Wednesday, October 8, 2014

2014 Festival du nouveau cinéma, Oct 8–19


Tonight, the 43rd edition of Montreal's Festival du nouveau cinéma kicks off with a screening of Philippe Falardeau’s The Good Lie at Théâtre de Maisonneuve. It stars Reese Witherspoon, Corey Stoll, Arnold Oceng, Ger Duany, Emmanuel Jal and Kuoth Wiel. The film tells the real-life story of an American woman who helps four Sudanese refugees who have won a lottery to be relocated to the United States. The film will be preceded by a screening of the short film Mynarski Death Plummet by Montreal's Matthew Rankin.

After the screening, there will be an opening night party at the Agora Hydro-Québec in UQAM’s Cœur des Sciences, which serves as the Festival headquarters. That is also where the festival holds its parties each subsequent night. The parties are free and open to the public.

Other highlights of the festival include works by other Quebeckers such as Maxime Giroux’s Félix and Meira, Rodrigue Jean’s Love in the Time of Civil War, The Price we Pay by Harold Crooks, In Her Place by Albert Shin, and Wild by Jean-Marc Vallée. Additional highlights include David Cronenberg's Maps to the Stars, Boychoir by François Girard, Nightcrawler by Dan Gilroy, and The Tale of Princess Kaguya by Isao Takahata. The closing film will is the documentary The Salt of the Earth (Le sel de la terre) by Wim Wenders and Juliano Ribeiro Salgado.

The 43rd Festival du nouveau cinéma runs from October 8 to 19 in downtown Montreal.


The 43rd Festival du nouveau cinéma
October 8 to 19
A pivotal year filled with excitement!

From October 8 to 19, the 43rd Festival du nouveau cinéma will once again take Montreal by storm. With a broader-than-ever selection of incredible films from both renowned directors and emerging talents, the 2014 program leaves no doubt as to the vitality of cinematic creation in every form and for every audience. On the menu: 11 days of festivities with close to 400 films and events unfolding across an exciting new site setup: Concordia University’s Alumni Auditorium and J. A. DeSeve Cinema, Cineplex Quartier Latin, Cinéma du Parc, UQAM’s Pavillon Judith-Jasmin Annexe (Cinema 1), the Dôme at Place des Festivals in the Quartier des spectacles, Festival headquarters at the Agora Hydro-Québec in UQAM’s Cœur des sciences, and the Hyatt Hotel.

This year’s lineup of 380 films (152 features and 228 shorts from 55 countries) includes 40 world premieres, 51 North American premieres and 41 Canadian premieres, divided among the various sections: International Competition: Louve d’Or, Special Presentation, Panorama, Focus, Temps Ø, Short Films, Les P’tits Loups, Tribute/Retrospective, Events, FNC Lab, FNC Pro and the latest addition, New Storytelling. Programming for this profusion of fiction features and shorts, documentaries, animations, tributes, retrospectives, professional encounters, interactive installations and events is courtesy of your tireless team: Claude Chamberlan, Dimitri Eipides, Laurence Reymond, Julien Fonfrède, Philippe Gajan, Daniel Karolewicz, Madeleine Molyneaux, Marie-Hélène Brousseau, Frédérique Benssoussan and Gabrielle Tougas-Fréchette.

Opening and closing ceremonies

The Festival kicks off on Wednesday, October 8 with Philippe Falardeau’s The Good Lie (United States). The director, who opened the FNC in 2006 with Congorama and closed it in 2011 with Monsieur Lazhar, will attend this year’s opening. Farlardeau’s first U.S. film follows four Sudanese war orphans, dubbed “Lost Boys” in the world press, through their struggles to build a new life in America. Reese Witherspoon, Corey Stoll and Sudanese actors Arnold Oceng, Ger Duany, Emmanuel Jal and Kuoth Wiel star in this stirring tale of survival and triumph. Preceding The Good Lie is Matthew Rankin’s short Mynarski Death Plummet, a visually surreal, phantasmagorical work tracking the final moments in the life of Winnipeg-born World War II hero Andrew Mynarski.

Closing the Festival on October 18 is the feature documentary The Salt of the Earth (Le sel de la terre) co-directed by longtime FNC favourite Wim Wenders and Juliano Ribeiro Salgado. The film highlights the life and work of Brazilian photographer Sebastião Salgado, who documented some of the leading sociopolitical events of recent history and later went in search of uncharted territory, capturing spectacular landscapes and wild flora and fauna. The film won the Certain Regard Special Prize and an Ecumenical Jury commendation at this year’s Cannes Festival.

International Competition: the Louve d’Or presented by Québecor

The FNC’s International Competition section features outstanding films from the world’s best festivals in 2014.

This year, 15 films are in competition for the Louve d’Or, including two from Quebec: Maxime Giroux’s Félix and Meira and Rodrigue Jean’s Love in the Time of Civil War. The lineup also includes seven first features: Corrections Class by Ivan I. Sverdovsky (Russia/Germany), Difret by Zeresenay Behrane Mehan (Ethiopia), Gente de bien by Franco Lolli (Colombia/France), She’s Lost Control by Anja Marquardt (United States), Spartacus and Cassandra by Ioanis Nuguet (France), Violet by Bas Devos (Belgium/Holland) and White Shadow by Noaz Deshe (Italy/Germany/Tanzania). Also in competition are Charlie’s Country by Rolph De Heer (Australia), Eat your Bones by Jean-Charles Hue (France), My Dog Killer by Mira Fornay (Slovakia/Czech Republic), Next To Her by Asaf Korman (Israel), Something Must Break by Esther Martin Bergsmark (Sweden) and Xenia by Panos H Koutras (Greece/France/Belgium).

New this year: all films in competition will be eligible for an audience award presented by CANAL+ Canada.

Special Presentation

Traditionally dedicated to great masters and extraordinary films, this section presents the year’s best from around the planet in a rare preview of compelling and highly anticipated works. Among the 27 films that constitute the selection are two world and four North American premieres. Four Quebec and one Canadian filmmaker are also highlighted in this year’s program, where 50 years separate the youngest and oldest directors. The films are: ’71 by Yann Demange (United Kingdom), A Fuller Life by Samantha Fuller (United States), Adieu au langage by Jean-Luc Godard (France), Ana Arabia by Amos Gitai (Israel/France), Baal by Volker Schlöndorff (Germany), Bande de filles by Céline Sciamma (France), The Big Red One: The Reconstruction by Samuel Fuller (United States), Boychoir by François Girard (United States), Cavalo Dinheiro by Pedro Costa (Portugal), Evolution of a Criminal by Darius Clark Monroe (United States), The Go-Go Boys: The Inside Story of Cannon Films by Hilla Medalia (United States), Hard to Be a God by Alexei Guerman (Russia), Hermosa Juventud by Jaime Rosales (Spain), In the Basement by Ulrich Seidl (Austria), Jauja by Lisandro Alonso (Argentina), Love Project by Carole Laure (Quebec/Canada), Maps to the Stars by David Cronenberg (Canada/United States/France), Métamorphoses by Christophe Honoré (France), Nightcrawler by Dan Gilroy (United States), Uyghurs, Prisoners of the Absurd by Patricio Henriquez (Quebec/Canada), P’tit Quinquin by Bruno Dumont (France), Past Present by Tiong Guan Saw (Malaysia), Résistance Naturelle by Jonathan Nossiter (Italy/France), Révolution Zendj by Tariq Teguia (Algeria), La Sapienza by Eugene Green (France/Italy), Still the Water by Nami Kawase (Japan), The Voices by Marjane Satrapi (United States/Germany) and Wild by Jean-Marc Vallée (United States).

Panorama

An eclectic roundup of the latest indie productions worldwide, Panorama aims to provide a true reflection of contemporary cinema. This year’s selection consists of 39 films, including no less than four world premieres and 11 debut works, plus a number of winners from the international festival circuit. The films are: 7, rue de la Folie by Rhalib Jawad (Belgium), A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night by Ana Lily Amirpour (United States), A Street in Palermo by Emma Dante (Italy/Switzerland/France), El Ardor by Pablo Fendrik (Argentina/Mexico/Brazil/France), Below Dreams by Garrett Bradley (United States), Le Challat de Tunis by Kaouther Ben Hania (Tunisia/France/Canada/U.A.E.), Ela volta na quinta by André Novais (Brazil), Force Majeure by Ruben Oslung (Sweden/Denmark/France/Norway), Foreign Bodies by Mirko Locatelli (Italy), Go Forth by Soufiane Adel (France), Le Grand Homme by Sarah Léonor (France), L’Institutrice by Navad Lapid (Israel), Layover by Joshua Caldwell (United States), Liar's Dice by Gheetu Mohan Dice (Argentina/Colombia/France/Poland), Lucifer by Gust Van Den Berghe (Belgium), Les Merveilles by Alice Rohrwacher (Italy), Mes souliers rouges by Sara Rastegar (Iran), The Owners by Abdikhan Yerzhnov (Kazakhstan), Refugiado by Diego Lerman (Argentina), Les Règles du jeu by Claudine Bories and Patrice Chagnard (France), Scheherazade's Diary by Zeina Daccache (Lebanon), The Special Need by Carlo Zoratti (Italy), Steadiness Lisa by Weber (Austria), Test by Alexander Kott (Russia), The Tribe by Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy (Ukraine), Un jeune poète by Damien Manivel (France), Uncle Tony, Three Fools and the Secret Service by Mina Mileva and Vesela Kazakova (Bulgaria), Ventos de agosto by Gabriel Mascaro (Brazil), Vincent n'a pas d'écailles by Thomas Salvador (France), With Real Stars Above my Head by Alfredo Covelli (Italy).

The Panorama section also includes Stop Making Sense, nine films in which music plays a lead role: Between Dog and Wolf: The New Model Army Story by Matt Reid (United Kingdom/Germany), Bjork – Biophilia Live by Nick Fenton and Peter Strickland (United Kingdom), Dominique A, La Mémoire vive by Thomas Bartel (France), Don’t Think I’ve Forgotten: Cambodia’s Lost Rock and Roll by John Pirozzi (United States/Cambodia/France), Electro Chaabi by Hind Meddeb (Egypt/France), Heaven Adores You by Nickolas Rossi (United States), Indebito by Andrea Segre (Italy), Un jour peut être: Une autre histoire du rap francais by Romain Quirot, Antoine Jaunin and François Recordie (France) and Yximalloo by Tadhg O'Sullivan and Feargal Ward (Ireland).

Focus presented by Air France

As always, the Focus section presents works from Quebec and Canada with a cosmopolitan outlook, highlighting emerging filmmakers who are often discovered through their shorts. The 16 films (eight in competition and eight out of competition) making up the section include four début films and 11 world premieres. Focus will open with a Belgian coproduction by David Lambert, All Yours (Je suis à toi), a modern, provocative and insightful tale of the relationship between young gay escort Lucas (Nahuel Perez Biscayart, named Best Actor at this year’s Karlovy Vary), Henri (Jean-Michel Balthazar) and Audrey (Monia Chokri). The films in competition for the Grand Prix Focus presented by Air France are: Antoine et Marie by Jimmy Larouche, The Creation Of Meaning by Simone Rapisa Casanova (Italian co-prod), The Price we Pay by Harold Crooks, Fucké by Simon Gaudreau, Gurov and Anna by Raphaël Ouellet, In Her Place by Albert Shin (South Korean co-prod), Le Militaire by Noel Mitrani, and Nouvelles, nouvelles by Olivier Godin. The out-of-competition films are: L’art et téléphone by Serge Cardinal, Cantouque à Godin by Michel Depatie, Fort McMoney by David Dufresne, Gaetan by Jules Falardeau and Naïm Kasmi, The Porn Generation by Pascal Plante, Luigi Serafini, Grand Rectum de l’université de foulosophie by François Gourd, and Un repli by Guillaume Roussel-Garneau.

Temps Ø

10 years old already! For a full decade now, Temps Ø has been shaking up festivalgoers with its fizzy brew of genre-busting works. To mark the occasion in fitting style, this year’s lineup takes on the best and brightest as it pushes the envelope further still with 17 films. The party starts with Sion Sono’s over-the-top rap-musical fantasia Tokyo Tribe (Japan), fresh from making waves at the TIFF, then carries on with a choice selection of some of the world’s most boldly singular works: Alléluia by Fabrice du Welz (Belgium/France), Crimes of Passion by Ken Russell (United States), Der Samourai by Till Kleinert (Germany), Dragon Inn by King Hu (Taiwan), L’enlèvement de Michel Houellebecq by Guillaume Nicloux (France), Fires on the Plain by Shinya Tsukamoto (Japan), Giuseppe Makes a Movie by Adam Rifkin (United States), Incompresa by Asia Argento (Italy/France), It Follows by David Robert Mitchell (United States), Kings of the Wind & Electric Queens by Cédric Dupire and Gaspard Kuentz (France), Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley's Island of Dr. Moreau by David Gregory (United States/England), Near Death Experience (NDE) by Benoît Delépine and Gustave Kervern (France), Over your Dead Body by Takashi Miike (Japan), Réalité by Quentin Dupieux (France), The Tale of Princess Kaguya by Isao Takahata (Japan), and The World of Kanako by Tetsuya Nakashima (Japan). Once again this year, the Temps Ø People’s Choice Award will be presented by TFO.

Short Films – International Competition – Loup argenté

31 films will contend for the prestigious Loup argenté (which, let’s not forget, is a precursor to the Oscars). Divided into six programs, the shorts in international competition set out to unlock the mysteries of space and time — or even just those of the everyday life. Wildly original, the new films from Manuel de Oliveira, Patrick Bokanowski, Olga Pärn and Priit Pärn, Marie Losier, Gabriel Abrantès, Nicolas Boone and Lucile Hadzihalilovic, to name but a few of the most well known, rival each other in their narrative and stylistic daring. A moveable feast of discoveries!

Short Films – Grand prix Focus presented by Post-Moderne

For the highly popular Focus competition, 33 works will go head-to-head for the Grand Prix: a sparkling celebration of Quebec and Canadian vitality and promise. The competition kicks off with the long-awaited must-see documentary Seth's Dominion by Luc Chamberland, a portrait of the great cartoonist Seth. Then there are those who need no introduction: Marie-Ève Juste and her disturbing Plage de sable, Matthew Rankin’s virtuoso Mynarski Death Plummet, Mireille Dansereau, TIFF winner Randall Lloyd Okita, Olivier Godin, Pierre Hébert . . . And let’s not forget
Sleeping Giant by Andrew Cividino (a winner at Locarno), Petit Frère by Rémi Saint-Michel (which caused a stir at Critics Week) and Transfer by Christopher Spencer-Lowe (best short at the Atlantic Film Festival).

Tribute/Retrospective

ÉLÉPHANT CLASSIQ
The success of Jean-Claude Lauzon’s Léolo (which played to a full house at this year’s Cannes Classics) and the Cannes organizers’ enthusiasm for Éléphant (a Quebecor initiative highlighting Quebec’s film heritage) have inspired Éléphant ClassiQ. The new section makes its FNC début with five newly restored films: Parlez-nous d’amour (1976) by Jean-Claude Lord, Tit-Coq (1953) by Gratien Gélinas and René Delacroix, The Big Red One: The Reconstruction (2004) by Samuel Fuller, Le jour se lève (1939) by Marcel Carné, and Jean-Marc Vallée’s first feature, Liste noire (1995).

HARUN FAROCKI
Born in German-annexed Czechoslovakia in 1944, Harun Farocki began making experimental essay films in the mid-1960s, often incorporating found footage. Farocki’s longstanding social engagement was reflected in his work, whose primary concerns were society and the ways that images are used to influence people. His work gained increasing recognition in galleries and museums with major international retrospectives. Recent projects such as the Parallel series (2012–2014) demonstrate the continued relevance of his thinking. Farocki truly was at the height of his artistic powers, each project more deeply compelling than the last – which makes his loss all the more painful. Three programs pay him tribute at this year’s Festival.

ROBIN WILLIAMS
As an actor and comedian, he marked us all in one way or another. For some, it was his debut on the television series Mork & Mindy; for others, his stand-up routines. Some will remember him for the youthful impudence and flamboyant charisma he brought to popular comedies like Jumanji and Mrs. Doubtfire. But it was his more serious, complex roles — in Christopher Nolan’s Insomnia, Terry Gilliam’s The Fisher King, or the professors of Peter Weir’s Dead Poets Society and Gus Van Sant’s Good Will Hunting — that laid bare his humanity, charm and remarkable sensitivity. In
tribute to the passing of an outstanding talent, the FNC will screen Joe Johnston’s Jumanji (1995) as part of the P’tits Loups program.

PETER WINTONICK
Peter Wintonick was Canada’s documentary ambassador to the world. A producer, director, critic and jester, his career spanned 35 years and more than 100 films and transmedia projects. Together with Mark Achbar, he co-directed Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media (1992), a multi-award-winner that remains one of the best-known documentaries in the history of Canadian cinema. In 2006, he received the Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts. In 1994 he co-founded the Virtual Film Festival, an interactive Web community for filmmakers and
audiences, as well as docAgora in 2006, a think tank for new ways of funding socially engaged documentaries. In recent years, he worked with EyeSteelFilm to develop and produce films like Yung Chang’s China Heavyweight (2012). Five programs have been dedicated to him at the FNC.

FRÉDÉRIC BACK
A man of many talents, painter, illustrator and animator Frédéric Back devoted his life to raising awareness through his inspirational drawings. Despite international success – two of his films, Crac! (1982) and The Man Who Planted Trees (1988), were Oscar winners – he remained unfailingly humble. However, beyond his dazzling technical mastery, the work of Frédéric Back continues to be celebrated around the world for its universality. In homage to him, two short film programs will screen as part of this year’s P’tits Loups.

PEDRO COSTA
In the grand tradition of Renoir, Rossellini, Bresson and Straub-Huillet, Portuguese filmmaker Pedro Costa, a staunch admirer of John Ford, has composed an innovative, poetic body of work of astonishing beauty. Pushing the bounds between documentary and fiction, crossing neo-realism with minimalism, he has opened political engagement to dreams, sensations and love. Costa, known for being highly exacting, has won numerous international awards since starting his career in 1980. His most recent work, Cavalo Dinheiro, is screening in a special presentation, and the FNC is taking the opportunity to show two earlier works: Change Nothing (2009, France/Portugal) and Colossal Youth (2006, France/Portugal/Switzerland).

LAUREN BACALL
The recent passing of Lauren Bacall is another step in our lingering farewell to Hollywood’s golden age. Marked by strong political convictions, notably her opposition to McCarthyism, Bacall forged an entirely original female persona, an ideal that no-one else could ever hope to attain. In homage to her singular presence, the FNC presents To Have and Have Not (1944). Directed by Howard Hawks and based on a novel by Ernest Hemingway, it marks the 19-year-old Bacall’s first foray onto the silver screen, starring alongside no less than Humphrey Bogart. And as they say, the rest is history . . .

PIERRE PATRY
A theatre actor and playwright turned filmmaker, Pierre Patry cut his teeth in the late 1950s at the National Film Board (NFB), taking on a multitude of roles: director, assistant director, producer, editor and more. He made nine films (including a number of documentaries) before leaving the NFB in 1964 to found Cooperatio, a private production company. As its head for eight years, he produced films like Michel Brault’s Entre la mer et l’eau douce and Arthur Lamothe’s Poussière sur la ville. An ardent champion of auteur cinema, Patry was a pioneer whose efforts helped bring independent film to wider audiences. In homage to this man of vision, the FNC presents Trouble-fête (1964). Written during a period of unrest, the script by Patry and Jean-Claude Lord faithfully reflects the student mindset at a turning point in Quebec’s history: the Quiet Revolution.

MOHAMMAD SHIRVANI
Born in Tehran in 1973, Mohammad Shirvani made his first short film in 1999. Entitled The Circle, it went on to screen in competition at Critics’ Week in Cannes. He has since made numerous short films, documentaries and news reports that have screened at festivals around the world. He also chaired the Tehran-based Independent Iranian Short Film Association (ISFA) for a number of years. Five programs in this year’s Festival are dedicated to him.

JEAN-CLAUDE LAUZON
From his first short film created at UQAM (Super maire: l’homme de 3 milliards, winner of the Norman McLaren prize at the Canadian Student Film Festival) to his two exceptional features (Un zoo la nuit, winner of 13 Genies, and Léolo), by way of his acerbic short Piwi (Jury award at the 1981 WFF), Jean-Claude Lauzon changed Quebec cinema forever. Tragically taken from us in a plane crash on August 10, 1997, the determined and rebellious enfant terrible of Quebec film is still terribly missed. The FNC, in collaboration with UQAM, will screen Un zoo la nuit (1987) in
tribute.

Les P’tits Loups presented by the Régie du cinéma

Enchanting short films from Iran; ultramodern fantasy, silent movies and sheer magic from the NFB and the Festival de Rimouski; the incomparable Frédéric Back; Paul Grimault’s timeless classic Le Roi et l’Oiseau; and Jumanji by Joe Johnston with the late, great Robin Williams. Buckle your seatbelt: this year’s P’tits Loups is taking you on a trip!

FNC Lab: films, installations/performances

FNC Lab continues its exploration of expanded, experimental cinematic practices. For the 43rd edition, recycling, remixing and repurposing archives are in the spotlight. Performance-wise, Nicole Lizée’s THE CRITERION COLLECTION takes cult films by Hitchcock and Kubrick as a template for fascinating audiovisual compositions. In BANGKOK LOOPS, Charles-André Coderre and Raphaël Demers use 16 mm and 3D to transform Hollywood film trailers into an experimental projection. Seventies genre films take on a whole new meaning in VIOLENT X/THE GLASS MAP, two tales with imagery and music by Evan Calder Williams and Taku Unami. Ouananiche presents a beat-heavy deconstruction of YouTube clips in REMIX THE COMMONS. And the exhilarating VIDEODROME, Toronto’s foremost visual music event, sets up shop for the first time in Montreal to mark its 10th anniversary. On the immersive side, SPACE NOISE 3D by Makino Takashi packs a visual punch, and MOMENTUM by Alexandre Berthier takes you on a contemplative journey to India. Presented by the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal (MAC) in collaboration with the Festival, superposition by Ryoji Ikeda kicks off its North American tour right here in Montreal. The projection and dance performance Au-delà des limites by Rokhshad Nourdeh, with participation by Raia Haidar, is part of this year’s program focused on Iran. In an evening devoted to Flatform, the collective presents the world premiere of its performance Quantum as well as a retrospective screening. Audiences are also invited to discover two video installations: Cohesive Disorder by Payam Mofidi and Carte du ciel by David Baumflek. In the FNC LAB film competition, 25 films are presented in the short film category. Some of the biggest names in experimental film are here, including Alexandre Larose, Vincent Grenier, Matias Meyer, Kazik Radwanski, Steven Woloshen, Philip Hoffman and Mike Hoolboom. Six films are in competition in the feature film category. Among them are Journey to The West by Tsai Ming Liang, the latest by Isabelle Prim as well as Wilhelm Sasnal and Anka Sasnal, and, opening the section, the world premiere of Transatlantique by Félix Dufour-Laperrière.

New Storytelling

Attesting to the growing interest in interactive works at the FNC since 2011, the New Storytelling section offers eight works in competition, each representing a singular, innovative way to present artistic, cinematic and documentary content. The works in competition are Catacombes, histoires du sous-sol de Paris by Victor Serna, DIY Manifesto by Hélène Bienvenu and Nora Mandray, Hollow by Elaine McMillion Sheldon, Je t’attends toujours by Clément Rière, Just a Reflektor by Vincent Morisset, Strangers With Patrick Watson by Félix&Paul, Synaps by Yaël André
and We Were Evergreen – Daughters by Jérôme Blanquet. The Innovation Award for best interactive work is presented by Urbania magazine.

From October 14 to 18, audiences can view the works on iPads, computers or as installations at the Chaufferie, inside the Agora Hydro-Québec in UQAM’s Cœur des sciences. Admission is free.

Commentated Screenings

Commentated screenings, one of the most popular activities among festivalgoers, are back! This year, four directors will take part for the following films: Pour l'amour de Dieu (2011), by its director Micheline Lanctôt; Tu dors Nicole (2014), by its director Stéphane Lafleur, in collaboration with the ARRQ; Norman Jewison’s Jesus Christ Superstar (1973), commentated by Atom Egoyan; and Don McWilliams will commentate Normal McLaren’s early 3D films, restored for the first time. Jared Case will also be there to commentate a copy of Orson Welles’s Too Much Johnson (1938) which he himself restored for the George Eastman House. Audiences will gain a new appreciation of these films through the commentators’ analyses and anecdotes.

Cartes blanches

As we’ve done every year since 2011, the Festival du nouveau cinéma presents its Cartes Blanches project for the 43rd edition. This year, with the support of its partners, the Festival gave free rein to six filmmakers to direct short films: Amat Escalante, Mercedes; Atom Egoyan, L’apparition – after René Magritte; Bruce LaBruce, Défense de fumer; Isabelle Prim, Calamity Qui; Karl Lemieux, L’entre deux; and Michaela Grill, Carte noire. The films will be gradually revealed on the website nouveaucinema.ca in the days leading up to the Festival’s opening and screened in theatres throughout the event.

Events

Many free events, taking place at Festival headquarters, have been planned to celebrate the 43rd edition. The Festival’s opening and closing nights, as well as the opening nights of the Focus, FNC Lab and Temps Ø sections, will be followed by the usual great parties at the Agora Hydro-Québec in UQAM’S Cœur des sciences. The Dôme set up on the Place des Festivals will also be a gathering place for festivalgoers.

Among the film premieres celebrated during the Festival are Natural Resistance by Jonathan Nossiter, Love Project by Carole Laure and Cantouque à Godin by Michel Depatie with festivities including a natural Italian wine tasting, a choreography-themed party and a cocktail party tribute to the poetry of Gérald Godin.

Many other projects are also on the lineup:

Minutes Mapping
Minutes Mapping is a participatory project that invites artists to create a one-minute audiovisual piece for a predetermined 3D surface. Every three months, the filmmakers get together and present their creations. This project is run by Thien Vu Dang and Quentin Bleton and sponsored by Moment Factory and the Société des arts technologiques de Montréal. The Festival du nouveau cinéma is very excited to host this event for the very first time in the S.A.T. Dôme! October 11 at 9 p.m. in the Dôme.

The Right to Sex
A Montreal long-term care facility launched a pilot project called the “intimacy room.” The initiative drew protests from some quarters and accolades from others. If eating and washing are essential, then so is having sex, goes the reasoning. The screening of the short film Prends-moi, co-directed by Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette and André Turpin, will be followed by a discussion of the pilot project with stakeholders, experts and facility residents. October 10 at 5 p.m. at Pavillon Judith-Jasmin.

The White Meadows Cine-Concert
The Festival du nouveau cinéma invites David Lafrance and Francis Rossignol to create a live musical performance based on the Iranian film The White Meadows (Keshtzar Haye Sepid) by Mohammad Rasoulof. David Lafrance primarily uses turntables and an archive of figurative sounds to create his soundscapes. Here he teams up with Francis Rossignol; together, they will make pictures talk. October 13 at 8:30 p.m. at the Agora Hydro-Québec in UQAM’s Cœur des sciences.

Un jour peut-être, une autre histoire du rap français
In the 2000s, French rap began to make breakthrough record sales. But once at the top of the charts, the scene stalled out in cliché, racing to the bottom with trite lyrics and derivative R&B beats. As French hip-hop gazed at its own pale reflection, a vibrant scene sprang up in reaction to this “self-ghettoization.” This new documentary is the first to look back at the handful of rappers including Svinkels, Klub des Loosers, James Delleck, Grems, Triptik, TTC and La Caution who turned the stagnant status quo on its head with a sound that’s still surprisingly fresh and experimental. The screening will be followed by a special nostalgia-tinged DJ performance. October 14 at 8 p.m. at the Agora Hydro-Québec in UQAM’s Cœur des sciences.

Sprint For Your Script
The contest finalists will be unveiled and the consultants and partners will be presented. The contest, aimed at emerging screenwriters, focuses its 16th edition on writing a comedy short and offers group workshops and individual mentorships. A public reading of the screenplays will take place at the PHI Centre on November 27. An initiative of the Société de développement des entreprises culturelles (SODEC). October 14 at 5 p.m. at the Dôme.

Émile Gaudreault Master Class
For the 16th edition of Sprint For Your Script, focused on writing a comedy short, screenwriter and director Émile Gaudreault, famous for his comedies (De père en flic, Le sens de l’humour, Le vrai du faux), will give a master class on the writing process specific to his signature genre. An initiative of the Société de développement des entreprises culturelles (SODEC). October 15 at 3 p.m. at the Dôme.

Kino
Kino is 15 years old! To close this year’s celebrations, we’ve invited the renowned Montreal branch of Kino Kabaret International 2014. Over 50 directors, surrounded by over 300 participants from here and around the world, will direct some 50 short films in 12 days. You’ll be able to see the results of this creative lab during our four evenings of screenings. Participants are assigned to teams and have to come up with an idea for a film to be written and shot in barely 72 hours, with each film having to conform to a theme or artistic constraint. October 10, 12, 15 and 17 at 8 p.m. at the Dôme.

Wapikoni Mobile
Like every year, Wapikoni Mobile, the roving studio devoted to First Nations audiovisual production, invites you to the unveiling of its annual selection of short films produced in Aboriginal communities in Canada and around the world. Here’s a wonderful chance to get an exclusive first look at the 2014 lineup and appreciate the peerless talent of young Aboriginal filmmakers! Wapikoni, which celebrates its 10thanniversary this year, has 700 short films to its credit, directed by 3,000 participants in 25 communities representing nine nations. October 16 at 6 p.m. at the Dôme.

Nomad Live
Live on NOMADlive.tv, 24/7, experience FNC 2014 as it unfolds from opening night to closing night in the Dôme. Enjoy musical performances as you witness the stories of FNC filmmakers, organizers and audiences. At the same time, follow a character in search of reality through the streets of Montreal in this live, immersive cinema happening, shot live from a mobile webcast station. Is it dream or reality? Have you crossed through the screen? Project presented in collaboration with Telefilm Canada. October 16 at 8:30 p.m. at the Dôme.

Launch of TV5 Fund Web Series
The TV5 Fund for Digital Creation invites you to the premiere of five new Web series. Shot in Quebec and Ontario, the productions tackle a wide range of genres, from documentary to psychological thriller, teen drama and fantasy comedy. For the occasion, the actors and crew who worked on these series from the TV5 Fund’s 2014 crop will be on hand to introduce their projects and take questions from the audience. October 15 at 5:30 at Agora Hydro-Québec in UQAM’s Cœur des sciences.

FNC Pro

From October 14 to 16, 2014, at Agora Hydro-Québec du Cœur des sciences de l’UQAM, the Festival du nouveau cinéma welcomes industry professionals to the 4th annual FNC Pro, which presents a lineup at the crossroads of creation, production and new technologies. A space for meetings and discussion, FNC Pro gathers together audiovisual and digital professionals each year to observe the changes sweeping the industry and decode new economic models and narrative forms. Monique Simard, president and CEO of the Société de développement des entreprises culturelles (SODEC), will give the opening speech for FNC Pro on October 14 at 9:30 a.m. Through talks, case studies, round tables and networking events, the three-day event offers participants a chance to share their knowledge around six themes. New Platforms and Recommendations: An exploration of the tools that can help viewers find their way amid the tons of audiovisual content available; Technologies and New Storytelling: As technology advances, new smart devices are being developed with the promise of audiovisual experiences that are even more immersive, interactive, intuitive and mobile; International Co-production of Digital Projects: As new storytelling emerges, a new funding approach is taking shape. What are the issues and special challenges of international co-production?; Quebec Web Series: These new formats, which are still being defined, offer a new space for creativity and inventiveness, encouraging imaginative approaches to storytelling, funding and distribution methods; Trends in Transmedia: How do we tell a story in the digital age? Museums, art and cinema are now appropriating transmedia to reach and develop their audiences ; Gamification: Video games have taken on a growing share of the entertainment industry. Viewers now want to learn while having fun, understand through experimentation and take an active role in the story.

FNC Pro would like to thank its collaborator, the Canada Media Fund, its associate partner, the Bell Fund, and its media partner, Le Lien Multimédia.

Pan-Canadian Student Film Meetings

The Festival du nouveau cinéma continues to pursue its goal of supporting emerging filmmakers and making their work more accessible by organizing the first edition of the Pan-Canadian Student Film Meetings from October 16 to 18. We have invited film schools and departments across Canada to participate in a friendly competition by submitting short films of their choosing produced during the 2013/2014 school year. Each of these shorts will be presented during a special screening in the presence of the directors and judged by a jury of professionals. There are numerous activities and networking events throughout the three days to give students and representatives from participating schools a chance to share their experiences as well as meet industry professionals.

Tickets and Information

PRE-SALES are from October 4 to 7 at the main ticket office at the Dôme (Place des Festivals) from noon to 6 p.m. Individual tickets, ticket booklets and PASSES will be available for purchase.

During the Festival from October 8 to 19, the main ticket office will be open from noon to 6 p.m., and individual tickets will also be available at Festival venues: Cinéma Du Parc, Cinéplex Odéon Quartier Latin, Pavillon Judith-Jasmin Annexe (Cinéma 1) and Concordia University. Box offices will open an hour before the first screening.

Individual tickets, booklets and passes can also be purchased from October 4 to 19 by phone at 514 790-1111 or 1 866 908-9090 and online at www.ticketpro.ca and www.nouveaucinema.ca

Tickets: regular $13; students/seniors $9; children under 12 $8; with Accès Montréal card $11 (upon presentation of the card, for all FNC screenings in all venues, Monday to Friday, except October 13). Booklet of 6 tickets for $66.

PASSE FNC (all screenings, catalogue and poster): regular $175; students/seniors $150

PASSE FNC PRO (access to all three FNC Pro days, October 14, 15 and 16, catalogue and poster): three-day Passe $295; one-day Passe $150PASSE FNC+ (FNC + FNC Pro, not including opening and closing, including catalogue and poster): regular $395

The FNC, in partnership with the STM, the official transportation of the Festival, offers OPUS card holders a 2-for-1 deal on regularly priced tickets for all screenings at Concordia University.

Starting Saturday, October 4, the official catalogue of the Festival will be available at a cost of $7 and the poster at a cost of $5. The schedule is free Hotel packages are available — see www.nouveaucinema.ca for details

The 43nd edition of the Festival du nouveau will run from October 8 to 19, 2014, at the following venues in Montreal: Théâtre Maisonneuve, Cineplex Odeon Quartier Latin, Cinéma du Parc, Pavillon Judith-Jasmin annexe (Cinéma 1), Concordia University (Alumni Auditorium, Salle J. A. de Sève), Hyatt Hotel, the Festival Dôme on the Place des Festivals, the Agora Hydro-Québec in UQAM’s Cœur des Sciences and other temporary locations.

Headed by directors Nicolas Girard-Deltruc and Claude Chamberlan, the Festival du nouveau cinéma is presented by Quebecor and is made possible by funding from SODEC, Telefilm Canada, the City of Montreal, Tourisme Québec, the Ministère des Affaires municipales, des Régions et de l’Occupation du territoire, the Ministère de la Culture et des Communications, Tourisme Montreal, the Canada Council for the Arts, the Conseil des arts de Montréal and Canadian Heritage. The Festival also thanks its major partners Air France and the STM as well as all its other partners, official suppliers and distributors for their support.



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