h264 acquires La Portraitiste by Annie St-Pierre, written by Florence Longpré, and will handle its international distribution
Montreal, February 9th 2026 – h264, a Montreal-based film distribution and international sales company is proud to announce the acquisition of the international distribution rights to La Portraitiste, the first narrativee feature film written by Florence Longpré, directed by Annie St-Pierre and produced by Max Films. The film is scheduled to begin shooting this spring, with a release planned for 2027.
Montreal, 1962. Françoise leads a stifling life, dictated by her husband Germain and sanctioned by her aunt Agathe. A receptionist at the local police station, where her beloved cousin Gilles patrols, she is unexpectedly asked to sketch the composite of an assailant. The experience rekindles her passion for drawing and suddenly reveals the contours of her telepathic gift. Françoise’s prophetic intuition draws her into an investigation alongside Sergeant Stevenson, where long-buried family secrets echo her own past. Carried by a burgeoning love and the discovery of her gift, Françoise comes to understand that every quest inevitably leads back to oneself.
“Working with Florence Longpré and Annie St-Pierre feels like having access to a true dream team. Florence brings an extraordinary intelligence and a rare sensitivity to character while Annie’s vision gives the story both depth and direction. Their collaboration gives me absolute confidence that this story will resonate deeply with audiences.” – Roger Frappier, Max Films
Florence Longpré is a multifaceted artist whose reputation extends well beyond Québec. In 2025, she unveiled Empathy (Empathie), a series she wrote in its entirety and in which she also stars, winning the Audience Award at Séries Mania prior to its broadcast on Canal+, with a second season currently in development. She first came to public attention with Like-Moi! in the role of Gaby Gravel, and later made a strong impression with Can You Hear Me? (M’entends-tu ?) and Audrey’s Back (Audrey est revenue), two critically acclaimed series both locally and internationally (Gémeaux Awards, Séries Mania, Canneseries, Rockie Awards), on which she also collaborated as a screenwriter. She is also the co-screenwriter of Le temps des framboises, a series recognized at several international festivals, including the Berlinale and the Seoul Drama Awards. La Portraitiste marks her first venture into cinema with this period dramedy tinged with touches of magical realism.
La Portraitiste will also be the first narrative feature directed by Annie St-Pierre, who gained recognition with the documentaries Fermières and Le plein potentiel, the latter selected at SXSW in 2025. Her short film Like the Ones I Used to Know (Les grandes claques) premiered at Sundance and was shortlisted for the Academy Awards in 2021 in the category of Best Live Action Short Film.
With La Portraitiste, h264 reaffirms its commitment to supporting bold, distinctive works driven by creators with international reach, and to maximizing their visibility, circulation, and commercial potential across global markets.
