Blue Sky Jo (, lit. "The Little Girl and the Old Man") is a Canadian comedy-drama film, directed by Patrice Sauvé and released in 2024.Charles-Henri Ramond, "La Petite et le Vieux à Locarno". Films du Québec, July 25, 2024. Adapted from Marie-Renée Lavoie's 2010 novel La petite et le vieux, the film stars Juliette Bharucha as Jo-Hélène, a young girl in the blue-collar Limoilou neighbourhood of Quebec City who befriends her elderly neighbour Roger (Gildor Roy).Luc Boulanger, "La Petite et le Vieux en primeur au Festival du film de Locarno". La Presse, July 10, 2024.
The cast also includes Vincent-Guillaume Otis and Marilyn Castonguay as Jo-Hélène's parents, as well as Gabrielle B. Thuot, Mia Drolet, Élia St-Pierre, Denis Houle, Jack Robitaille, Amélie Bernard, Marie Michaud, Marie Bernier, Marie-Hélène Gendreau, Linda Laplante, Pierre-Yves Charbonneau, Sacha Lapointe, Amélie Pelletier, Jean-Philippe Côté, Ariane Bellavance-Fafard, Luc Bélanger-Morissette, Karl-Patrice Dupuis, Pierre-Luc Fontaine, Marguerite Bouchard, Andréanne Fortin and Charles Roberge in supporting roles."La Petite et le Vieux en première mondiale ce soir au Festival du film de Locarno !". CTVM, August 16, 2024.
Production The film began production in September 2023, in Quebec City.Charles-Henri Ramond, "Tournage de « La petite et le vieux »". Films du Québec, September 28, 2023.
Distribution The film premiered on August 16, 2024, at the 77th Locarno Film Festival.Maxime Demers, "Le film «La petite et le vieux», de Patrice Sauvé, sélectionné au festival de Locarno". TVA Nouvelles, July 10, 2024.
It had its Canadian premiere as the opening film of the 2024 Quebec City Film Festival,Kathleen Lavoie, "La petite et le vieux ouvrira le 13e Festival de cinéma de la ville de Québec". Ici Radio-Canada, August 7, 2024. and screened at the 2024 Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival,"Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival Details 2024 Lineup". Exclaim!, August 27, 2024. before opening commercially on October 4.
Awards Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival 2024 French-Language Feature Film Patrice Sauvé "‘The Count of Monte-Cristo’ big winner at Cinéfest Sudbury". Sudbury.com, September 27, 2024. Schlingel International Film Festival 2024 FIPRESCI Jury Prize Quebec Cinema Awards 2025 Best Film Sonia Despars, Marc Biron Fanny Bourel, "Une langue universelle en tête des nominations du Gala Québec Cinéma". Radio Canada International, October 8, 2025. Best Actor Gildor Roy Best Supporting Actor Vincent-Guillaume Otis Revelation of the Year Juliette Bharucha Best Original Music Viviane Audet, Robin-Joël Cool, Alexis Martin Prix Michel-Côté Sonia Despars, Marc Biron, Yoann Sauvageau, Patrice Sauvé, Sébastien Girard
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