Young Quebec director who debated quitting filmmaking prepares for Oscars

Before receiving an Oscar nomination for his short film, Vincent René-Lortie says he was ready to quit filmmaking.

"It was a difficult time for me. We were just coming out of the pandemic, and I wasn't making any money," the Montreal director recounted in a video call from Los Angeles. "I was having serious conversations about changing my whole career and becoming a nurse."

However, the 30-year-old's career path became much clearer when his film Invincible was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Short Drama category, being presented this Sunday in Los Angeles.

A video posted on social media shows René-Lortie and his team shouting and jumping for joy after the nomination was announced in January.

"We were overwhelmed because we didn't expect to be here," he said. "I don't know if I'd still be a filmmaker today if it hadn't been for the way this film was received."

-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on March 5, 2024.