REGARD According to Sylvain Dumais :

This year, REGARD is introducing the Témoin privilégié component so that we can document our memories of the Festival, an event that brings our region to life, brings out the heart of short film, and opens up its own heart to the rest of the world. We're doing this to show our similarities and our differences, but also to share the magic moments from the five days of the Festival with people from around the world. So, we invited talented photographer and regional native Sylvain Dumais to capture the daily adventures of REGARD's 13th edition. Dumais is well-known for his remarkable work in commercial photography and for his extraordinary ability to mastermind artistic projects that are coloured with sensitivity and a contemporary and personal documentary aesthetic. He has also worked as a director of photography, taken up teaching, and even played bass in country-rock band Plywood ¾. This multiskilled, imaginative and gifted young man from Chicoutimi-Nord kicked off his career as a photographer in Montreal, snapping pics for Urbania magazine, Voir weekly and more, and over the years has had his work, and his passion for it, honoured and displayed in exhibitions across Quebec, Canada and Belgium. He has recently worked as stop-animation director for several different clients, including Artv, BfGoodrich, Urbania and Sid Lee. For the last two years, Dumais has been living in Toronto, where he teaches photography and is a member of the Gallery 44 collective. We asked him what it was about this project that motivated and inspired him, other than the fact that it means a trip back to his childhood home for a totally fun event that he's been involved in since its beginnings.

"Let me just say it again – I've been a fan of REGARD since it started, and that's why my band, Plywood ¾, and I jumped at the chance to play at the Festival a few years ago. We knew it was going to be a ton of fun and that we'd be treated like kings. Through my photos, I'd like to translate that feeling – the feeling of a warm, welcoming event that's open to all walks of life, where even the "stars" can be seen out and about, ready to chat or shake your hand. I'd also like the enjoyment of the festival-goers and guests to really shine through my photos. The Festival's diverse audiences will be experiencing a wide range of emotions during the activities, creating beautiful moments that should be captured to give the rest of the world a window into the Festival. To do this, I plan on using photobooths – those cabin-like mini photo studios – so we can really seize a moment as it's happening."
Sylvain Dumais

Sylvain Dumais' photos will be updated daily on our Website. His photographs can also be seen at various exhibitions across Canada and abroad during 2009-2010, giving a new audience the chance to experience REGARD and the reactions of our festival-goers.