Quebec City, March 9, 2026 — For his work on 10^th Ave Productions’ animated feature film Lydia and the Storm Rider, composer Jean-François Racine has received the Best Original Music Award from the Professional Jury at the Quebec City Family Film Festival. The musical creations of Sherbrooke native Racine also received a Special Mention from the Young Jury at the festival .

Performers’ Contribution

In addition to the composer’s remarkable achievement, the 10^th Ave team also salutes the exceptional work of the instrumentalists: Lydia Gasse (violin); Marie‑Philippe Lemay  (cello); Johanna Silberman (flute); Nicholas Williams (Irish flute and whistle); Alexander Kehler (nyckelharpa and cittern); Yann Falquet (guitar); Antoine Perreault (12-string guitar); Gisèle Blanchard‑Girardin (clarinet); Lindsay Roberts (oboe) and Andrew Wells‑Oberegger (percussion). Their performance, precision and sensitivity lent a vivid musical colour to 10^th Ave’s sixth animated feature film.

This is Jean-François Racine’s first foray into composing music for a feature film. “I’m delighted to have received this prize. It’s a great acknowledgement of the effort and passion that I put into creating music for the soundtrack,” the composer notes.

It was Emilie Rosas, the film’s writer and co-director, who proposed hiring Jean-François as the composer. She notes the particular significance that the film’s musical score has for her: “The music functions in the same way that colour functions in a painting. It reveals subtleties, intensifies emotions, and imparts a whole dimension to the imagined world. Jean-François Racine’s musical composition has brought remarkable depth and sensitivity to Lydia and the Mist Rider. And so I’m very happy that he has received this well-deserved award.”

Sea Shanties

The participation of composer Seán Dagher and his group of singers also brought realism and rhythm to the various sea shanties in the film. Performing four songs, singers Seán Dagher, William Kraushaar, Maia Dagher, Nelleke Dagher, Jean-François Racine, Victor Raphals Kath and Pierre-Alexandre Saint-Yves were able to convey the emotional richness of the story. This award and this special mention confirm the importance of music as a way of communicating emotions, and they also highlight the film’s ability to speak to different generations.

The Quebec City Family Film Festival, which takes place each year during March Break, focuses on motion pictures aimed at families and young audiences, raising awareness of animated and live-action films that are accessible to audiences of all ages. The 2026 edition of the festival, held from March 2 to 6, gathered together professionals, families and young jurors for a varied program of films and educational activities.

About 10^th Ave Productions

Based in the Quebec City region, 10^th Ave Productions is the company behind these successful animated features:  Katak the Brave Beluga; Felix and the Treasure of Morgäa; Mission Kathmandu: The Adventures of Nelly & Simon; The Rooster of St-Victor and The Legend of Sarila. Canadian distribution of the company’s films is handled by Maison 4:3.

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Source:

Productions@10ave.com

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