Stéphan Beaudoin

Canadian independent filmmaker Stéphan Beaudoin emerged from the television and web content scene in his native country to direct critically praised independent features, "The Lion's Path" (2015) and "Yankee" (2016). Beaudoin initially studied business administration at Champlain College before shifting his focus to communication and the media; after earning a bachelor's degree from the University of Sherbrooke in 2003, he made his first short films at the Institut national de l'image et du son in Quebec. Upon graduation in 2004, he studied documentary filmmaking in Barcelona before returning to Canada to work on a variety of film and television projects, including the award-winning horror short "Initiation" (2009) and the dramatic series "The Promise" (VAT), for which he received three Gemini nominations. He also oversaw a number of web series, including "The Coach" (Pixcom Productions, 2014) before directing the independent drama "The Lion's Path" (2015), which he co-wrote, co-produced and financed entirely with his wife, filmmaker Sophie-Anne Beaudry. The husband and wife team reunited the following year for "Yankee" (2016), a gritty drama about a New England teenager who becomes involved in an underground fight club. Again completely financed by Beaudoin and Beaudry, the film earned critical praise for both its dramatic content and the intense combat scenes, which utilized the talents of its star, stuntwoman Devon Slack.