About us
Cinema made between worlds.
Les Productions du Mai Mars is an independent production company based in Montréal, dedicated to auteur cinema with African and diasporic roots.
We build international co-productions that connect Canada, the Global South and the African continent — pairing bold directorial voices with the financing, structure and festival reach their films deserve.
Canada
Montréal-based, eligible for Telefilm, SODEC and Canadian tax credits, with treaty access across 50+ countries.
Africa
Long-standing creative partnerships with producers and crews in Central, West and Southern Africa.
Global South
South–South collaboration that keeps creative authorship with the communities whose stories we tell.
On the festival circuit
Our films travel — from Montréal screens to festivals across Africa, Europe and the Americas.
The producers
Yvette Umukundwa
Founder & Producer
An independent producer of Rwandan origin based in Montreal, specializing in fiction and documentary. Passionate about African and diasporic narratives, her work highlights the richness of diverse cultures and human experiences. Dedicated to building intercontinental bridges, she actively focuses on international co-production and distribution opportunities between Canada, the Global South, and Africa. She is an alumna of Orizon 9's "Projections!" program.
Richard Mugwaneza
Co-Founder & Director
An award-winning Rwandan filmmaker based in Montreal with over 15 years of experience crafting powerful independent cinema. His work blends poetic visual imagery with raw emotional depth to uncover invisible inner worlds. An alumnus of elite global incubators including Berlinale Talents, L’INIS, Durban Talents, and the Maisha Screenwriting Labs, Richard was mentored by Oscar-nominated director Lee Isaac Chung. He is a laureate of the prestigious "Fonds Jeune Création Francophone."