Emilie Blézat
CEO, PRODUCER, IP CREATOR
Member of the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and juror for the international Emmys, Emilie Blézat has been an international award-winning film & TV producer and creator since 2003. She launched Oscar nominee Mickael Roskam and the actor Matthias Schoenaerts, UIP award winner David Dusa, Director’s Guild of America laureate Wim Vandekeybus, and produced twenty films selected at the Cannes Film Festival and other A-list festivals and markets, including ”Over Your Cities Grass Will Grow” (Official Selection at Cannes Film Festival) and ”Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami” (Competition at Toronto International Film Festival) by Sophie Fiennes, ”Blush” (Cannes Film Festival) by Wim Vandekeybus, ”Victoire Terminus” (Official Selection at Berlinale and Grierson Award for Best documentary at London Film Festival) by Florent DeLaTullaye. Emilie also produced music albums and major stage performances like “The Comeback of Jean-Baptiste” by Wayn Traub featuring Birdy Nam Nam and an orchestra conducted by Hervé Niquet, which toured at prestigious European theatres and operas (Theatre de la Ville of Paris, Het Tonnelhuis Antwerpen, Schouwburg Rotterdam, Kaaitheater, Brussels…) and was awarded best European stage show.
From 2012 to 2014, she worked in Beijng, China as French Cultural Attachée, responsible for all media and entertainment cooperation (Film, TV, New Media, Music and Gaming industries), on both business and government levels. She created close relationship with the Chinese Ministry of Propaganda and the Ministry of Culture, as well as with Chinese major and independent music, film, TV and gaming groups. From 2014 to 2019 she joined Vivendi/Canal + Group as the founder and CEO of Studiocanal China. In 4 years, Emilie turned China into one of the most profitable territories for Studiocanal, supervised the theatrical distribution of 15 films (including ”Paddington” 1 & 2, ”Non-Stop”, ”Shaun The Sheep”, ”The Commuter”, ”Early Man”…), closed deals with major digital platforms (Iqiyi, Tencent, Youku) and broadcasters (CCTV, Shanghai Media Group, Hunan TV) for over 600 films from Studiocanal library, handled licensing and merchandising rights and developed remakes of Studiocanal IPs in China.
Since January 2019, Emilie Blezat has been creating and writing international TV series, graphic novels and games, working in collaboration with worldwide talent. Emilie acts as CEO of Dark Riviera.
In parallel, Emilie Blézat has been a Strategy consultant since 1997 with a focus on Entrepreneurship, Media and CRM, both in Europe and China, working for Accenture Europe’s Founder Jacques Habib, for BNP Paribas Bank, Centre Pompidou National Museum of Modern Art, Jeu de Paume Gallery, Media Musketeers TV Fund, and advised Ubisoft on a “Rabbids” TV series development for the Chinese market, as well as the Smithsonian Institute on the development of kids’ content and their relationship with China.
A graduate from the High Business School of Paris (ESCP Europe) where she set up with Thibaud Guilluy the Major on Entrepreneurship, but also from Boston Olin Graduate School of Business’ MBA specialized in innovative project management, with a BA in Philosophie from La Sorbonne and in Art History from l’Ecole du Louvre, and with a master in Blockchain Technologies from MIT and in Chinese Politics from Hong Kong University, Emilie started her career as a strategy consultant and an entrepreneurship adviser at Roland Berger. Member of ACE producer, European Film Academy, French Academy Award & American Chamber of Commerce of China and the International Emmys.
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Filmography as producer
GRACE JONES – BLOODLIGHT & BAMI 2017 - Feature Documentary by Sophie Fiennes. 90’
In coproduction with BBC
Official Selection, Toronto International Film Festival
FREE FALL 2014 - Feature film by Györy Palfi. 90’
Awarded Best Director, Special Jury Prize
& Cinema Europa Grand Prize at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS 2013 - Feature film by Thomas Imbach. 100’
International Competition, Locarno International Film Festival 2013
Official Selection, Toronto International Film Festival 2013
Nominated for Best Film at the Swiss Film Award
RAIN 2012 -Feature Documentary by O. Rochette, GJ. Claes and Anne-Teresa De Keersmaeker. 90’
International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam
Cinedans, Netherlands ; Cinéma du Réel, France
FIFA Montréal, Canada ; Los Angeles Film Festival, USA
L’OISEAU SANS PATTES 2012 - Feature Documentary by Valérianne Poidevin. 80’
Cinéma du Réel, National Competition 2012, France
Vision du Réel, International Competition 2012, Switzerland
OVER YOUR CITIES GRASS WILL GROW 2010 - Feature Documentary by Sophie Fiennes. 105’
Official Selection, Festival de Cannes 2010, France
Official Selection, Toronto International Film Festival, Canada
Prix Spécial du Jury, Official Selection, Era New Horizon, Poland
Royal Academy of the Arts, United Kingdom
FLEURS DU MAL 2010 - Feature film by David Dusa. 97’
Cannes International Film Festival, ACID, France
«10 Directors to Watch» Award by Variety 2011
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Tcheck Republic
Best First Film & Best Feature Film, Namur IFF, Belgium
Official Selection, Rotterdam International Film Festival, Pays-Bas…
OFF GROUND HE 2009 - Feature film by Andrew Kötting. 96’
Locarno International Film Festival, Switzerland
Busan International Film Festival, South Korea
London International Film Festival, United Kingdom
VICTOIRE TERMINUS 2008 - Feature Documentary by F. De La Tullaye and R. Barret. 80’
Berlinale 2008, Forum for New Cinema, Germany
Grierson Award for Best Feature Documentary,
The Times BFI Festival du Film de Londres, United Kingdom
Hot Docs Toronto, Canada
WILD BEAST 2008 - Short film by David Dusa. 10’
Festival Côté Court Pantin
DISTANCES 2008 - Short film by David Dusa. 30’
Clermont-Ferrand international film festival, Sauve qui peut le court-métrage
LA VIE DE CHÂTEAU 2007 - Documentary by Frédérique Devillez. 56’
National Competition and Sound Award, FID Marseille, France
International Competition Festival EntreVues de Belfort, France
Prix Scam Brouillon d’un Rêve, France
AMIN 2007 - Short film by David Dusa. 9’
UIP award & “Tigers on Tour”, Rotterdam International Film Festival
Nominated for Best European Film, European Film Academy, Germany
Onda-Curta Award, Vila do Conde International Film Festival, Portugal
Nominated for Best Image, Deutscher Kamerapreis, Germany
Jury Grand Prix, Maremetraggio Film Festival, Italy
Crystal Simorgh Award, Fajr International Film Festival, Iran
THE ONE THING TO DO 2006 - Short film by Michael R. Roskam. 30’
Grand Prix du Public, Festival International de Louvain, Belgium
Nominated for Prix Joseph Plateau, Best Belgium Short
Sauve qui peut le Court Métrage Clermont-Ferrand, France
Arte France Cinéma short film collection, France
Festival de Pantin Côté Court, France
BLUSH 2005 - Dance feature film by Wim Vandekeybus. 60’
Cannes International film festival, ACID 2005, France
Feature Competition, Palm Springs International Film Festival, USA
Prix Qualité du Centre National de la Cinématographie, France
Best choregraphy Film, Directors Guilde of America 2006, USA
Grand Prix, Lincoln Center Film Society, USA
Music and live shows
JACK 2020 - Music Album and Musical by Wayn Traub
With the collaboration of Icelandic Music Producer Valgair Sigurosson (Bjork, Sigur Ros, Ben Frost, Coco Rosie, Camille…), Birdy Nam Nam, composer Wim de Wilde, with the participation of Jane Birkin - In production
THE RIOT OF EMOTIONS 2009 - Stage New Media play by David Dusa. 65’
Interactive play starring Rachid Youcef, David Dusa and Mike Sens.
Premiere at Festival Temps d’Image, Ferme du Buisson, Paris
International Premiere at Roma Europa International Festival, Rome
THE COMEBACK OF JEAN THE BAPTIST 2006 - Stage Opera by Wayn Traub. 85’
Musical theater with Birdy Nam Nam, Wayn Traub, a Symphonic orchestra directed by Hervé Niquet and actors Paul Bandey and Simone Moesen
Premiere at Théâtre de la Ville (Paris), Het toneelhuis (Ghent Opera), Kaaitheater (Brussels), Schowburg Theater (Rotterdam)...
Film distributor in China
NON-STOP 2015 | FICTION | 90 min
Premiere with Liam Neeson in Beijing
TWO FACES OF JANUARY 2015 | Fiction Thriller | 90 min
AFRICAN SAFARI 2014 | Documentaire 3D | 90 min
PADDINGTON 2014 | Fiction | 90 min
Premiere with William, Prince of Wales in Shanghai
THE HOUSE OF MAGIC 2013 | Animation | 90 min
SHAUN THE SHEEP 2015 | Animation | 90 min
Premiere with William, Prince of Wales in Beijing
GUNMAN 2015 | Action Thriller | 90 min
BASTILLE DAY 2016 | Action Thriller | 90 min
PADDINGTON 2 2017 | Fiction | 90 min
EARLY MAN 2018 | Animation | 90 min
