Phil Comeau

Phil Comeau is a Canadian film and television director, best known for his work in both dramatic and documentary cinema. A prominent figure in Acadian and Canadian filmmaking, his work has been recognized internationally, having received over 700 awards at film festivals around the world.. He resides in both Moncton, New Brunswick and Montreal, Quebec.

Career

Filmmaker Comeau has directed and written numerous feature films in both drama and documentary, and television series in more than 20 countries. Some of his work has been translated into 27 languages and broadcast in nearly 190 countries.

Drama

He directed and co-wrote the award-winning feature Jerome's Secret, the first independent Acadian dramatic feature film, and two TV movies Crash of the Century, and Teen Knight.
His credits in television drama include popular series such as Tribu.com, which garnered up to 1.3 million viewers in Quebec, La Sagouine, Lassie, Emily of New Moon, Pit Pony, Les couleurs de mon accent, World Legends.

Documentary and Docu-drama

Comeau's recent award-winning feature documentaries include The Secret Order, Zachary Richard Cajun Heart, Acadian Music Wave, Secretariat's Jockey Ron Turcotte, and The Nature of Frederic Back.
He also directed many documentary series including Risk Takers, Archeology, Walk on the Wild Side, and the docu-drama series Mayday, broadcast worldwide.

Acadian films

Almost half of Phil Comeau's films are about his Acadian culture. Among them, the feature film Jerome's Secret, the first Acadian comedy The Gossips, the first Acadian children's film The Hooked Rug of Grand-Pré, a popular series remake on an iconic Acadian character La Sagouine, and a film on Acadian woman fishermen Women Captains.
On the subject of the world Acadian diaspora, he had directed an Acadian feature in Louisiana Zachary Richard, Cajun Heart, a documentary series in Quebec Les Acadiens du Québec and documentaries in the Acadian areas of France Roots, Diaspora & War and Belle-Ile-en-Mer, a Breton and Acadian Island. His short film Belle-Île in Acadie currently holds the Guinness World Record for "Most awards won by a documentary short film," with 458 accolades worldwide.
The Secret Order won the "People's choice award" in 2022 at the Festival international du cinéma francophone en Acadie. Roots, Diaspora & War won the same award in 2023 and has received 128 international awards.

Literary Work

Comeau is also an accomplished author. He has participated in two poetry collections Plumes d’icitte and Éloizes, published his film script Les Gossipeuses, and a dictionary of Acadian French Le parler Acadjonne. He co-directed and edited the anthology Acadie Then and Now, a 500-page collection of historical and contemporary writings on the Acadian diaspora. The anthology received the Prix France-Acadie in Paris.

Volunteering

For nearly 40 years, Comeau has generously volunteered his time on the boards of numerous professional associations, driven by a sincere desire to advance the film and television professions in Acadie and across Canada. He also served as president of the Front des réalisateurs indépendants du Canada.

Personal life

Phil Comeau was born in Saulnierville, Nova Scotia, a region with a strong Acadian heritage. His background has profoundly influenced his artistic work, which often explores Acadian culture, history, and identity. A globetrotter, the filmmaker enjoys discovering new cultures. He has travelled to over 55 countries and has made films in over 20 countries. He has lived in Baie Sainte-Marie, Halifax, Toronto, and Paris, and currently splits his time between Moncton and Montreal.

Recognitions

Phil Comeau has been recognized with numerous prestigious honours. Among them, he has received six orders: Order of Canada in 2011; the Order of New Brunswick in 2016, the Order of Nova Scotia in 2023 and the Ordre de la Pléiade from the French Assembly of Parlementarians in 2016; the distinction of the Ordre des francophones d'Amérique at the National Assembly in Quebec in 2007; and was promoted to the rank of "Officer" of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in France in 2022. He also received two Honorary Doctorats in Arts from the Université de Moncton, N.B. and from Université Sainte-Anne in N.S. ; the Prix Meritas of the Federation acadienne du Quebec in 1999; the Grand-Pre Award from the Minister of Culture of Nova Scotia in 1997, and the Prix Champion in Ottawa in 1995. His feature film Zachary Richard, Cajun Heart was presented at the United Nations in Geneva in 2017. In 2021, Comeau was awarded the Médaille Léger-Comeau, the highest Acadian distinction by the Société Nationale de l'Acadie. In 2024, Comeau received the Lieutenant Governor's Awards for High Achievement in the Arts.

Filmography

As director

1977: La cabane
1978: The Gossips
1979: La mer enligne nos terres
1980: Notre côte
1982: J'avions 375 ans
1982: Knock on Wood
1983: South-West Nova
1984: La musique nous explique
1984: No Easy Passage
1985: Colds
1986: The Hooked Rug of Grand-Pré
1987: Le deuxième souffle
1987: Le creux de la vague
1990: La meteo de la mer
1991: Au mitan des iles
1992: The Art of the Street Performer
1993: Paleo World
1993: Archeology
1993: The Sphinx
1993: Hitler's Conspiracy
1993: Petra, the Red City
1993: In Search of the Neanderthal
1993: Who was Cleopatra?
1993: Caesar's Nightmare
1993: Macedonia
1993: A City in the Clouds
1994: Jerome's Secret
1995: The New Detectives
1996: Lassie
1998: Teen Knight
1998: Emily of New Moon
1999: Walk on the Wild Side!
2000: Pit Pony
2001: Chopin: Frederic and Georges
2001: Tribu.com I
2002: Tall Ship Chronicles
2002: Tribu.com II
2003: Barney & Clyde
2003: Les couleurs de mon accent
2004: Mayday II
2005: Mayday III
2005: The Crash of the Century
2006: La Sagouine
2007: Risk Takers
2008: Stunt Stars
2009: Nature Above All
2011: Les Acadiens du Québec, avec Fred Pellerin
2012: The Nature of Frederic Back
2013: Secretariat's Jockey, Ron Turcotte
2015: J'habite ici, au bord de l'eau
2016: Cousins, cousines de la Louisiane
2016: Belle-Ile-en-Mer, a Breton and Acadian Island
2016: Zachary Richard, Cajun Heart
2018: Acadian Music Wave
2019: Belle-Ile in Acadie
2021: Women Captains
2022: The Secret Order
2023: Roots, Diaspora & War
2025: ''Acadian Resonance''
As writer
1977: La cabane
1978: The Gossips
1979: La mer enligne nos terres
1980: Notre côte
1980: La musique nous explique
1982: J'avions 375 ans
1982: Knock on Wood
1983: À l'image de la mer
1984: No Easy Passage
1986: The Hooked Rug of Grand-Pre
1987: Le deuxième souffle
1987: Le creux de la vague
1991: Au mitan des îles
1992: Archeology
1994: Jerome's Secret
1999: Walk on the Wild Side!
2002: Tall Ship Chronicles
2004: Mayday II
2006: La Sagouine
2007: Risk Takers
2008: Stunt Stars
2009: Nature Above All
2011: Frederic Back, Grandeur Nature
2012: Secretariat's Jockey, Ron Turcotte
2015: Cousins, cousines de la Louisiane
2015: Zachary Richard, Cajun Heart / Zachary Richard, toujours batailleur
2016: Belle-Île-en-Mer, île bretonne et acadienne
2017: Acadian Music Wave / Vague d'Acadie
2018: Heritage Minute - Expulsion of the Acadians
2019: Belle-Ile in Acadie / Belle-Île en Acadie
2020: The Secret Order / L'Ordre secret
2021: Women Captains / Femmes capitaines
2022: Roots, diaspora and war / Racines, diaspora et guerre
2025: ''Acadian Resonance / Résonance Acadie''
As producer or coproducer
1980: Notre côte
1980: La musique nous explique
1994: Jerome's Secret
2016: Belle-Île-en-Mer, île bretonne et acadienne
2019: Belle-Ile in Acadie / Belle-Île en Acadie
2023: Roots, diaspora and war / Racine, diaspora & guerre
2025: ''Acadian Resonance / Résonance Acadie''
Honors
2025: Tribute Prize/Prix hommage - Fédération acadienne du Québec
2024: Compagnie des Cent-associés francophones
2024: Lieutenant Gouvernor's Award for High Achievement in the Arts
2024: PRIX L’OEIL DU FRIC
2023: GUINNESS World Record for Most Awards Won by a Short Documentary Film
2023: Order of Nova Scotia
2022: Officier - Ordre des Arts et Lettres
2022: Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee Medal
2021: Médaille Léger-Comeau, the highest Acadian distinction awarded by the Société Nationale de l'Acadie
2020: Prix Louisiane-Acadie - 15th Cinema Festival on the Bayou
2019: Médaille de la Ville de Marennes -10th Festival of Francophone Culture
2019: The Canadian Encyclopedia, Inclusion on list of 30 Famous Francophones in Canada
2018: Prix Eloize, Acadian Artist Most Illustrated Internationally
2018: Prix du public Radio-Canada / People's Choice for Acadian Artist of the Year
2018: Prix du President, Richelieu International
2017: The Canadian Encyclopedia, Inclusion of biography
2017: United Nations, Presentation of his film "Zachary Richard Cajun Heart"
2016: Cultural Personality of the Year, Acadie-Nouvelle
2016: Order of New Brunswick, Gouvernment of New Brunswick
2016: Order of La Pléiade, Assemblée Parlementaire de la Francophonie
2015: Prix France-Acadie Award, Amitiés France-Acadie
2014: Personality of the week, Radio-Canada & Acadie-Nouvelle
2014: Prix Acadie-Québec Award, Bureau atlantique du Quebec & Société national de l'Acadie
2014: Certificat de mérite, Fédération acadienne de la Nouvelle-Écosse, Halifax
2014: Film Retrospective Phil Comeau, 6 films
2013: Honorary Doctorat in Arts, Université de Moncton
2012: Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal
2011: Order of Canada
2007: Honorary Doctorat in Fine-Arts, Université Sainte-Anne
2007: Ordre des francophones d'Amérique
2006: Chevalier - Ordre des Arts et Lettres
1999: Prix Méritas Award, Federation acadienne du Québec
1997: Prix Grand-Pré Award, Halifax
1995: Prix Champion, Fédération culturelle canadienne-française