View source for Paul Tom

{{Short description|Canadian documentary filmmaker}}
'''Paul Tom''' is a Canadian documentary filmmaker, most noted for his films ''[[Baggage (film)|Baggage]] (Bagages)'' and ''[[Alone (2021 film)|Alone]] (Seuls)''.<ref>Megan Durnford, [https://povmagazine.com/alone-seuls-paul-tom-interview/ "Paul Tom Animates the Stories of Child Refugees in Alone"]. ''[[Point of View (magazine)|Point of View]]'', November 14, 2021.</ref>
Born to [[Cambodia]]n parents in a refugee camp in [[Thailand]], Tom came to Canada with his family in childhood.<ref name="quillandquire.com">Inderjit Deogun, [https://quillandquire.com/authors/for-paul-tom-alone-the-journey-of-three-young-refugees-touches-on-universal-truths/ "For Paul Tom, Alone: The Journey of Three Young Refugees touches on universal truths"]. ''[[Quill & Quire]]'', March 2023.</ref> He studied communications and media at the [[Université du Québec à Montréal]], and animation at [[Concordia University]],<ref name=vigneault>Alexandre Vigneault, [https://www.lapresse.ca/arts/television/2021-11-29/le-docu-de-la-semaine/seuls-un-film-qui-ouvre-les-bras.php "Seuls, un film qui ouvre les bras"]. ''[[La Presse (Canadian newspaper)|La Presse]]'', November 29, 2021.</ref> and created the short films ''Que je vive en paix'' in 2011 and ''Un pays de silences'' in 2013.
''Baggage'', his first mid-length documentary, was released in 2017, and centred on a group of immigrant students enrolled in a theatre program.<ref>[https://ici.radio-canada.ca/ohdio/premiere/emissions/medium-large/segments/panel/46360/bagages-jeunes-immigrants-integrent-theatre "Bagages : de jeunes immigrants qui s’intègrent par le théâtre"]. [[Ici Radio-Canada Première]], November 10, 2017.</ref> The film won several awards on the film festival circuit, including the prix Télébec for best mid-length film at the 2017 [[Abitibi-Témiscamingue International Film Festival]],<ref>[https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1065230/un-profil-pour-deux-grand-prix-festival-cinema-international-abitibi-temiscamingue "Un profil pour deux remporte le Grand prix du FCIAT"]. [[Ici Radio-Canada]], November 3, 2017.</ref> the Prix Public for Best Canadian Film at the 2017 [[Quebec City Film Festival]],<ref>Cédric Bélanger, [https://www.tvanouvelles.ca/2017/09/21/les-rois-mongols-obtient-le-prix-du-public "«Les rois mongols» obtient le Prix du public"]. [[TVA Nouvelles]], September 21, 2017.</ref> and the Women Inmate Jury Award at the 2017 [[Montreal International Documentary Festival]]. Following its television broadcast on [[Télé-Québec]] in December 2017, it won two [[Gémeaux Awards]] in 2018, for Best Documentary Program or Series (Arts and Culture) and Best Direction in a Documentary (Biography, Arts and Culture, Nature, Science or Environment).<ref>[https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1123761/prix-gemeaux-soiree-artisans-documentaire-remise "Soirée des artisans des Gémeaux : 5 prix pour le Bye bye 2017"]. [[Ici Radio-Canada]], September 13, 2018.</ref> It was also nominated for Best Writing in a Documentary.<ref>[https://ctvm.info/bagages-3-nominations-aux-33es-prix-des-gemeaux-en-rappel-a-tele-quebec-le-23-juin/ "BAGAGES : 3 nominations aux 33es prix Gémeaux – En rappel à Télé-Québec le 23 juin"]. ''CTVM'', June 19, 2018.</ref>
His full-length documentary feature ''Alone'' was released in 2021,<ref name=vigneault/> and was a [[Prix Iris]] nominee for [[Prix Iris for Best Documentary Film|Best Documentary Film]] at the [[24th Quebec Cinema Awards]] in 2022.<ref>Stéphanie Nolin, [https://showbizz.net/cinema/gala-quebec-cinema-2022-vincent-guillaume-otis-sacre-meilleur-acteur "Gala Québec Cinéma 2022 : Vincent-Guillaume Otis sacré meilleur acteur"]. ''Showbizz'', June 5, 2022.</ref> Tom and illustrator [[Mélanie Baillargé]] subsequently published a book adaptation of the film, under the French title ''Seuls'' in 2022<ref>[https://ici.radio-canada.ca/ohdio/premiere/emissions/meme-frequence/segments/entrevue/421054/paul-tom-seuls "Seuls, un livre sur les jeunes réfugiés qui arrivent au Canada sans parents"]. [[Ici Radio-Canada Première]], November 3, 2022.</ref> and the English title ''Alone: The Journey of Three Young Refugees'' in 2023.<ref name="quillandquire.com"/> The French edition was a [[Governor General's Award]] nominee for [[Governor General's Award for French-language children's illustration|French-language children's illustration]] at the [[2022 Governor General's Awards]],<ref>Chantal Fontaine, [https://revue.leslibraires.ca/actualites/les-prix-litteraires/devoilement-des-finalistes-des-prix-litteraires-du-gouverneur-general-2/ "Dévoilement des finalistes des Prix littéraires du Gouverneur général"]. ''Les Libraires'', October 12, 2022.</ref> and the English translation by [[Arielle Aaronson]] was nominated for the [[Governor General's Award for French to English translation]] at the [[2023 Governor General's Awards]].<ref>[https://www.cbc.ca/books/suzette-mayr-iain-reid-among-finalists-for-25k-governor-general-s-literary-awards-1.7007194 "Suzette Mayr, Iain Reid among finalists for $25K Governor General's Literary Awards"]. [[CBC Books]], October 25, 2023.</ref>
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*{{IMDb name|4794531}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tom, Paul}}
[[Category:21st-century Canadian screenwriters]]
[[Category:21st-century Canadian non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:21st-century Canadian male writers]]
[[Category:Canadian documentary film directors]]
[[Category:Canadian male non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:Film directors from Montreal]]
[[Category:Canadian children's writers]]
[[Category:Canadian people of Cambodian descent]]
[[Category:Canadian writers of Asian descent]]
[[Category:Asian-Canadian filmmakers]]
[[Category:Concordia University alumni]]
[[Category:Université du Québec à Montréal alumni]]
[[Category:Writers from Montreal]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Screenwriters from Quebec]]