Montreal: La Fabrique d’Images director Jean-Francois Pouliot has won this year’s best director honors in the Publicite-Club de Montreal advertising awards competition.

A 10-year veteran with La Fabrique, Pouliot received the award in recognition of his unassuming dedication to tv commercial direction and for his work on a Bell Quebec commercial called ‘Surprise’ out of Cossette Communication-Marketing. ‘Surprise’ is a special-effects spot featuring actor Benoit Briere as the famous Monsieur B. Briere plays all the roles in this winning commercial, which features interacting family members gathered at Christmas. Steve Danyluk was the dop. Christiane Ciupka produced and Richard Marchand was the house art director.

Pouliot beat out this year’s only other finalist in the best director category, fellow La Fabrique helmer Jacques Fournier, nominated for ‘Cetace – Super 7,’ a Loto-Quebec spot. Fournier was last year’s best director winner.

In the tv/cinema category, Gold went to Bos creative head Andre Gariepy who directed ‘Intello,’ a spot for Le Journal de Montreal. Jacques Langlois of production house Jet Films was the producer.

La Fabrique’s Pouliot took the Silver prize in the tv/cinema category for ‘Quiz,’ another Monsieur B. and brother-in-law spot for Bell Canada and Cossette produced by Ciupka.

Two commercials tied for the Bronze award, ‘Si j’avais un char,’ directed by Cinelande’s Erik Canuel for the metro and bus commission stcum and agency PNMD/Publitel, and ‘Caroline Dupre – Saturn,’ a General Motors commercial out of Cossette directed by Charles Biname, also with Cinelande.

In the music category, production house l’Oreille Cassee was named best composer for the Bell Quebec spot ‘Cameleon.’

This year’s pcm awards gala, held May 15 and presented by Centre de montage electronique and Sonolab in association with fashion magazine, Clin d’Oeil, was attended by 1,500 guests.