Montreal World Film Festival
Encyclopedia
The Montreal World Film Festival (WFF) , founded in 1977, is one of Canada
's oldest international film festival
s and the only competitive film festival in North America accredited by the FIAPF
(although the Toronto International Film Festival
is North America's only accredited non-competitive festival). The public festival is held annually in late August in the city of Montreal
in Quebec
. Unlike the Toronto International Film Festival
, its counterpart in (prominently) English-speaking Canada, the Montreal World Film Festival focuses on various kinds of films from all over the world, while the former features not just international films, but also more of a focus on Canadian films (including Quebec) and other North American films.
In addition the festival-going public votes for the films they liked best in different categories:
World Film Festival (Montreal International Film Festival) is to:
The president of the Montreal World Film Festival (WFF) is Serge Losique
; its vice-president is
Danièle Cauchard. Losique's management has been controversial. The WFF lost the sponsorship of its previous government cultural funders, SODEC and Telefilm Canada
as a result of disagreements with Losique in 2004. Subsequently, these two funding agencies announced that they would support a new international film festival, called the New Montreal FilmFest
(FIFM), to be managed by Spectra Entertainment and headed by Daniel Langlois (of SoftImage and Ex-Centris and the Festival du Nouveau Cinéma
). After the inaugural edition of that new festival was unsuccessful, it was abandoned early in 2006. As of July 2007, Losique's lawsuits against the funding agencies were dropped, paving the way for a restoration of government funding. http://www.playbackmag.com/articles/daily/20070725/wff.html
from the WFF after the principal sponsor of the festival, Air Canada
, threatened to withdraw its sponsorship of the festival if that film were included. The film — about Karla Homolka
, a young woman who was convicted of manslaughter and who served twelve years in prison for her part in the kidnapping, sex-enslavement, rapes and murders of teenage girls, including her own sister, in a case said to involve ephebophilia
— was controversial in Canada, with many calling for its boycott throughout the country.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
's oldest international film festival
Film festival
A film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues, usually in a single locality. More and more often film festivals show part of their films to the public by adding outdoor movie screenings...
s and the only competitive film festival in North America accredited by the FIAPF
FIAPF
The FIAPF based in Paris, created in 1933, is an organization composed with 31 member associations from 25 of the leading audiovisual production countries...
(although the Toronto International Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...
is North America's only accredited non-competitive festival). The public festival is held annually in late August in the city of Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
in Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. Unlike the Toronto International Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...
, its counterpart in (prominently) English-speaking Canada, the Montreal World Film Festival focuses on various kinds of films from all over the world, while the former features not just international films, but also more of a focus on Canadian films (including Quebec) and other North American films.
Programmes
The World Film Festival is organised in various sections:- World Competition - The main event of the festival.
- First Films World Competition
- Hors Concours (World Greats, out-of competition)
- Focus on World Cinema (Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania)
- Documentaries of the World
- Tributes
- Cinema Under the Stars
- Canadian Student Film Festival
Juries
Prior to the beginning of each event, the Festival’s board of directors appoints the juries who hold sole responsibility for choosing which films will receive the blessing of a WFF award. Jurors are chosen from a wide range of international artists, based on their body of work and respect from their peers.Awards
Competition- Grand Prix des Amériques
- Special Grand Prix of the jury
- Best Director
- Best Actress
- Best Actor
- Best Screenplay
- Best Artistic Contribution
- Innovation Award
- Short Films (1st Prize and Jury Prize)
In addition the festival-going public votes for the films they liked best in different categories:
- People's Choice Award
- Award for the Most Popular Canadian Film
- Glauber Rocha Award for the Best Film from Latin America
- Best Documentary Film Award
- Best Canadian Short Film Award.
History
The goal of the MontrealMontreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
World Film Festival (Montreal International Film Festival) is to:
encourage cultural diversity and understanding between nations, to foster the cinema of all continents by stimulating the development of quality cinema, to promote filmmakers and innovative works, to discover and encourage new talents, and to promote meetings between cinema professionals from around the world.
The president of the Montreal World Film Festival (WFF) is Serge Losique
Serge Losique
Serge Losique is the founder & president of the Montreal World Film Festival since its opening. He is the father of the well-known television host Anne-Marie Losique.- External links :*...
; its vice-president is
Danièle Cauchard. Losique's management has been controversial. The WFF lost the sponsorship of its previous government cultural funders, SODEC and Telefilm Canada
Telefilm Canada
Telefilm Canada or Téléfilm Canada is a Crown corporation owned by the Government of Canada.It is the primary federal cultural agency dedicated to the development and promotion of the Canadian audiovisual industry....
as a result of disagreements with Losique in 2004. Subsequently, these two funding agencies announced that they would support a new international film festival, called the New Montreal FilmFest
New Montreal FilmFest
Festival International de Films de Montréal , also known in English as the New Montreal FilmFest was a film festival held in Montreal in 2005 to focus on Francophone films...
(FIFM), to be managed by Spectra Entertainment and headed by Daniel Langlois (of SoftImage and Ex-Centris and the Festival du Nouveau Cinéma
Festival du Nouveau Cinéma
The Festival du Nouveau Cinéma was known as the Montreal Festival of New Cinema and New Media until 2004. Founded in 1971, by Claude Chamberlan and Dimitri Eipides, it is an annual independent film festival held in Montreal and features independent films from around the world...
). After the inaugural edition of that new festival was unsuccessful, it was abandoned early in 2006. As of July 2007, Losique's lawsuits against the funding agencies were dropped, paving the way for a restoration of government funding. http://www.playbackmag.com/articles/daily/20070725/wff.html
Impact
According to a survey by Léger Marketing:- Approximately 385,000 attended the 2008 World Film Festival. Of these, 323,352 (84%) were local filmgoers and 61,591 (16%) were out-of-town visitors.
- Among visitors, 27% were less than 35 years old, 34% were 35 to 54 years old and 39% were more than 54 years old.
- During their stay in the greater Montreal area, visitors attracted here by the Festival spent an average of $921.60. Visitors from outside the province spent on average twice as much as visitors from Quebec, and this money was spent specifically within the framework of their attendance at the Festival.
- Tourist spending generated by visitors to the Montreal World Film Festival is estimated at $21 million.
Controversy
In 2005, Losique first announced and later withdrew the film KarlaKarla (film)
Karla is a 2006 American drama and thriller film. The film is based on the true story of two of Canada's most notorious serial killers, Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka.-Synopsis:...
from the WFF after the principal sponsor of the festival, Air Canada
Air Canada
Air Canada is the flag carrier and largest airline of Canada. The airline, founded in 1936, provides scheduled and charter air transport for passengers and cargo to 178 destinations worldwide. It is the world's tenth largest passenger airline by number of destinations, and the airline is a...
, threatened to withdraw its sponsorship of the festival if that film were included. The film — about Karla Homolka
Karla Homolka
Karla Leanne Homolka, also known as Karla Leanne Teale , is a Canadian serial killer. She attracted worldwide media attention when she was convicted of manslaughter following a plea bargain in the 1991 and 1992 rape-murders of two Ontario teenage girls, Leslie Mahaffy and Kristen French, as well as...
, a young woman who was convicted of manslaughter and who served twelve years in prison for her part in the kidnapping, sex-enslavement, rapes and murders of teenage girls, including her own sister, in a case said to involve ephebophilia
Ephebophilia
Ephebophilia is the sexual preference of adults for mid-to-late adolescents, generally ages 15 to 19. The term was originally used in the late 19th to mid 20th century, and has been more recently revisited by Ray Blanchard. It is one of a number of sexual preferences across age groups subsumed...
— was controversial in Canada, with many calling for its boycott throughout the country.
See also
- Montreal International Jazz Festival
- SODEC
- Telefilm CanadaTelefilm CanadaTelefilm Canada or Téléfilm Canada is a Crown corporation owned by the Government of Canada.It is the primary federal cultural agency dedicated to the development and promotion of the Canadian audiovisual industry....
- Toronto International Film FestivalToronto International Film FestivalThe Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...
(TIFF)
External links
- Official Website Festival des Films du Monde de Montréal (Montreal World Film Festival [Montreal International Film Festival])
- Telefilm Canada: Film Festivals in Montreal