Bédélys Awards, residency in the sun and MCAF 2022

The Bédélys Pay Tribute to a Giant of Québécois Comic Arts

On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Montreal Comic Arts Festival, the Bédélys Awards have added a new prize, the Bédélys Tribute Award.

This prize pays homage to an individual whose work has made a major impact on the recognition and promotion of the Québécois comic arts. Marking the first decade of MCAF, it is with great pleasure that the organizers of the Bédélys Awards bestow the inaugural Bédélys Tribute Award to François Mayeux, co-founder of the Festival and longtime president of MCAF.

Over the course of a long career that is far from finished, François Mayeux has hosted over 500 presentations to promote the comic arts in all their diversity at a wide range of educational establishments across Canada, from primary schools up through the university level.

In 1999, François Mayeux created Promo 9e Art, and organization dedicated to the promotion of the comic arts in Québec and in particular the work of Québécois creators. He was the president of Promo 9 e Art for 10 years.
1999 also saw the birth of the Bédélys Awards which François Mayeux also organized.
In 2008 he founded Planète BD, a bookstore specializing in comics accredited by the French Ministry of Culture and Communication. Planète BD won the 2011 Shuster Award as the best comic book retailer in Canada, a first for a Québécois bookstore.
In 2011 François Mayeux co-founded the Montreal Comic Arts Festival and served as the organization’s president until 2019. In that same year he capped off his tenure with MCAF with a special presentation dedicated to Québécois comic arts at the prestigious Angoulême International Comics Festival in France.

Find all the information on Bédélys Awards.

Martinique Comic Arts Biennale and Artist’s Residency

The Montreal Comic Arts Festival is honored to be partnering with the Martinique Comic Arts Biennale. The 7th edition of the event will be held in Trinité, Martinique from the 18-20 of November 2021.

Over the years, the Martinique Comic Arts Biennale has become a fixture of the cultural scene of the Caribbean, with wide-ranging themes such as “The Bad Boys of Comics,” “Women Behind the Page,” “Wild: Animal Comics,” and “Pirates and Buccaneers.”
This year’s theme? Simply put, to celebrate the reopening of the globe in a festive atmosphere!
This year the Biennale is working hand in hand with international organizations, and has invited MCAF to participate. The Festival will be sending a delegation of no less than six people, including representatives of MCAF and comic book creators, to take part in the festivities and represent Québécois comic arts at the event.
Additionally, the Biennale is offering a one-month artist residency for a Québecois comic book creator for the month of November.

The artist in residence’s project can be inspired by the beauty of their surroundings in Martinique, or be the extension of an existing project. The artist in residence will be invited to present their work in a variety of libraries and other cultural spaces around the island.

Interested in this month-long residency in the sun? Do not hesitate to let us know by sending us an email detailing your interest and your current project, if applicable, to info@fbdm-mcaf.ca, by August, 13th.