Stephen Hegyes
Stephen Hegyes, co-founder of Vancouver, B.C.-based Brightlight Pictures, has established an impressive career track record in his 18 years in the feature film and television industry.
A Quebec native, Hegyes saw his first major success in 1995 when he produced the critically-acclaimed film Double Happiness with director Mina Shum. The film won two Genie Awards, for Best Actress and Best Editing, and was released by Fine Line Features. Hegyes went on to produce Bruce Sweeney's Dirty, which screened at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival as well as the 1998 Berlin International Film Festival. In 2001, Hegyes produced Last Wedding, which not only opened the Toronto International Film Festival but was also voted one of the festival's top films. Hegyes wrapped up a successful 2001 by launching Brightlight Pictures with long-time industry colleague Shawn Williamson with the objective to develop, finance and produce independent feature films and television projects for the domestic and international marketplace. Since its inception, Brightlight Pictures has produced over 20 feature films.
Over the course of his career, Hegyes has worked with a vast cross section of actors and directors including Sweeney, Shum and Lynne Stopkewich. Most recently, he produced another feature directed by Sweeney, American Venus, starring Rebecca DeMornay. He is currently producing About a Girl, a new sitcom for Global Television and the N Network.
His producing credits also include: Going The Distance (guest starring Swollen Members, Avril Lavigne and Gob, released by Alliance Atlantis), White Noise (Michael Keaton, Deborah Kara Unger, released by Universal) Long Weekend (Chris Klein, Brendan Fehr) and the upcoming sequel White Noise II (Nathan Fillion) for Gold Circle Films.
Hegyes has received several awards and accolades. The Canadian Film and Television Production Association (CFTPA) awarded Brightlight Pictures the 2006 CFTPA Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Hegyes received Business Vancouver's 40 under 40 Award in 2004, and Variety named him One of 50 to Watch.