Meet Jacques Belliveau

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jacques Belliveau.

Hi Jacques, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In 2018 I was a traveling standup comedian struggling with my mental health, diagnosed with ADHD, depression, and severe anxiety. So I combined my struggles with my comedy, added a little tiny horse, and out came “Reggie: A Millennial Depression Comedy” starring myself, Gary Busey, gold selling hip hop artist Spose, and Raleigh’s own Kiwi the mini horse from Stampede of Love, a small 501c3 that uses miniature horses for therapeutic visits. “Reggie” follows Mitch, who, after yet another breakup, gets intervened on by his closest friends and steered towards therapy to break his various self-sabotaging cycles. Battling his problems with communication, fear, depression, and anxiety, Mitch reaches a breaking point and in a moment of impulsivity, he adopts a miniature horse with dwarfism and anxiety issues. What better thing to write a movie about? “Reggie” is now available to rent or own on Amazon Prime Direct, and I am currently trying to spread the word far and wide to get as many reviews as possible so I can use that success to get my follow up projects greenlit.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been anything but a smooth road, from my struggles with mental health to having to wrangle a cast and crew of over 200 people for 40 days of total shooting. As post-production started, we fell into a pandemic, delaying everything by a year or more. Originally slated to do a cross-country tour of Q&A’s in the summer of 2020, I had to bump that to August of 2021, and I had to cut the tour short to only 5 stops, including Raleigh, Salisbury, NYC, Boston, and Chicago. Also, with the pandemic came lots and lots of business crashes and chaos in the film world, resulting in distribution being postponed and the ultimate cancelation of a big deal. I ended up self-distributing through Amazon.

Thanks for sharing that. So, you could tell us a bit more about your work.
At heart, I’m a silly comedian. I’ve been writing and performing from an early age since I realized my words could make a far more significant impact on this world and its bullies than my pudgy little fists ever could. From standup, sketch, and Improv comedy to writing, directing, starring in, and producing short and feature films to podcasts and digital shorts, I dabble in all things creative. Several years ago (5), I picked up a ukulele for the first time, and now I incorporate that and guitar into my art. What sets me apart from others is the amount of truth I put into my comedy. Not just in the film, but also in my standup and my shorts.

Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc.?
Spotify is a lifesaver when it comes to inspiration. Music helps me heal, helps me create, and allows me to be happier overall. I do also love podcasts. Everything from Dax Shepard’s “Armchair Expert” to “How did this get made” to “Marvel’s Wastelanders” Series

Pricing:

• https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B8P5X64Q
• own $9.99
• rent $2.99

Contact Info:

• Website: www.hafcafproductions.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jacques_and_awe_belliveau/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jacquesbelliveaujr/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMmbW3V1GnDBJHAjbfmhZAw
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@hafcafproductions?lang=en