Jean-François Fontanel was born in France in 1975.

He writes, edits and directs his first shortmovies in high school and discovers cinema sets at 17.

After his studies, he begins a dual career of supervisor assistant & director assistant, working for Les Démons de Jésus by Bernie Bonvoisin, Julie est amoureuse by Vincent Dietschy, Sous les pieds de femmes by Rachida Krim and becomes general supervisor at 22 for Bernie Bonvoisin's second movie, Les grandes bouches.

In 1977, he sets up his production company, Matador Films, products & directs his first short-movie : Du côté du Montparnasse. Then came two others short movies : Notre besoin de consolation... starring François Berléand shot in 2001 and Juste au-dessus des trains in 2002. At the same time, Jean-François leaves Matador Films to focus entirely on writing & direction  before heading into advertising.

Between 2001 and 2005, he develops a feature film project called La disparue, co-written with Vanessa Clément and script-writer Gilles Marchand, based on the novel and short story by Eric Faye. This script receives the Junior Award of Best Script & the CNC rewriting grant in 2003.

In 2009, he directs his fourth movie, a medium length film called Le bureau des jours perdus (The Lost Days Office) produced by Les Films du Cygne and starring Michaël Cohen and Sarah Grappin, which received the Grand Award at Atout Courts Festival of Decines.

Pursuing his career of first director assistant (2 TVfilms by Gilles de Maistre in 2010 & 2011, shot in North & South Korea for Arte and in Brazil for France 2), he directs in 2012 his fifth short-movie named : Ni oui..

Jean-François Fontanel is currently developing several projects : a social thriller for cinema as a director & scriptwriter. (Adaptation of the novel Lorraine Connection by Dominique Manotti), a musical for theater as a writer (Le p’tit monde de Renaud, produced par the Phoenix Company) and a short program for TV as a director. (Les Voies d'Agnès, produced by Madman Films)

French Festivals:
. Cinémazonia Film Festival (French Guyana 2009)
. Aye Aye Film Festival (2009)
. Atout-Courts Film Festival of Décines (2009)
Best Price 2009

International Festivals:
. 21th Istanbul International Short Film Festival (Turkey, 2009)
. Krakow Film Festival (Poland, 2009)
. 37th Festival of Nations (Ebensee - Austria, 2009)
. GO SHORT – International Short Film Fest – Nijmegen (Netherlands, 2010)
. Salento Finibus Terrae International Short Film Festival (Italy, 2010)

TV Broadcasting & Internet:
. TV5 Monde
. VODmania

Special Program:
. Clap ! Poitou Charentes Screenings (France, 2009)
. Rendez-Vous de Paris (France, 2009)
. 7th Panorama of French Cinema in China - UNIFRANCE (China, 2010)

Screening Theaters:
. Cinéma le Méliès de Melle (France, 2009)
. Ciné Cornay de Loudun (France, 2009)
. Cinéma L’Escurial (Paris - France, 2010)

Synopsis: « Your memory is becoming blurred, you’re trying to recall a precise moment in your life ? Our team is here to help you. » Here is an offer that Eric won’t be able to turn down. He progressively sinks into the obsession of a past which is haunting him, of forgotten images that suddenly reappear in front of his eyes… The images of a lost love...

Drama – 29’ – 35mm – 1,85 – Color – Dolby SRD – France 2009

Casting: Michaël Cohen, Sarah Grappin
Direction: Jean-François Fontanel
Script: Jean-François Fontanel and Vanessa Clément
Inspired by the novel « Le bureau des jours perdus » written by Eric Faye (Ed. José Corti)
Production: Alexandre Charlet
Pictures: Guillaume Le Grontec
Art Directior: Philippe Van Her Wijnen
Costume Designer: Hélène Busuttil
Sound: Dominique Lacour, Fabien Kryzanowski & Olivier Dô Hùu
Editing: Eric Prêtet
Composer: Jean-François Viguié

With the supports of Conseil Régional Poitou-Charentes and Conseil Général of Charente-Maritime and of Procirep – Angoa/Agicoa.