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First, second and third films are entered in this international competition whose mission is to present powerful new perspectives that sometimes disturb and always provoke thought. The films were selected both from submissions and from entries in prestigious festivals including Cannes, Rotterdam, Pusan, Berlin, Venice, Sundance, San Sebastian, New York, Karlovy Vary, Buenos Aires and Durban. This year’s crop of films comes from Romania, Australia, the United States, France, Croatia, Mexico, Tchad, Iran, Norway, Belgium, Germany, the U.K and other countries. Which one will charm our jury and earn the Louve d’Or?
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The best of the best, for every taste. The hallmark of a strong festival program is its inclusion of the finest the world has to offer, resulting in a savoury and colourful feast. This year, the International Panorama is particularly tasty: it’s by turns acidic (Dans la peau de Jacques Chirac, Les Particules élémentaires), sweet (Bosta, the festive and therapeutic Lebanese hit), salty (Shortbus, the second film by John Cameron Mitchell, director of the cult hit Hedwig and the Angry Inch) and bitter (Rwanda: à travers nous l'Humanité). Most of the films in this overview have already won legions of fans in their home countries; now it’s our turn to enjoy them.
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Times are definitely changing. With pervasive digital technology and a trend toward accelerated production, Canadian cinema is growing more diverse by the day. New trails are constantly being blazed alongside classical and popular forms. The FNC is proud to embrace both currents with this selection of the best new Canadian films in both official languages. Whether transgressive (Punk), poetic (On the Trail of Igor Rizzi), chilling (Snow), melancholic (Dans les villes), carnivorous (Chez Schwartz), experimental (Fascination) or ultra-low-budget (Les cavaliers de la canette), filmmakers from coast to coast are creating works of vision, originality and conviction.
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These films have made their mark at the world’s great festivals. Most will be released commercially in Montreal theatres in the coming months, and all are by established and acclaimed filmmakers. The films selected for the Special Presentation section are personal takes on the realities of our world; their makers are either well-known (De Oliveira, von Trier, Egoyan, Costa, Lungin, Ruiz, Tsaï Ming Liang, Kaurismäki, Gitaï, Loach, Almodóvar, Gatlif) or entirely deserving of our attention. Once again the FNC is providing an ideal setting for films of this calibre, for audiences who fully appreciate them.
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A cinematic explosion—and not just in the figurative sense! Playful, incisive, commercial, avant-garde, fun, unhinged: these films are full of surprises and discoveries that give audiences the thrill of discovering the movies for the first time. Far from the conventions of ever more formulaic and predictable independent film, TEMPS 0 is an eclectic smorgasbord of movies that defy categorization. It includes well-known masters such as Satoshi Kon, Mamoru Oshii and Michelle Soavi; two new Quebec filmmakers who couldn’t be more different from each other; this year’s big Japanese shocker (The Whispering Of The Gods); and Eastern Europe’s big revelation (Taxidermia). Japanese schoolgirl rockers (Linda Linda Linda) and psychotic Italian mobsters (Arrivederci Amore Ciao) both have their place, as does Cam Archer (Wild Tigers I Have Known), the new U.S. indie superstar, and the delicious absurdity of the latest wave in French film (AVIDA). Then there’s the much-anticipated remake of DePalma’s Sisters, starring two indie icons, Chlöe Sevigny and Lou Doillon. Since most of these films are world, North American or Canadian premieres, this is your chance to be the very first to see them. Julien Fonfrède.
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Along side the International Selection of feature films eligible for the Louve d'Or, the Festival is inaugurating an Official Competition for short films by up-and-coming filmmakers. Twenty-two films by filmmakers from ten countries are eligible for the award.
The Special Presentation section will include the latest from the world's best makers of short films. They include Miranda Pennell (You made me love you); Regina Pessoa (Histoire tragique avec fin heureuse), a Festival d'Annecy award winner; and Deco Dawson (Elizabeth Short). Eugene Green (Les signes) and Michel Lemieux (Les yeux de ma mère) will also explore the short form. Two programs of shorts are devoted to the freeform documentary: provocative, thought provoking gems drawn from past and present realities. Fans of experimental film will be delighted to see Guy Maddin's latest (Workbooks), along with new films by Mathias Müller and Christoph Girardet (Kristall) and Bill Morrison (The Highwater Trilogy) - all in a single program!
As always, Temps Ø - evolving cinemas showcases singular cinematic creations from the curious to the downright bizarre. For example, Even Kids Started Small by Yaniv Berman is an Israeli variation on Werner Herzog's first film; Istvan Kantor short-circuits the music video with Revolutionary Song; Apocalypse Oz is a kitschy melding of Apocalypse Now and The Wizard of Oz by Ewan Telford; Dr. Strangehill by Marcel Bächtiger presents a manly doctor of heights, while Erni by Edgar Honetschläger takes us through Vienna on the trail of an elegant chicken. Daniel Canty, Philippe Gajan and Chloé Leriche with the participation of Madeleine Molyneaux.
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Guy Debord - Norman McLaren - Daniel Schmid - Carlos Saura
The FNC has always made a point of recognizing the contributions of both lesser known and popular artists whose common ground is an unwavering commitment to their vision and approach. Artists who have been acclaimed, sparked controversy, earned tributes. This year, in a departure from conventional filmmaker retrospectives, we look at the fascinating and compelling work of the first Situationist, Guy Debord, and that of the recently departed Swiss master Daniel Schmid. And the Cinémathèque québécoise will join in this 35th edition by presenting not-to-be-missed retrospectives of Norman McLaren and Carlos Saura.
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Ten days devoted to participation and the free flow of ideas and information. A forum for interaction between industry professionals and FNC audiences, OPEN SOURCE includes exhibits, presentations, workshops, competitions, demonstrations and performances that explore the inner workings of film and new media creativity. To mark its 35th anniversary, the FNC invites the public to come to the Just For Laughs Museum and make all the events held there a truly festive occasion.
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