berlin International Film Festival, the Edinburgh Film Festival, the Los Angeles Film Festival, the Athens Film Festival, and the Vancouver International Film Festival, to name a few. Also in 2010, they directed the French television film “Juste la fin du monde de Jean-Luc Lagarce,” which starred Pierre Louis-Calixte, Catherine Ferran and Elsa Lepoivre.

Awards:

• Berlin International Film Festival: Label Europa Cinemas, “Côte d'Azur,” 2005

• Milan International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival: Best Film, Special Mention, “My Life on Ice,” 2003

• Milan International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival: Best Film, “The Adventures of Felix,” 2001

• Berlin International Film Festival: Reader Jury of the “Siegessäule,” “The Adventures of Felix,” 2000

• Berlin International Film Festival: Teddy, Jury Award, “The Adventures of Felix,” 2000

• Toronto Inside Out Lesbian and Gay Film and Video Festival: Audience Award, Best Feature Film or Video, “The Adventures of Felix,” 2000

• Étoiles d'Or: Grand Prix Spécial, “Jeanne and the Perfect Guy,” 1999