W hen asked how she felt about her chances of winning the Festival de cinéma de la ville de Québec (FCVQ) best short film award for Ultra Strong, local filmmaker Catherine Lepage said, “You never know, and I try not to think of it.” Lepage told the QCT it was already “nice and cool” to be a part of the festival, and to give more people a chance to see the film, especially on the “big screen,” a rare event for a National Film Board of Canada (NFB) short film, which tends to be viewed at festivals or online.

This is the author, illustrator, designer and filmmaker’s second NFB film. The French- language version (Ultra Forte) was screened at the FCVQ on Sept 10 and 12. “I have no control [over] the prizes. We don’t make films to win prizes; it’s really nice when it happens but I don’t see it as a competition.”

Ultra Strong tells the fictionalized autobiographical tale of Catherine growing up in “the boring suburbs” in Charlesbourg, looking for a “prince” to live happily ever after. Catherine must do some soul-searching and a lot of haircuts to reveal her true self and desires. “Hairstyle changes are a fun way to show you change direction, like a new beginning,” she said. True to the film, Lepage actually even shaved her head after a heartbreak. Ultimately she changed her “definition of what a prince is” to find the real-life father of her two daughters.

The animation takes place in Quebec City, and it is rich with nods to her hometown, with images in the background like Bonhomme Carnaval and the Nordiques. “It’s fun to show it here,” Lepage told the QCT minutes prior to the screening at Beaumont Cinema. “I think people from Quebec love to hear stories set in Quebec. I think they are proud to see a film that talks about them, but it’s also universal.”

The artist writes very honest, self-deprecating autobiographical works, like her graphic novels 12 mois sans intérêt (12 months without interest) about depression and Thin Slices of Anxiety. “I think it’s a way to talk about sensitive subjects with honesty. I feel we live in an era where people share the good things in their lives, successes, achievements and so on and keep the less shiny experiences inside. By telling my stories, I hope people also recognize themselves or feel a little relief, to see we can also acknowledge our vulnerability, failures or imperfections,” she said.

The FCVQ short film competition features a total of 33 films from around the world, with an audience award and a jury- selected Spira and Paraloeil award for Best Quebec Short Film. In the seven-film program Lepage’s film was shown with, the audience saw gutsy animation, documentaries, fiction and a mockumentary from filmmakers in Cuba, Belgium, Poland, Quebec and English Canada. Lepage, who now lives in Montreal, collaborated with Régine Chassagne of Arcade Fire to narrate the film, after working for her previously on graphic design projects. But how did she convince the frontman of Iron Maiden, Bruce Dickenson, to add his voice providing pep talks from the poster of him in her bedroom wall? “My producer Christine Noël was a fan [of Iron Maiden] as a teenager too, so she really believed [in] it and we worked hard and finally we were able to connect with him.”

After the film completes its year of touring festivals, it will be made available to watch for free online at nfb.ca along with thousands of films. “All the films that are here, they’re made by someone who believed in it, who crafted it, who put [their] soul in it. So for me all the films are winners, in a way.”

On Sept. 14, Lepage learned she had won the audience’s choice award for best short film. “There were so many good films, I’m grateful to know people enjoyed and voted for Ultra Forte!” she told the QCT in an email. “It gives me confidence to keep going!”