Montreal World Film Festival set to showcase some of the best international cinema

The Montreal World Film Festival (MWFF), now in its 35th year, with its emphasis on global and independent films, is known as a welcome reprieve from the blockbuster, North American-centric fare that usually predominates Quebec theatres.

Showcasing international and independent films, this year’s festival will feature 383 films from over 70 countries and 230 features and medium-length films. Within those, 107 world/international premieres, 51 North American premieres and 153 short films. Some of the festival’s categories include the World Competition, First Films World Competition, the Hors Concours (World Greats) Competitions, which shows out-of-competition features by noted directors, and Focus on World Cinema, with films  from Spain, South Korea, Venezuela and Japan, Russian, Poland and Italy, to name a few.

This year, one of the highlights is the North American premiere of The Artist by French director, Michel Hazavanicius. While Mazavancicius is mostly unknown in the English world, in the French world, he is very well-established, so it makes sense for it to have its North American premiere at MWFF. It was produced by The Weinstein Company and created a lot of buzz at this year’s Cannes Film Festival in May. It centres around a fictional silent film star who is having trouble adjusting to the new “talkies” while his female co-star’s fame is on the rise.

Andre Forcier, named by festival president Serge Losique as “Quebec’s Fellini,” will open the festival with his new film, Coteau Rouge, which explores the tension between a small-town Quebec family and the gentrification that is taking over their town. There will also be a tribute to French film icon Catherine Deneuve and a master class in filmmaking by Claude Lelouch, an acclaimed French director, writer and actor. This year’s jury president will be veteran Spanish director, Vicente Aranda.

MWFF takes place from August 18 to 28. For more information on films, schedules, and to purchase tickets, visit ffm-montreal.org


— Lian Novak