Canadian Filmmaker Mélanie Charbonneau Begins Principal Photography On Sophomore Feature ‘Out Standing’

Zac Ntim
·2 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

EXCLUSIVE: Canadian Filmmaker Mélanie Charbonneau has rolled cameras on her sophomore feature Out Standing, which will shoot on location in Montreal, Quebec, and Hamilton, Ontario, throughout April and May.

The pic stars Nina Kiri ((The Handmaid’s Tale) alongside Vincent Leclerc (The Revenant) and Antoine Pilon (Matthias & Maxime). Rounding out the cast are Adrian Walters (Star Trek: Discovery), Stephen Kalyn (Essex Country), Noah Parker (Who by Fire), Anthony Therrien (Falcon Lake), and Nicolas Fontaine (Victoire).

More from Deadline

The film follows Officer Sandra Perron, who at the height of a brilliant career with the Armed Forces, resigns unexpectedly. The brass launch an investigation that revs up when a photo circulates of Sandra in uniform tied to a tree apparently unconscious. This was not how the career of the first female officer in the Canadian infantry was supposed to end. Besieged by journalists, struggling to adapt to civilian life, and pursued by the investigation, she denies that she was the victim of abusive treatment and refuses to press charges. As Sandra reveals the details of her incredible experience in the Canadian infantry, her training, and tours overseas, it becomes clear this true story is about how her worst enemies were on her side of the front line. Pic is based on the memoir Out Standing In The Field by Sandra Perron. The book was adapted for the screen by co-writers Martine Pagé and Charbonneau.

“From the moment I read Sandra Perron’s memoir, I knew I had to make it into a film,” said Charbonneau. “Sandra fiercely pushed into uncharted territory so that those who followed could go even further. It’s such an honor to bring her story to the big screen.”

Out Standing is director Charbonneau’s sophomore feature. Her previous shorts (Seule, Luna Orbit Rendezvous) have screened at numerous festivals, including Cannes and Lorcano. Her debut feature Fabuleuses won the Busan Bank Award at Busan in 2019.

Out Standing is produced by GPA Films and January Films. The film’s producers are Marcel Giroux (No Trace) of GPA Films and Julia Rosenberg (Charlotte) of January Films.

Giroux and Rosenberg added: “Producing Melanie’s second feature is a thrill matched only by the honor of amplifying Sandra Perron’s story.”

Best of Deadline

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.