Simon Frenay

Born 1987-08-21 · Montluçon, Allier, France

Trained at the Cours Florent, he began his career as an actor, notably appearing in films by Robert Guédiguian and the duo Olivier Ducastel & Jacques Martineau, while also working on international sets and in television. He quickly shifted his focus behind the camera. His first produced short film, Youssou & Malek, was selected in around forty festivals worldwide and received several awards, establishing a distinctive voice that is both intimate and political. With Carpobrotus, in which he also performs, he continues this sensitive exploration of identity and desire. He is currently developing If She Is Somewhere, a project rooted in his Réunionese origins, while also shooting a documentary dedicated to the reconstruction of young exiles who have crossed the Mediterranean. At the crossroads of romanticism and reality, his cinema explores queer narratives grounded in contemporary social and racial issues. Echoing his artistic work, he founded the association Sous le Même Ciel in 2020, a deeply committed initiative supporting exiled people, with a strong focus on unaccompanied minors, whose on-the-ground engagement profoundly nourishes his films.