Félix Lajeunesse is a Canadian film director, writer, and producer, and virtual reality director. He is the co-founder and chief creative officer at Felix & Paul Studios.

Early life and education

Lajeunesse was born in

Sherbrooke Sherbrooke ( , ) is a city in southern Quebec, Canada. It is at the confluence of the Saint-François River, Saint-François and Magog River, Magog rivers in the heart of the Estrie administrative region. Sherbrooke is also the name of a territ ...

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

, Canada. He graduated with a film production degree from the

Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema The Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema, a division of the Faculty of Fine Arts at Concordia University, is a film school located in Montreal, Quebec. Informally known as MHSoC, the school accepts around 250 students a year for programs in animation ...

Concordia University Concordia University () is a Public university, public English-language research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1974 following the merger of Loyola College (Montreal), Loyola College and Sir George Williams Universit ...

Career

In 2013, Lajeunesse co-founded Felix & Paul Studios with Paul Raphaël and Stéphane Rituit. The studio's first VR film, "Strangers with Patrick Watson," was released that same year, marking an early entry into cinematic VR storytelling. Since then, Lajeunesse has co-directed over 30 immersive experiences, including collaborations with notable figures and institutions.

Notable works

Some of Lajeunesse's notable works include: * "The People's House," a collaboration with former

President Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. Ob ...

* "Traveling While Black," created with filmmaker Roger Ross Williams * "Space Explorers: The ISS Experience," a documentary series filmed aboard the

International Space Station The International Space Station (ISS) is a large space station that was Assembly of the International Space Station, assembled and is maintained in low Earth orbit by a collaboration of five space agencies and their contractors: NASA (United ...

Immersive installation

Lajeunesse acted as creative director for "Space Explorers: The Infinite," a location-based VR experience co-created by Felix & Paul Studios and PHI Studio that launched in Montreal in 2021. This free-roaming exhibit invites visitors to experience life aboard the International Space Station. Since its launch, "Space Explorers: The Infinite" has toured various locations, including: * Canada * U.S. cities such as Houston, Denver, and Charlotte * Singapore

Awards and recognitions

Lajeunesse has received various accolades, including two Primetime Emmy Awards for ''The People's House: Inside the White House with Barack and Michelle Obama'' and for ''Space Explorers: The ISS Experience''. Lajeunesse has also gained significant industry recognition for his work. # In 2015, he was named in the Creativity 50 list by

AdAge A proverb (from ) or an adage is a simple, traditional saying that expresses a perceived truth based on common sense or experience. Proverbs are often metaphorical and are an example of formulaic speech, formulaic language. A proverbial phrase ...

. # In 2016, he was included in

Fast Company ''Fast Company'' is an American business magazine published monthly in print and online, focusing on technology, business, and design. It releases six print issues annually. History ''Fast Company'' was founded in November 1995 by Alan Webb ...

's list of 100 most creative people in business, and was also named one of the 30 Execs to Watch by

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

. #In 2024, he was inducted into the XR Hall of Fame by AWE.

Filmography

As editor

* ''

Before Tomorrow ''Before Tomorrow'' () is a 2008 Canadian drama film, directed by Marie-Hélène Cousineau and Madeline Ivalu. The film is an adaptation of the novel ''Før Morgendagen'' by Danish writer Jørn Riel. It was the third film released by Igloolik ...

'' (2008) * ''

The Journals of Knud Rasmussen ''The Journals of Knud Rasmussen'' is a 2006 Canadian-Danish film directed by Zacharias Kunuk and Norman Cohn (film producer), Norman Cohn. The film is about the pressures on traditional Inuit shamanistic beliefs as documented by Knud Rasmussen dur ...

'' (2006)

As cinematographer

* '' Uvanga'' (2013) * ''

'' (2008)

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* Canadian documentary film directors Canadian male screenwriters Film directors from Quebec Concordia University alumni Living people Date of birth missing (living people) Year of birth missing (living people) Long stubs with short prose {{Canada-film-director-stub