Robert Lepage’s Le Confessionnal began its commercial career on the highest of roads, preening in Cannes and Toronto, an unmatched and fitting debut for the internationally acclaimed stage director and actor.

The film was selected to open this year’s Director’s Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival, and in September, was the opening night film at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Produced in Canada by Denise Robert, president of Montreal’s Cinemaginaire, the film stars Lothaire Bluteau, Patrick Goyette and Jean-Louis Millette in a story about a man’s search for his past and a dark family mystery dating back to 1952 and the time director Alfred Hitchcock filmed I Confess in Quebec City.

Lepage is personally nominated for best director and achievement in screenwriting.

The film was shot throughout June and July of 1994 on a budget of $3.2 million and is the first Canada/u.k./France coproduction produced in French.

‘What’s particularly encouraging,’ said Robert during the shoot, ‘is that we have British financing and are shooting in Quebec with Quebec actors.’

Coproducers are former Columbia Pictures topper and Oscar-winner David Puttnam of u.k.-based Enigma and Philippe Carcassonne of Cinea, Paris. Polygram Film International picked up the foreign rights to the film based on a reading of the script, adds Robert.

By mid-November, Le Confessionnal had garnered $365,000 in theatrical receipts following a 12-print release across Quebec on Sept. 29.

Alliance Vivafilm vp Pierre Brousseau, Le Confessionnal’s distributor, says the film’s 12 nominations are likely to influence moviegoers: ‘It does something. It makes the film-going public feel more secure. Those who are not fans, those who don’t go to the Lepage plays, those who are still wondering if they should see the film on the weekend will see with these Canadian `Oscar’ nominations that the film is of the best quality and the most important Canadian film of the year.’

Brousseau says with 60% of this year’s nominations, Quebec filmmakers have reconfirmed their role in the Canadian feature film industry.

Along with best picture and Lepage’s two nominations, other Le Confessionnal nominees are: Francois Laplante for art direction, Barbara Kidd for costume design, Alain Dostie for cinematography, Emmanuelle Castro for editing, Bluteau for best performance by an actor in a leading role, Anne Marie Cadieux and Marie Gignac for best supporting actress, Jean-Claude Laureux, Hans Peter Strobl, Brigitte Taillander and Nick Berry for best overall sound, and Jocelyn Caron, Diane Boucher, Jacques Plante, Jerome Decarie and Antoine Morin for sound editing. Lepage is also nominated for the Claude Jutra Award.

Le Confessionnal has been submitted to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Academy Awards preselection committee as Canada’s entry in the best foreign film category.