Death To The Bikini!
A film by
Justine Gauthier
Synopsis
Lili, 10-year-old, rebels when her parents force her to wear a bikini top, even though she has always swam topless.
Highlights
100+ festivals. 18+ awards
Tags
2023
Comedy
Fiction
Genre
Comedy
,
Country
Canada (Quebec)
Year
2023
Length
16'00"
Themes
Teen friendly
,
Feminism
,
Feel-Good
,
With
Mia Garnier, Etienne Cardin, Aksel Leblanc, Olivier Leblanc, Johnnovan Jobin, Eve Pressault, Eric Robidoux
Production
Léonie Hurtubise (Colonelle films)
Director
Justine Gauthier
Screenplay
Justine Gauthier
Cinematography
Gabrielle Bergeron
Editing
Marie-Pier Grignon
Artistic Direction
Yola van Leeuwenkamp
Sound
Jacob Marcoux, Ilyaa Ghafouri, Joey Simas
Music
Viviane Audet & Robin-Joël Cool
Director's statement
It was on a hot summer's day, when I was 7, that I dared to go skinny-dipping with my friends for the first and only time. I never did it again, too embarrassed to behave like a ""boy"". It's the memory of this torment over this benign desire to bathe with my chest out that is at the origin of this film. How absurd to feel society's discomfort with the female body at such a young age! DEATH TO THE BIKINI! is an ode to youthful ardor and to girls who don't shy away from a challenge, and its message is a universal one, presenting young girls with a role model they can identify with.
Justine Gauthier
Justine Gauthier
Justine Gauthier is a Montreal-based director and editor. L'APPARTEMENT, her debut short, was rewarded at Regard festival and traveled around the world. As an editor, she collaborated, among others, with Monia Chokri (LA FEMME DE MON FRÈRE) and Philippe Falardeau (LE TEMPS DES FRAMBOISES).
Filmography
À mort le bikini! | Short Fiction | 2023
L’appartement | Short Fiction | 2018
Social media
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Festivals
Palm Springs Shortfest and Market, USA | 2023 * Audience Award (Live Action Short)
Festival Regard, Canada (Québec) | 2023 * Prix meilleur film jeunesse * Chouchou du public jeunesse
CineFest Sudbury, Canada | 2023 * Audience Award
Calgary International Film Fest, Canada | 2023 * Best Live Action
Festival international du film francophone d’Acadie, Canada | 2023 * Prix La vague du Meilleur court métrage canadien
Festival Images en Vues, Canada | 2023 * Prix coup de cœur du public
Festival de Cinéma en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Canada (Québec) | 2023 * Prix Télé-Québec
Gala Prends ça court!, Canada | 2023 * Prix Roméo, Prix Fonds Bell, Prix Les Films Opale, Prix SODEC, Prix Unis.TV
Japan Prize 2024, Japon | 2024 * Best Work in the Primary Division
KINEKO International Film Festival in Tokyo, Japan | 2024 * Best Editing Award
PLAY - Lisbon’s International Kids Film Festival, Portugal | 2023 * Best Short Film 10-13 Jury Kids Award
Fargo Film Festival, USA | 2024 * Jury Honorable Mention
SCHLINGEL Festival, Germany | 2024 * Honorable Jury Mention
NEWMOON Festival - Nantucket Empowering Women, USA | 2024 * Most Empowering Performance (Mia Garnier)
Cinécomédies, France | 2024 * Prix du jury
SPASM, Canada | 2024 * Prix du meilleur scénario
OFF-Courts de Trouville et Marché, France | 2023
Festival International du Film Francophone de Namur (school section), Belgium | 2023
Short Shorts Film Festival, Japan | 2024
Filmfest München, Germany | 2024
Giffoni International Film Festival, Italy | 2024
Busan International Kids & Youth Film Festival, South Korea | 2024
International Young Audience Film Festival Ale Kino!, Poland | 2023
Cinemania, Canada | 2023
Festival Plein(s) Écran(s), Canada | 2023
Shorts That Are Not Pants, Canada | 2023
FICFA, Canada | 2023
The Academy of Death Racers Festival, USA | 2023
Cinekid, Netherlands | 2023
Les Percéides, Canada | 2023
Regard sur le court métrage au Saguenay, Canada | 2023
Festival du film de la Ville de Québec, Canada | 2023
Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma, Canada | 2024
Festival du Court Métrage de Clermont-Ferrand (Jeune Public), France | 2024
Silhouette Film Festival, France | 2024
BUFF International Children and Young Film Festival, Sweden | 2024
PLAY – Lisbon’s International Kids Film Festival, Portugal | 2024
IndieJúnior – International Children’s and Youth Film Festival of Porto, Portugal | 2024
Filmets Badalona, Spain | 2024
KINEKO International Film Festival, Japan | 2024
Women Makes Waves Film Festival, Taiwan | 2024
International Film Festival of Uruguay, Uruguay | 2024
International Children’s Film Festival (…and not so Children), Mexico | 2024
MIRADA Corta Festival, Mexico | 2024
FeKK – International Short Film Festival Ljubljana, Slovenia | 2024
Art Film Fest (25e PCC), Slovakia | 2024
Filmfest Osnabrück, Germany | 2024
International Women’s Film Festival Dortmund, Germany | 2024
Mo & Friese Hamburg, Germany | 2024
SchulKinoWoche Hamburg, Germany | 2024
SCHLINGEL, Germany | 2024
CineFest Sudbury, Canada | 2024
SPASM, Canada | 2024
Festival du Cinéma Québécois de Biscarrosse, France | 2024
CINAMBULE, France | 2024
Festival International Cinéma en Liberté, France | 2024
L’Autre Festival, France | 2024
Festival Le Cri du Court, France | 2024
Courts-Bouillon, France | 2024
Festival Courts en Champagne, France | 2024
HaHaArt Film Festival, Portugal | 2024
Pink Screens Film Festival, Belgium | 2024
Festival Mazette, France | 2024
Festival Bazar (L’Art est au 3e), Canada | 2024
Festifilm de la Beauce, Canada | 2024
Festival du film de l’Outaouais, Canada | 2024
Court sur place, Canada | 2024
Dawson City International Short Film Festival, Canada | 2024
Cinémental, Canada | 2024
Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival, USA | 2024
Healdsburg International Short Film Festival, USA | 2024
Filmets Badalona (projection PCC 25e anniversaire), Spain | 2024
Curtas Vila do Conde, Portugal | 2024
Andaras Traveling Film Festival, Italy | 2024
Corto Dorico Film Festival (Focus Québec), Italy | 2024
JEF Festival, Belgium | 2024
Fenêtres sur Courts (comedy section), France | 2024
Festival Paysages de Cinéastes, France | 2024
Festival Loubens-Lauragais, France | 2024
Ciné-Festival en Pays de Fayence, France | 2024
Show Me Shorts – Prends Ça Court! 25th Anniversary, New Zealand | 2024
Cineffable – International Lesbian & Feminist Film Festival Paris, France | 2025
Queersicht Film Festival, Switzerland | 2025
Queer Film Festival Perlen, Germany | 2025
Queer Filmfest Weiterstadt, Germany | 2025
Dortmunder Tresen-Filmfestival, Germany | 2025
Athena Film Festival, USA | 2025
Tournai Ramdam Festival – Festival du Film qui Dérange, Belgium | 2025
Festival du Film Court de Saint-Pierre, France (La Réunion) | 2025
Filministes, Canada | 2025
Breakthroughs Film Festival, Canada | 2025
Toronto Outdoor Picture Show, Canada | 2025
Brussels International Short Film Festival (school program), Belgium | 2025
PinX LGBTQIA+ Film Festival, Belgium | 2025
Youth Film Festival Antwerp, Belgium | 2025
Festival Travelling, France | 2025
Kiki Festival, Croatia | 2025
Roze Filmdagen – Amsterdam LGBTQ+ Film Festival, Netherlands | 2025
News
✈️ Travelling is back at Clermont Ferrand!
Travelling Distribution will be at Clermont-Ferrand from Saturday, January 31 (evening) to Friday January 6 (morning).
We're bringing 6 films with us - and a lot of cool merch, so leave room in your suitcase!
Three shorts in competition : BOA, WHAT WE LEAVE BEHIND, AIR HORSE ONE + three shorts at the market : TBA. Teams in attendance.
Book a meeting with us from Jan 1 to Jan 5 :
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Programmers : Tam Dan Vu, coordo@travellingdistribution.com
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Distribution Inquiries : info@travellingdistribution.com
Press Inquiries : caroline@pixellex.ca
Learn more ↗
3 films | SXSW
1-2-3 films at SXSW (March 12–18, 2026)! Teams in attendance.
A WOLF IN THE SUBURBS
*World Premiere
dir. Amélie Hardy, prod. Metafilms
2026 | documentary | 19’
AIR HORSE ONE
*North American Premiere
dir. Lasse Linder, prod. Dynamic Frame, Black Boat and White Boat
2025 | documentary | 21’
WHAT WE LEAVE BEHIND
*US Premiere
dir. Jean-Sébastien Hamel & Alexandra Myotte
2025 | animation, genre | 11’
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Press Inquiries : caroline@pixellex.ca
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BEAU TEMPS, MAUVAIS TEMPS | Slamdance
Florence Lafond’s BEAU TEMPS, MAUVAIS TEMPS (NO MATTER THE WEATHER) will be in competition at Slamdance (Feb 19 - 25, 2026) in the Documentary Shorts Competition.
Inquiries : info@travellingdistribution.com
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Jazz Infernal at Sundance
After TIFF and TIFF Canada's Top Ten, Will Niava’s JAZZ INFERNAL (prod. Telescope, Disamare, Scara-b) will have its international premiere at Sundance Film Festival (Jan. 16 - 26, 2026). Team in attendance.
Distribution Inquiries : info@travellingdistribution.com
Press Inquiries : caroline@pixellex.ca
Info + Screening Times ↗
WE WERE THE SCENERY | 98th Oscars® Shortlist
WE WERE THE SCENERY (dir. Christopher Radcliff, prod. Cathy Linh Che, Jess X Snow) is shortlisted at the 98th Academy Awards® for Best Documentary Short Film!
Distribution Inquiries : info@travellingdistribution.com
Watch now (US, Canada, UK) ↗