As international co-productions become increasingly common and audiences grow more comfortable with foreign-language content, the line between local storytelling and global cinema continues to blur.
Brandon St-Jacques, a film producer with deep roots in Quebec’s creative community, believes this shift is not only inevitable—it’s necessary.
In this interview, St-Jacques shares his thoughts on why cultural specificity matters more than ever, how early collaboration changes the game, and what regions like Quebec can do to better position themselves in the global content ecosystem.
Q: Brandon, how did your journey in film begin, and what drew you to the production side of the industry?
A: I came to film through community and culture. Growing up in Quebec, you’re surrounded by stories—complex ones, political ones, funny ones—that are shaped by the uniqueness of our history and language. But early on, I noticed that a lot of those stories stayed here. They didn’t travel much. That got me thinking about how to build bridges—between Quebec and the rest of the world, between creators and audiences they’ve never met. Producing felt like the most natural place to be if I wanted to make that happen.
Q: You’ve spoken about the tension between local authenticity and global reach. What does that balance look like in practice?
A: It starts by rejecting the idea that one has to come at the cost of the other. For a long time, there was pressure to make local stories more “universal”—code for more English, more generic, fewer cultural markers. But now, look at the global success of series like Lupin in France or Narcos in Colombia. They’re firmly grounded in place, language, and culture. And they’ve reached tens of millions of people.
What resonates globally often is the local. The details, the accents, the rituals—those are what give a project its edge. I think audiences are more open to that than executives used to believe.
Q: How can local producers in regions like Quebec better access international talent or financing without losing control of the story?
A: The key is starting early. Too many co-productions get international partners on board at the eleventh hour—after scripts are locked, casting is done, locations are chosen. At that point, you’re just asking for funding or distribution, not real collaboration.
If you bring in partners at the development stage—before there’s a finished script—they can shape things in a way that benefits both sides. Maybe they know an actor in Berlin who brings credibility in Europe. Maybe they’ve got insights on structuring the finance that help the project scale.
The important part is to stay anchored. Know what’s non-negotiable in your story. Know what must stay local. But be flexible with the rest.
Q: Is there an example from your own work where that model has paid off?
A: Yes—on a recent project we brought in a co-producer from Belgium quite early. The story was set in Montreal, deeply rooted in Quebecois culture, but the themes—migration, identity, memory—had resonance elsewhere. Because we included our European partners in development, we ended up with access to new financing tools and a wider festival network. And none of it diluted the story. In fact, it pushed us to go deeper into what made the story specific.
Q: What challenges do you see in getting Canadian content more widely recognised abroad?
A: There’s still a visibility gap. A lot of Canadian projects get made, but they don’t travel as well as they could. Part of that is scale—budgets are often lower, which affects production value. But it’s also about strategy. You have to think globally from day one: Which festivals? Which broadcasters? Who’s our target audience outside Canada?
Also, the assumption that Canadian content means English-language content needs to shift. Quebec is uniquely positioned—we have our own language, our own stories, and access to European markets because of it. That’s an advantage, not a limitation.
Q: What advice would you give to early-career producers trying to navigate the local-global dynamic?
A: Build wide, but stay grounded. Work your local scene—get to know your writers, your musicians, your designers—but start making connections internationally as soon as you can. Go to the markets. Talk to people who work in completely different ecosystems. And learn how to listen. Some of the best insights I’ve gotten came from sitting quietly in a room of strangers and hearing how they approached development or casting.
Q: Looking ahead, what excites you about where international film production is heading?
A: Honestly, I’m excited by the fact that language is no longer a barrier. Streaming has done something wild—it’s made people curious. They’ll watch something from Korea, then something from Denmark, then something from Brazil. That opens the door for so many more stories.
Also, the lines between TV, film, and new formats are blurring. That gives producers more ways to get things made—and more flexibility in how stories are told.
But at the core, what excites me is this: we don’t have to choose between being local or being global. We can be both. And that’s where the magic is.
