Saved by the Belles
Encyclopedia
Saved by the Belles also known by its French
title Échappée belles is a 2003 feature film by Ziad Touma
, his first long feature movie. Touma is a Lebanese
Canadian
film director
and producer residing in Montreal
, Quebec
, Canada
. Touma is the founder of Couzin Films
film, television and digital media production company and it was released through the company.
The press kit describes it this way: "Saved by the Belles" stars fags and hags, blonde bimbos, label whores, sugar daddies, club kids, biceps builders, leathers and feathers, funky junkies, freaks and geeks, sex addicts, chupa chicks, lube monsters, pimply pimps, weight watchers, nympho virgins, mingle singles, glowstick ravers, cheap strippers, wannabe actors, guestlist leftovers, glittery debutantes, kinky grannies, impotent hustlers, baggy-eyed scenesters, size queen cupids, self-taught porn stars, air miles jetsetters, showgirls, smoking players, bendable bisexuals and mama's toys.
The film went on to win "Best Feature Film" award at Toronto's Inside Out Film Festival in 2003.
In 2004, it was nominated for three Genie Awards for "Best Achievement in Cinematography", "Best Achievement in Art Direction" and "Best Achievement in Music - Original Song".
SXSW Awards.
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
title Échappée belles is a 2003 feature film by Ziad Touma
Ziad Touma
Ziad Touma is a Lebanese Canadian film director, producer and screenwriter born in Beirut, Lebanon in 1974 and residing in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He is the founder of the film, television and digital media production company Couzin Films .-Earlier Years:...
, his first long feature movie. Touma is a Lebanese
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and producer residing in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Touma is the founder of Couzin Films
Couzin Films
Couzin Films is a Montreal-based Canadian film, television and digital media production company established by Ziad Touma, a Lebanese Canadian film director, producer and screenwriter.-Filmography:...
film, television and digital media production company and it was released through the company.
Synopsis
The film's storyline has a young man rearing his head in Montreal's club milieu, claiming not to remember a thing about his past or who he is. Discovered by local drag diva Sheena Hershey (played by Brian Charbonneau, aka Brian C. Warren) and scenestress Scarlet VJ (played by Karen Simpson), this young amnesiac is soon dubbed "Sean" and taken under wing by the club-junkie duo. Hoping to jar his memory, they take him on a tour of Montreal's club scene, introducing him to various characters along the way; Touma's cast includes numerous authentic night life figures, among them drag fixtures Mado and Madame Simone.The press kit describes it this way: "Saved by the Belles" stars fags and hags, blonde bimbos, label whores, sugar daddies, club kids, biceps builders, leathers and feathers, funky junkies, freaks and geeks, sex addicts, chupa chicks, lube monsters, pimply pimps, weight watchers, nympho virgins, mingle singles, glowstick ravers, cheap strippers, wannabe actors, guestlist leftovers, glittery debutantes, kinky grannies, impotent hustlers, baggy-eyed scenesters, size queen cupids, self-taught porn stars, air miles jetsetters, showgirls, smoking players, bendable bisexuals and mama's toys.
Cast
- Brian Charbonneau ... Sheena Hershey (as Brian C. Waren)
- Karen SimpsonKaren SimpsonKaren Simpson is a Canadian actress and fashion designer.She was born in Montreal, Quebec. In 1998 she co-founded Ritual Designs, a Canadian corset and fashion company....
... Scarlet - Steven Turpin ... Chris
- Danny GilmoreDanny GilmoreThis page is about the Canadian Actor. For the California State Assemblyman please go to Danny Gilmore Actor Danny Gilmore was born on December 23, 1973 in Canada. He has appeared in a number of films and television shows, starting with his role as Vallier in John Greyson's Lilies . He has also...
... Sean - Matt Williston ... Tobey
- Ron Diamond ... Doug
- Marcelle Lapierre ... Edith
- Mado LamotteMado LamotteMado Lamotte, the stage name of Luc Provost, is a Montreal drag queen, author, singer and gay community personality.Lamotte has been performing for more than 15 years. She was a longtime emcee and DJ of Ciel Mon Mardi at Sky, before opening her own drag cabaret, Cabaret Mado, in Montreal's Gay...
... Mado - Nohémie Renaud ... Noémie
- Dennis O'Brien ... Dennis
- Varda Etienne ... Varda
- Terry Sigalas ... Terry
- Louise Bastien ... Loulou
- Robert Horble ... Chicken
- Driss Berki ... Driss
- Paul Pabello ... Paul
- Alessandro Mangiarotti ... Alessandro
- Bernadette Rusgal ... Bernadette
- Lydia Leiffer ... Magda
- John Thomas Fraser ... Sean's Dad
Awards and nominations
A heatrically distributed feature film, Ziad Touma's Saved by the Belles won several awards in festivals around the world.The film went on to win "Best Feature Film" award at Toronto's Inside Out Film Festival in 2003.
In 2004, it was nominated for three Genie Awards for "Best Achievement in Cinematography", "Best Achievement in Art Direction" and "Best Achievement in Music - Original Song".
Saved by the Bells website
"Belles" film led to the launching of the innovative website http://www.savedbythebelles.com by Ziad Touma, co-wrote and co-produced with Mouna Andraos and BlueSponge. The website won the "Boomerang Awards" for "Best Arts & Culture Website" and was nominated as "Best Extreme Entertainment Site" at the South by SouthwestSouth by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
SXSW Awards.