About Martin
Cinematographer. Filmmaker. Storyteller.
Martin Jeff Gerard is a nineteen year old Belgian filmmaker attending Idyllwild Arts Academy in California. He has worked on over forty short films, twenty-seven of which he was the cinematographer for. Gerard is known by his peers for his unbreakable passion and fierce work ethic. He is an exceptional director of photography, a tech-savvy editor and most importantly, a unique storyteller. When asked, Gerard said he pulls inspiration from his favorite film, Beast of No Nation and most admired cinematographer, Bradford Young. Ultimately, Martin wants to become a director of photography on narrative films, specifically action dramas.
Gerard was born in Haiti before being adopted into a Belgian family at a young age. During the course of his life, he lived in many countries: Niger, France, Ethiopia, Mexico, the United States and more. At the age of eight, he began making films alone using his younger sister’s camera. This experience pushed him to pursue filmmaking on a deeper level at Idyllwild Arts Academy. From there, he excelled as a filmmaker, creating his own non-profit production company with his peers. Gerard not only has worked on a short documentary in Mexico as a production assistant, but also as the camera operator and assistant camera. More recently, he was invited to a film retreat with various Hollywood screenwriters to fine-tune his storytelling abilities. In the future, Gerard would like to open his own production company with his best friend and colleague in Los Angeles.

Awards
Filmmaker
of the
Year
2018
BEST
Director
2018
BEST
Sound Design
2018
Alexis Echeveria Screenwriter Award
The award given to overall screenwriting excellence consistently. Given by Idyllwild Arts with 1,000 dollars cash.
Cinestory Award
The cinestory award is given to an exceptional storyteller and filmmaker. Given by Idyllwild Arts along with a writer's retreat and workshop by Cinestory Foundation.
Best Sound Design 2017
The film that had the best quality and use of sound to portray emotions to the audience. Given by Idyllwild Arts.
Best Director 2018
The director that had the best creative and organization qualities that were reflected in his or her work.
Given by Idyllwild Arts.
Best Cinematographer
The cinematographer that showed the highest quality of work and brought a new and professional style of cinematography. Given by Idyllwild Arts.
Best Filmmaker 2018
Nominated by the other filmmakers, the best filmmaker is someone who has the work ethic and drive to set and achieve goals beyond what is expected.
Given by Idyllwild Arts.
Nominated for:
Best Editor
The editor that displays full knowledge and exemplary work within the editing room.Given by Idyllwild Arts.
Best Screenplay
The best screenplay of that year fro outstanding writing and storytelling. Given by Idyllwild Arts.