Congratulations to the following newly accredited CSC member:
Photo credit: Mitchell Baxter
Jean-Philippe Bernier is a French-Canadian cinematographer and composer with a deep-rooted
love for storytelling. Raised in a small town 10 hours north of Montreal, his earliest connection
to cinema began in childhood, renting every horror and action B-movie he could find at his
cousin’s gas station on weekends.
Without access to a camera, Jean-Philippe first explored storytelling through light and sound,
working as a technician on his father’s amateur summer theater productions. This hands-on
experience sparked a lifelong passion for crafting atmosphere and emotion.
In his early 20s, after studying film in CEGEP, he chose to skip university and instead bought his
first video camera. While working as a film loader in Montreal’s film industry, he spent his free
time shooting punk shows, music videos, and short films with friends, honing his visual voice
through DIY creativity.
Jean-Philippe’s path as a cinematographer evolved from web series and commercials to several
seasons of the cult comedy show Les Appendices, and eventually to his feature debut Turbo Kid,
which he also co-scored. Blending images and music reshaped his visual approach, making him
include sound design, music and rhythm in every part of his cinematography.
His feature credits include Turbo Kid (Sundance 2015), Summer of ’84 (Sundance 2018), Dinner
in America (Sundance 2020), We Need to Do Something (Tribeca 2021), and Snack Shack.