17 Oct Acting Directing and Staging
17
Oct
17
Nov
Acting Directing and Staging
- Formation longue durée
Saturday October 17, 2026 - Tuesday November 17, 2026
All day
Main Film
2025 Rue Parthenais #301, Montréal, Quebec, H2K 3T2, Québec
With Kristina Wagenbauer and Geneviève Boivin Roussy
Application deadline : Thursday, October 8th, 2026, at 5:00pm.
Cost : $300
Total duration: 21h
In person at Main Film’s office
With the financial support of the Quebec government, Main Film, dedicated to independent filmmaking, pursues its mission of supporting emerging filmmakers.
GENERAL INFORMATION
This hands-on workshop focused on directing actors offers a rare opportunity for directors and actors to learn how to work together and understand each other’s roles. It covers staging, table reads, auditions, and the coordination of intimate scenes. It therefore provides insight into both artistic challenges and broader issues.
Kristina Wagenbauer and Geneviève Boivin Roussy will help participants master the following key elements:
- Preparation for a shoot: analyzing the narrative structure of a screenplay, establishing your directing and acting intentions, table reads, etc.
- For directors: the ability to communicate your intentions to the actors and translate them into camera angles.
- For actors: adapting your performance based on the directions given and the staging.
At the same time, participants will also explore the following topics:
- Adopting a responsible approach through intimacy coordination, with Sandrine Brodeur-Desrosiers.
- Organizing and conducting a casting call, with Tania Arana.
The training emphasizes hands-on practice to make the concepts presented more concrete and easier to understand. The classes will take place without cameras and will focus on acting direction techniques and communication between directors and actors.
CONDITIONS OF ELIGIBILITY
The course is open to 8 people only.
It is addressed to self-employed media arts workers living in Quebec.
DETAILED SCHEDULE
Module 1 | Concepts of directing actors from the perspectives of the director and the actor
Saturday, October 17, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (5.5h plus a 1-hour lunch break)
- Stage Strategy.
- Scene Assignment and Team Formation.
- Tips for Preparation.
- Script Analysis and Rehearsals..
Module 2 | Actor Direction and Staging Techniques
Saturday, October 24, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (5.5h + 1-hour lunch break)
Sunday, October 25, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (5h + 1-hour lunch break)
Module 3 | Casting Preparation
Thursday, November 5, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. (3h)
Module 4 | La coordination d’intimité
Tuesday, November 17, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (2h)
APPLICATION
The deadline for submitting an application is Thursday, October 8th, 2026, at 5:00 p.m.
ABOUT
Kristina Wagenbauer
Kristina Wagenbauer is a filmmaker based in Montreal. After writing, directing, and producing several short films that were screened at more than 150 festivals, including Locarno and Oberhausen, she co-wrote and directed Sashinka, her first feature film. Released in theaters across Canada and acquired by TV5 Monde, among others, the film screened at the Festival du nouveau cinéma, the Seattle International Film Festival, and the Naples Film Festival, where it won the Indie Spirit Award.
She then directed Babushka, her first documentary short film, which was nominated for the Canadian Screen Awards and the Prix du cinéma québécois and is now airing on Air Canada. In Switzerland, she directed two episodes of the series La vie devant for RTS, which were screened at the La Rochelle Fiction Festival and the Berlin International TV Series Festival, among others.
Her most recent short film, Leo on the Wire, is currently making the festival circuit. She is also developing several feature films, including Superluminal and Santa Barbara.
Geneviève Boivin Roussy
Since graduating from Collège Lionel-Groulx in 2009, Geneviève Boivin-Roussy has gained a wealth of artistic experience and carved out a place for herself among the leading figures in Quebec’s arts scene. On television, she appeared in the show O’, which aired in 2012, where she played the magnificent Gloria. She has also appeared in numerous television and web series, including District 31, L’âge adulte, Ces gars-là, Toute la vérité, and Boomerang, among others. More recently, she has stood out in Même pas Morte, Fleur de Peau, Alerte l’Empereur, Classé secret, La faille II, and Patrick Sénéchal présente. Geneviève has also appeared in several short films. In 2019, she stood out in Les profondeurs by Ariane Louis-Seize and Luz, a film about witches directed by Julie Roy. On the big screen, audiences were treated to her remarkable performance in Sarah préfère la course, directed by Chloé Robichaud. She has also appeared in the feature films La Run with Damian Fuica, La maison du pêcheur with Alain Chartrand, and *Le règne de la beauté* by Denys Arcand. In 2020, she joined the cast of Ken Scott’s Au revoir le bonheur. On stage, from 2020 to 2022, she carried the play on her shoulders, thrilling audiences with her exquisitely nuanced performance. In 2017–2018, she moved us deeply in La nuit du 4 au 5, a play by Rachel Graton directed by Claude Poissant. As a painter for whom a multidisciplinary approach is essential, she founded Galerie G de Br, a creative space, and a place of learning where everyone can find a refuge
Tania Arana
After studying communications and training as an actress, Tania Arana began working as a self-taught casting director in 2014. With a multicultural background and based in Montreal, she specializes in feature films, working on projects that are screened internationally.
Notably, she handled casting for Nina Roza by Geneviève Dulude-De Celles, Gagne ton Ciel by Mathieu Denis, Mignonnes by Maïmouna Doucouré, and Vampire humaniste cherche suicidaire consentant by Ariane Louis-Seize—a project for which she won the Iris Award for Best Casting.
Recognized for her expertise in non-agency casting, Tania excels at discovering new talent, bringing to light profiles that remain underrepresented in projects of high artistic and human value. Deeply committed to respecting performers, she works in close collaboration with filmmakers to create casting processes that are fair, supportive, and creative.
Sandrine Brodeur-Desrosiers
A film director by training from Concordia University, Sandrine also holds a master’s degree in acting from the University of the Arts London, as well as professional training in feature film writing from INIS. During her studies, she had the opportunity to perform at Shakespeare’s Globe in London and at the Vakhtangov Theater in Moscow. Sandrine also has a musical background (cello, piano, voice), which has led her to compose the music for some of her films.
After completing her studies, Sandrine wrote and directed more than 18 short films, which were screened at various festivals around the world. Her short film Juste moi et toi enjoyed spectacular success, winning the Crystal Bear at the Berlinale—the Berlin International Film Festival. Two of her short films were considered for the Oscars. Her first feature film, *Pas d’chicane dans ma cabane*, was well-received by critics—earning, among other accolades, a 4-star review in Le Devoir—and won several festival awards.
Alongside her career as a filmmaker and actress, Sandrine took a course in intimacy coordination with Intimacy Coordinator Canada (ICC) before joining its Quebec chapter, Coordination Intimité Québec (CIQ). She began working on various film and television sets but is currently focusing on the educational aspect of the field to raise awareness of the profession of intimacy coordination. Sandrine also teaches acting direction and screenwriting at Concordia University.
