Crave Original Series EMPATHIE honoured at Series Mania Festival
Written by Florence Longpré and directed by Guillaume Lonergan, EMPATHIE earns the Audience Award
The Crave Original series from Québec premieres on April 10, in English and French
MONTREAL, March 28, 2025 /CNW/ - Following its world premiere at the prestigious Series Mania festival in France earlier this week, the new Crave Original series EMPATHIE received the Audience Award.
"Congratulations to the EMPATHIE team! The Séries Mania audience has chosen to reward a Quebec series of the highest quality, highlighting the exceptional talent of the creative community in our province. We're proud to see this production, which embodies the identity of Crave, shine on the international scene" said Suzane Landry, Vice-President, Content Development, Programming and News, at Bell Media.
EMPATHIE is a new Crave Original drama series that explores the depths of mental illness, and tells the story of Suzanne (Florence Longpré), a criminologist-turned-psychiatrist who goes to work at the Institut psychiatrique Mont-Royal. There, she befriends Mortimer, an intriguing security officer, and meets a variety of patients with compelling stories. French actor Thomas Ngijol stars as Mortimer.
Produced by Trio Orange in collaboration with Crave, EMPATHIE debuts on Crave on Thursday, April 10, in French and with English subtitles. The series was written by Florence Longpré and directed by Guillaume Lonergan, marking their fourth collaboration. The cast also includes Josée Deschênes, Benoît Brière and Brigitte Lafleur.
Trio Orange would like to thank its partners: Bell Media, SODEC Film and Television Tax Credit, Canada Media Fund, Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit, SODEC Québec, TELUS Fund, Québecor Fund, and COGECO's Independent Production Fund.
What the media said…
Julia Baudin, Figaro
" Every festival has its series that creates a massive buzz. Every festival has its series that audiences get behind (...) But this one is a unanimous standout. After the screening of the first two episodes of the Quebec series Empathie at the Nouveau Siècle theatre, the packed auditorium went wild. "
Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter
" Series Mania Hidden Gem: Quebec's 'Empathy' Finds the Funny in a Mental Health Crisis"
John Hopewell and Marta Balaga, Variety
" …Empathy from Florence Longpré and Crave, looks likely to further consecrate the Québécois auteur, already a Canneseries double winner..."
ActuaNews.fr
" Thanks to expert direction (Guillaume Lonergan's) and a remarkable cast, the show is one of this year's biggest successes at Series Mania. It cuts emotionally deep to leave a lasting impression on the audience, who can't wait to see more."
"... Empathie is one of the biggest surprises from this year's festival. With an intense narrative, a bold production, and masterful performances by Florence Longpré and Thomas Ngijol, ... "
Charles Martin, Premiere
" Florence Longpré and Thomas Ngijol deliver gripping performances that are both dramatic and human ... "
Media contact
Elise Tellier
About Crave
Delivering more Oscar®-nominated and Emmy® Award-winning programming than any other service, Crave is Canada's prestige entertainment offering, with HBO Originals, Max Originals, STARZ, Hollywood-hit movies, is the exclusive Canadian streaming home of FRIENDS, and boasts a robust slate of English and French original series. Crave is a major supporter of Canada's production industry, helping to fund numerous film projects, and features acclaimed selections from some of Canada's prestigious film festivals including Toronto International Film Festival, Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival, HOT DOCS, ImagineNATIVE, and Inside Out Film Festival.
Crave is a bilingual TV and streaming service with thousands of hours of exclusive French-language content. Crave is available directly to all Canadians with access to the Internet at Crave.ca, via iOS and Android, and other platforms such as Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Prime Video Channels, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, select LG Smart TVs, PlayStation, Roku, select Samsung Smart TVs, and Xbox One. It's also available through participating service providers across ten, 24-hour High Definition linear and on demand channels. Crave is from Bell Media, Canada's leading content company, providing Canada's most-watched and most-acclaimed television programming on network, specialty, pay and digital platforms. Visit our website at Crave.ca.
About Trio Orange
Founded in 2008, Trio Orange is an independent production company based in Montreal (Canada) that stands out for its bold, innovative storytelling across fiction, youth programming, documentaries, and Lifestyle. With a keen eye for authenticity, Trio Orange crafts compelling narratives that resonate deeply with audiences of all ages, sparking emotion and engagement. A creative powerhouse in both Canadian and international markets, the company produces over 20 projects annually, reaching audiences in more than 30 countries. In the world of fiction, Trio Orange has made its mark with critically acclaimed projects such as Belleflower, Last Summers of the Raspberries directed by Oscar Nominee Philippe Falardeau, and Can You Hear Me? (on Netflix in 190 countries worldwide), captivating viewers with rich, immersive storytelling.
SOURCE Bell Media Inc.