While there was a brief window where movie theatres were open to the public, a recent uptick in COVID-19 cases has meant Montreal's Festival du Nouveau Cinéma will now take place entirely online.
Still, the 49th edition of the festival will offer an overwhelming list of films available to stream online when it runs from October 7 to 31. The festival's lineup includes over 50 feature films, dozens of shorts and plenty of special events across various platforms.
The festival's executive director Nicolas Girard Deltruc shared the following statement:
During the past spring, we made the decision to hold our 49th edition in a hybrid form combining both online and physical screenings. I would like to congratulate us today on this judicious choice which allows us to offer cinephiles across the country a special edition filled with discoveries and anticipated films as part of FNC's usual tradition. Our entire team has done a remarkable job in delivering high-caliber and high-quality programming. I would also like to thank all the distributors and partners who have renewed their confidence in us and allowed us, from October 7 to 31, to celebrate cinema… to escape and continue to dream!
Dig into the festival's lineup below, and find more information here.
International Competition: Louve d'or presented by Québecor
Aimed at introducing audiences to the emerging voices of worldwide cinema, the Festival's flagship section highlights the unique perspectives of the artists who will shape tomorrow's new cinema. The 10 films in the running for the Louve d'or include a number of titles that stood out on the international festival circuit this past year: ATLANTIS, Valentyn Vasyanovych (Ukraine); BAD ROADS, Natalya Vorozhbit (Ukraine); THE CLOUD IN HER ROOM, Zheng Lu Xinyuan (China, Hong Kong); DESTERRO, Maria Clara Escobar (Brazil, Portugal, Argentina); ÊXTASE, Moara Passoni (Brazil, United States); KILL IT AND LEAVE THIS TOWN, Marius Wilczynski (Poland); SERVANTS, Ivan Ostrochovsky (Slovakia, Romania, Czech Republic, Ireland); THE SHEPHERDESS AND THE SEVEN SONGS, Pushpendra Singh (India); THIS IS NOT A BURIAL, IT'S A RESURRECTION, Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese (Lesotho, Italy, South Africa); and TOPSIDE, Logan George and Celine Held (United States).
National Competition
"The closing of movie theaters and the postponement of many Quebec film releases have unfortunately shaken up both their schedule and the announced selection of the festival. While affected by the current circumstances, the National Competition section is nonetheless proud of its strong and highly original titles, fully anchored in the most important fights or open towards pure freedom." - claims Zoé Protat, director of programming at the Festival du nouveau cinéma
Festival-goers will be able to discover the following premieres: THERE ARE NO FALSE UNDERTAKINGS, Olivier Godin (Quebec/Canada); SIN LA HABANA, Kaveh Nabatian (Quebec/Canada, Cuba); VIOLATION, Dusty Mancinelli and Madeleine Sims-Fewer (Ontario/Canada) and JUDY VERSUS CAPITALISM, Mike Hoolboom (Ontario/Canada).
Les Incontournables
Top international names usually compose this selection and 2020 will be no exception here! Here are the titles offered to the audience: CONFERENCE, Ivan Tverdovskiy (Russia, Estonia, U.K., Italy); THERE IS NO EVIL, Mohammad Rasoulof (Iran, Germany, Czech Republic), Golden Bear winner at Berlin; UNDINE, Christian Petzold (Germany, France), which bagged Paula Beer the best actress award at Berlin; UPPERCASE PRINT, Radu Jude (Romania); and the documentary WIM WENDERS, DESPERADO, Campino and Eric Friedler (Germany).
Temps Ø
With the Temps Ø selection, the public will be able to discover several avant-garde feature films. The different titles include: the french anti-racist comedy TOUT SIMPLEMENT NOIR, by Jean-Pascal Zadi and John Wax. The film stars rapper JoeyStarr and Mathieu Kassovitz. Also in selection: the highly anticipated SIBERIA, Abel Ferrara (Italy, Germany, Mexico); THE BOOK OF VISION, Carlo S. Hintermann (Italy, U.K., Belgium); CAUGHT IN THE NET, Vít Klusák and Barbora Chalupova (Czech Republic, Slovakia); SHELL AND JOINT, Isamu Hirabayashi (Japan), THALASSO and THE KIDNAPPING OF MICHEL HOUELLEBECQ, Guillaume Nicloux (France); RED POST ON ESCHER STREET, Sion Sono (Japan); THE TREMOR, Balaji Vembu Chelli (India);
Titles in this lineup will be up for the Audience Award.
Les nouveaux alchimistes
Made by artists from varied backgrounds, the films in this section stand out for their boldness and originality. Dedicated to formal exploration, new approaches and experimentation, this year's lineup consists of eight boundary-pushing features: the monumental DAU. NATASHA, Ilya Khrzhanovsky and Jekaterina Oertel (Germany, Ukraine, U.K., Russia); KHAMSIN, Grégoire Orio and Grégoire Couvert (France, Lebanon); LAST AND FIRST MEN, Jóhann Jóhannsson (Iceland); LÚA VERMELLA, Lois Patiño (Spain); MAGGIE'S FARM, James Benning (United States); NIGHT HAS COME, Peter Van Goethem (Belgium); THE REPUBLICS, Huw Wahl (U.K.); and TO THE MOON, Tadhg O'Sullivan (Ireland).
Panorama international
A section that showcases remarkable lives as it probes the current state of affairs. From Brazil to Vietnam, Argentina to Greece, the lineup includes socially engaged works that highlight uniquely subjective experiences and views that shake up the status quo. Available through video-on-demand, the 11 features in this year's Panorama are: A YELLOW ANIMAL, Felipe Bragança (Brazil, Portugal, Mozambique); APPLES, Christos Nikou (Greece, Poland, Slovenia); COCOON, Leonie Krippendorff (Germany); DROWSY CITY, Dung Luong Dinh (Vietnam); LA HIJA DE UN LADRÓN, Belén Funes (Spain); MAMÁ, MAMÁ, MAMÁ, Sol Berruezo Pichon-Rivière (Argentina); MOVING ON, Yoon Dan-Bi (South Korea); OASIS, Ivan Ikic (Serbia, Slovenia, Netherlands, France); SI C'ÉTAIT DE L'AMOUR, Patric Chiha (France); SISTERS WITH TRANSISTORS, Lisa Rovner (U.K.); and WISDOM TOOTH, Liang Ming (China).
Special presentations and events
Initially scheduled to hit theaters and act as the closing title of the Festival, the latest feature by Philippe Falardeau, a prominent regular at the FNC, will symbolically close this special edition on October 17 with MY SALINGER YEAR which will be available online for 24 hours. Screened during the opening night of this year's Berlinale, the film stars Sigourney Weaver, Margaret Qualley, Douglas Booth, Colm Feore and Théodore Pellerin.
Another highly anticipated title is SAINT-NARCISSE, directed by Bruce LaBruce, which was presented at the Venice Film Festival earlier this year. The enfant terrible of Canadian queer cinema promises to surprise moviegoers once again.
The Rendez-vous #Cinémad'ici presented by Quebecor
To mark the 50th anniversary of the October Crisis, Quebecor, presenting partner of the FNC, will offer, in collaboration with Éléphant: mémoire du Cinéma québécois, the restored versions of two outstanding works retracing the events of October 1970: LES ORDRES by Michel Brault, on Friday October 16, and OCTOBRE by Pierre Falardeau, on Saturday October 10. The Rendez-vous #Cinémad'ici presented by Quebecor will be free and online.
Films for Peace – a Wapikoni special
For the 49th edition, the Festival will present a program of short films created during Wapikoni mobile's international jaunts, in line with the organization's unique approach to promoting Indigenous stories and narrative sovereignty through film. The films will be available through video-on-demand but to get the full experience, fans can attend the Wapikoni special - Films for Peace event on Thursday, October 15 at 7 pm. To expand the experience, the screening will be followed by a discussion with international experts, livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube. Presented by BNP Paribas and Wapikoni mobile in association with the Peace Network for Social Harmony as part of the closing event of Peace Days 2020.
Still, the 49th edition of the festival will offer an overwhelming list of films available to stream online when it runs from October 7 to 31. The festival's lineup includes over 50 feature films, dozens of shorts and plenty of special events across various platforms.
The festival's executive director Nicolas Girard Deltruc shared the following statement:
During the past spring, we made the decision to hold our 49th edition in a hybrid form combining both online and physical screenings. I would like to congratulate us today on this judicious choice which allows us to offer cinephiles across the country a special edition filled with discoveries and anticipated films as part of FNC's usual tradition. Our entire team has done a remarkable job in delivering high-caliber and high-quality programming. I would also like to thank all the distributors and partners who have renewed their confidence in us and allowed us, from October 7 to 31, to celebrate cinema… to escape and continue to dream!
Dig into the festival's lineup below, and find more information here.
International Competition: Louve d'or presented by Québecor
Aimed at introducing audiences to the emerging voices of worldwide cinema, the Festival's flagship section highlights the unique perspectives of the artists who will shape tomorrow's new cinema. The 10 films in the running for the Louve d'or include a number of titles that stood out on the international festival circuit this past year: ATLANTIS, Valentyn Vasyanovych (Ukraine); BAD ROADS, Natalya Vorozhbit (Ukraine); THE CLOUD IN HER ROOM, Zheng Lu Xinyuan (China, Hong Kong); DESTERRO, Maria Clara Escobar (Brazil, Portugal, Argentina); ÊXTASE, Moara Passoni (Brazil, United States); KILL IT AND LEAVE THIS TOWN, Marius Wilczynski (Poland); SERVANTS, Ivan Ostrochovsky (Slovakia, Romania, Czech Republic, Ireland); THE SHEPHERDESS AND THE SEVEN SONGS, Pushpendra Singh (India); THIS IS NOT A BURIAL, IT'S A RESURRECTION, Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese (Lesotho, Italy, South Africa); and TOPSIDE, Logan George and Celine Held (United States).
National Competition
"The closing of movie theaters and the postponement of many Quebec film releases have unfortunately shaken up both their schedule and the announced selection of the festival. While affected by the current circumstances, the National Competition section is nonetheless proud of its strong and highly original titles, fully anchored in the most important fights or open towards pure freedom." - claims Zoé Protat, director of programming at the Festival du nouveau cinéma
Festival-goers will be able to discover the following premieres: THERE ARE NO FALSE UNDERTAKINGS, Olivier Godin (Quebec/Canada); SIN LA HABANA, Kaveh Nabatian (Quebec/Canada, Cuba); VIOLATION, Dusty Mancinelli and Madeleine Sims-Fewer (Ontario/Canada) and JUDY VERSUS CAPITALISM, Mike Hoolboom (Ontario/Canada).
Les Incontournables
Top international names usually compose this selection and 2020 will be no exception here! Here are the titles offered to the audience: CONFERENCE, Ivan Tverdovskiy (Russia, Estonia, U.K., Italy); THERE IS NO EVIL, Mohammad Rasoulof (Iran, Germany, Czech Republic), Golden Bear winner at Berlin; UNDINE, Christian Petzold (Germany, France), which bagged Paula Beer the best actress award at Berlin; UPPERCASE PRINT, Radu Jude (Romania); and the documentary WIM WENDERS, DESPERADO, Campino and Eric Friedler (Germany).
Temps Ø
With the Temps Ø selection, the public will be able to discover several avant-garde feature films. The different titles include: the french anti-racist comedy TOUT SIMPLEMENT NOIR, by Jean-Pascal Zadi and John Wax. The film stars rapper JoeyStarr and Mathieu Kassovitz. Also in selection: the highly anticipated SIBERIA, Abel Ferrara (Italy, Germany, Mexico); THE BOOK OF VISION, Carlo S. Hintermann (Italy, U.K., Belgium); CAUGHT IN THE NET, Vít Klusák and Barbora Chalupova (Czech Republic, Slovakia); SHELL AND JOINT, Isamu Hirabayashi (Japan), THALASSO and THE KIDNAPPING OF MICHEL HOUELLEBECQ, Guillaume Nicloux (France); RED POST ON ESCHER STREET, Sion Sono (Japan); THE TREMOR, Balaji Vembu Chelli (India);
Titles in this lineup will be up for the Audience Award.
Les nouveaux alchimistes
Made by artists from varied backgrounds, the films in this section stand out for their boldness and originality. Dedicated to formal exploration, new approaches and experimentation, this year's lineup consists of eight boundary-pushing features: the monumental DAU. NATASHA, Ilya Khrzhanovsky and Jekaterina Oertel (Germany, Ukraine, U.K., Russia); KHAMSIN, Grégoire Orio and Grégoire Couvert (France, Lebanon); LAST AND FIRST MEN, Jóhann Jóhannsson (Iceland); LÚA VERMELLA, Lois Patiño (Spain); MAGGIE'S FARM, James Benning (United States); NIGHT HAS COME, Peter Van Goethem (Belgium); THE REPUBLICS, Huw Wahl (U.K.); and TO THE MOON, Tadhg O'Sullivan (Ireland).
Panorama international
A section that showcases remarkable lives as it probes the current state of affairs. From Brazil to Vietnam, Argentina to Greece, the lineup includes socially engaged works that highlight uniquely subjective experiences and views that shake up the status quo. Available through video-on-demand, the 11 features in this year's Panorama are: A YELLOW ANIMAL, Felipe Bragança (Brazil, Portugal, Mozambique); APPLES, Christos Nikou (Greece, Poland, Slovenia); COCOON, Leonie Krippendorff (Germany); DROWSY CITY, Dung Luong Dinh (Vietnam); LA HIJA DE UN LADRÓN, Belén Funes (Spain); MAMÁ, MAMÁ, MAMÁ, Sol Berruezo Pichon-Rivière (Argentina); MOVING ON, Yoon Dan-Bi (South Korea); OASIS, Ivan Ikic (Serbia, Slovenia, Netherlands, France); SI C'ÉTAIT DE L'AMOUR, Patric Chiha (France); SISTERS WITH TRANSISTORS, Lisa Rovner (U.K.); and WISDOM TOOTH, Liang Ming (China).
Special presentations and events
Initially scheduled to hit theaters and act as the closing title of the Festival, the latest feature by Philippe Falardeau, a prominent regular at the FNC, will symbolically close this special edition on October 17 with MY SALINGER YEAR which will be available online for 24 hours. Screened during the opening night of this year's Berlinale, the film stars Sigourney Weaver, Margaret Qualley, Douglas Booth, Colm Feore and Théodore Pellerin.
Another highly anticipated title is SAINT-NARCISSE, directed by Bruce LaBruce, which was presented at the Venice Film Festival earlier this year. The enfant terrible of Canadian queer cinema promises to surprise moviegoers once again.
The Rendez-vous #Cinémad'ici presented by Quebecor
To mark the 50th anniversary of the October Crisis, Quebecor, presenting partner of the FNC, will offer, in collaboration with Éléphant: mémoire du Cinéma québécois, the restored versions of two outstanding works retracing the events of October 1970: LES ORDRES by Michel Brault, on Friday October 16, and OCTOBRE by Pierre Falardeau, on Saturday October 10. The Rendez-vous #Cinémad'ici presented by Quebecor will be free and online.
Films for Peace – a Wapikoni special
For the 49th edition, the Festival will present a program of short films created during Wapikoni mobile's international jaunts, in line with the organization's unique approach to promoting Indigenous stories and narrative sovereignty through film. The films will be available through video-on-demand but to get the full experience, fans can attend the Wapikoni special - Films for Peace event on Thursday, October 15 at 7 pm. To expand the experience, the screening will be followed by a discussion with international experts, livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube. Presented by BNP Paribas and Wapikoni mobile in association with the Peace Network for Social Harmony as part of the closing event of Peace Days 2020.