Olivier Gauthier-Mercier

A film lover from a young age, Olivier Gauthier-Mercier started out as an usher at Famous Players where his out of the box thinking got him noticed early on by his employers – he even created workflow spreadsheets at home in order to help maximize productivity at the theatre (at the age of 16!). That same thinking made him the ideal candidate to intern in the Industry Registration office at TIFF during their digital transition. He graduated York University where he studied Film Theory and devoted his final year of study to Korean Cinema. A quick learner, he grasped the concept and importance of networking, as a result he secured stints in various capacities at TIFF, e.g. assisting Canadian Programmers and ultimately programming for the Film Circuit. In 2007 he leaped over to the film distribution side as the second employee for Robert Lantos’ newly created full service boutique distribution firm Maximum Films. It was baptism by fire! Maximum Films was bought by eOne Entertainment, where Olivier is currently the Director of Theatrical Sales at eOne in Toronto. When Olivier isn’t donning a filmic hat – he tosses it aside to shake loose through his multiple musical endeavours.