Pierre Bonhomme is a Canadian filmmaker and designer born in Sudbury, Ontario. He works in Toronto and Sudbury.
Bonhomme's creative career began with studies at the Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto, followed by graduate school for architecture at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. After working for many years as an architect and designer in cities such as Berlin, New York and Dubai, Bonhomme returned to Toronto to start a new career in film. With dreams of writing and directing of his own films one day, he quickly realized that his skills as a designer would grant him a backdoor into the business in the art departments on film productions.
ART DIRECTION/ PRODUCTION DESIGN
Since 2003, he has worked on a range of films and television series including ZOS: Zone of Separation, New York Minute, starring the Olsen Twins, Cheaper By The Dozen 2, with Steve Martin and Eugene Levy, and It's a Boy Girl Thing, starring Kevin Zegers which was produced by Elton John and David Furnish's company Rocket Pictures.
Bonhomme has been an Art Director on some notable projects, including the art house feature, Neil, by award-winning director Boris Mojsovski. In 2007 he worked with Bruce McDonald on the award-winning feature The Tracey Fragments. He has also been a production designer for music videos and larger productions including the series The Smart Woman Survival Guide and the indie zom-com cult classic "Zombie Dearest" in 2009, directed by David Kemker.
In the fall of 2010, Bonhomme had the privilege of being the Art Director on a very significant film, Down The Road Again directed by Donald Shebib. This film is the sequel to the highly regarded 1970 Canadian classic Goin' Down the Road, also by Shebib. It stars 3 of the 4 original cast members playing the same characters 30 years later, including, Doug McGrath, Jayne Eastwood, and the late Cayle Chernin in her final film performance.
His most recent credits include 2 seasons on the NBC Cable series Covert Affairs starring Piper Perabo, Kari Matchett and Peter Gallagher, He was an assistant art director in 2010, and a Set Designer in 2011.
DIRECTING
In 2004, Bonhomme was selected as part of a group of ten first-time directors to have his first screenplay produced by Trinity Square Video in Toronto. This first short film, "A Body of Work" was screened later that year at the Inside Out Film and Video Festival in Toronto. His second short, "Do Not Bend", was made 2 years later with his friend Boris Mojsovski as Director of Photography. This comedy stars Josh Peace, Anna Silk, Maggie Cassella and Peter Keleghan. Written by Judith Klassen and funded by Bravo!FACT, this short has continues to be an audience pleaser around the world. Since 2008, it has been screened at film festivals in Clermont-Ferrand, France, Chicago, Montreal, Phoenix, Budapest, Calgary, Sudbury, Kingston and Toronto, Ontario.
PRODUCING
Bonhomme will be spending more time in Sudbury in 2011 to work with a new producing partner on film and transmedia projects. In spring 2012, they will produce their first feature film, with director Jerry Ciccoritti.
FAMILY
Pierre divides his time between his home in Toronto and a lakeside cottage near Sudbury where he spends time with his large extended family and 12 nieces and nephews. His niece, Tessa Bonhomme, is an Olympic gold-medalist for women's Hockey. Two of his brothers are professional musicians in Los Angeles. Tim Bonhomme has been the keyboard player with the Beach Boys since 1997, and guitarist Al Bonhomme has been featured on two Dwight Yoakum albums.
Bonhomme has been interviewed by the National Screen Institute. The interview can be listened to here http://www.nsi-canada.ca/interview_with_pierre_bonhomme_audio.aspx