Published on 25/10/2023
29th CINEMANIA FILM FESTIVAL - NOVEMBER 1st To 12th, 2023
The essential Montreal gathering for French-language cinema
Montreal, October 18, 2023 – The CINEMANIA French Film Festival is delighted to unveil the program for its 29th edition, which will take place in Montreal from November 1st to 12th. To celebrate its 2023 milestone, CINEMANIA will present no fewer than 100 films, including many international, North American, Canadian, and Quebec premieres, selected from the best of Francophone cinema from the year. All films will feature English subtitles and will be accompanied by 150 artists, including 114 international guests. The French seventh art will be celebrated over 12 days at Cinéma Impérial, Musée Cinéma, Cinéma du Parc, Cinémathèque québécoise, Studio-Cabaret at Espace St-Denis, and, for the first time this year, at Cinéma Moderne.
Opening and Closing Films
The opening film of the festival on November 1st at Cinéma Impérial, in the presence of the director, will be LE PROCÈS GOLDMAN, directed by French filmmaker Cédric Kahn (known for Une vie meilleure and Fête de famille). This film will be released in Quebec on November 3rd. Cédric Kahn has chosen to depict the trial of Pierre Goldman, a left-wing activist facing the death penalty in 1976, by never leaving the courtroom. In the tradition of courtroom dramas, this powerful film realistically portrays a tormented individual in an era marked by the rise of new far-right groups. Presented as the opening film of the Directors' Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2023, this gripping courtroom drama has already received critical and public acclaim in France, where it was released on October 4th. More than 45 years after the events, this case that fascinated the French population still resonates in the news. The Opening Gala of the 29th edition, co-hosted by Catherine Beauchamp, is made possible by Sofitel Montréal Le Carré Doré, the official hotel of the festival.
On Sunday, November 12th, the festival will feature its closing film: SECOND TOUR by Albert Dupontel, presented in its North American premiere at Cinéma Impérial. This satirical drama about the media world features the director in the role of the frontrunner in the French presidential campaign, alongside actress Cécile de France, who plays a disgraced journalist. The closing night is made possible thanks to the support of Air Canada. The film will be released in Quebec in the winter of 2024 (Distribution: AZ Films).
Bell Media Gala
CINEMANIA introduces a new category in its programming: the Bell Media Gala. It will be dedicated to the film LE SUCCESSEUR by Xavier Legrand. The director of this French/Canadian/Belgian co-production, mostly filmed in Montreal in 2022, will be joined by actors Marc-André Grondin, Anne-Élisabeth Bossé, Yves Jacques, Louis Champagne, Vincent Leclerc, as well as producers Sylvain Corbeil (Metafilms) and Alexandre Gavras (KG Productions) to publicly introduce the film at the Cinéma Impérial on Tuesday, November 7th. Xavier Legrand, who won the César Award for Best Film and Best Screenplay with Jusqu’à la garde in 2018, offers another gripping thriller that showcases his undeniable mastery of the genre. The film's theatrical release in Quebec is scheduled for 2024 (Entract Films).
Several International Guests
As is the tradition, audiences will have the opportunity to discover many premieres with renowned guests. Several of them will visit Montreal to promote their films. For example, Cédric Kahn will not only present LE PROCÈS GOLDMAN at the festival's opening but also MAKING OF, a comedy featuring Denis Podalydès, Jonathan Cohen, and Emmanuelle Bercot. Actress Karin Viard will engage with the audience about her roles in MAGNIFICAT by Virginie Sauveur, NOUVEAU DÉPART by Philippe Lefebvre, and UNE NUIT by Alex Lutz. Yolande Moreau will be in Montreal both as a director for LA FIANCÉE DU POÈTE, marking her return behind the camera, and as an actress in CAPTIVES by Arnaud Des Pallières.
Several prominent female directors in the Francophone cinematic landscape will also attend CINEMANIA: Jeanne Herry with the ensemble film about restorative justice, JE VERRAI TOUJOURS VOS VISAGES, featuring Leïla Bekhti, Adèle Exarchopoulos, Gilles Lellouche, and Miou-Miou; Valérie Donzelli with L’AMOUR ET LES FORÊTS, a thriller about domestic violence starring Virginie Efira and Melvil Poupaud; Catherine Corsini with LE RETOUR, led by Aïssatou Diallo Sagna, who won the César for Best Supporting Actress in La Fracture in 2022; and Stéphanie Di Giusto with ROSALIE and Carmen Jacquier with FOUDRE, representing Switzerland in the Oscars race. Victoria Bedos will also present her directorial debut, LA PLUS BELLE POUR ALLER DANSER.
The festival will also welcome established directors accompanying their works: Thierry Klifa will introduce LES ROIS DE LA PISTE; Kim Chapiron will present LE JEUNE IMAM, and Franco-Swiss director Vincent Perez (Indochine, Fanfan la tulipe, La Reine Margot) will present UNE AFFAIRE D’HONNEUR, in which he also stars. The audience will have the opportunity to meet emerging filmmakers, including French director Adrien Beau, who makes his debut with LE VOURDALAK, featuring Ariane Labed and Vassili Schneider; Swiss director Maxime Rappaz, for LAISSEZ-MOI; Belgian director Zeno Graton, who directed LE PARADIS, a love story between two young men in a juvenile detention center; and director Nathan Ambrosioni, who presents his second feature film, TONI, EN FAMILLE, starring Camille Cottin.
International Francophone Premieres
Among the most anticipated films this year, we have: BERNADETTE by Léa Domenach, the first biography of Bernadette Chirac, starring none other than Catherine Deneuve; LA VIE POUR DE VRAI by Dany Boon, who reunites on screen with his partner Kad Merad, along with Charlotte Gainsbourg; LE LIVRE DES SOLUTIONS by Michel Gondry, featuring Pierre Niney and Blanche Gardin, presented at the Directors' Fortnight of the 2023 Cannes Film Festival; UN SILENCE by Joachim Lafosse, offering another exploration of human relationships, with Emmanuelle Devos and Daniel Auteuil; UNE ANNÉE DIFFICILE, the environmental comedy by the duo Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano, starring Noémie Merlant, Pio Marmaï, and Jonathan Cohen; and added to this impressive list is ET LA FÊTE CONTINUE, the new feature film by Robert Guédiguian (Le Promeneur du Champ-de-Mars, L'Armée du crime, Les Neiges du Kilimandjaro).
Several films will make their Canadian or Quebec premieres at CINEMANIA after making a mark in international festivals. André Téchiné returns with LES ÂMES SOEURS, in which he directs Benjamin Voisin and Noémie Merlant. After their debut feature, Une vie démente (2021 CINEMANIA Audience Award), Ann Sirot and Raphaël Balboni present LE SYNDRÔME DES AMOURS PASSÉES, selected for the Critics' Week at Cannes this year, as well as LE RAVISSEMENT by Iris Kaltenbäck, a psychological drama starring Hafsia Herzi and Alexis Manenti. Other Cannes premieres include: LE TEMPS D’AIMER by Katell Quillévéré with Vincent Lacoste and Anaïs Demoustier, and the family drama RIEN À PERDRE by Delphine Deloget, featuring Virgine Efira, selected in the Un Certain Regard category, just like TIRAILLEURS by Mathieu Vadepied, starring Omar Sy. PETITES by Julie Lerat-Gersant and PREMIÈRE AFFAIRE by Victoria Musiedlak, two social dramas presented at the Locarno Film Festival, are also highly anticipated, along with EN ATTENDANT LA NUIT by Céline Rouzet, selected at the Venice Film Festival, and SIRA by Burkinabé director Apolline Traoré, a film about the reality of African women victimized by terrorism, which won the Audience Award at the Berlinale.
Other titles are sure to delight the audience in this edition: the comedy COMPLÈTEMENT CRAMÉ by Gilles Legardinier, featuring John Malkovich and Fanny Ardant; DES MAINS EN OR by Isabelle Mergault, with Josiane Balasko and Lambert Wilson; IRIS ET LES HOMMES by Caroline Vignal (Antoinette dans les Cévennes), who reunites with her favorite actress Laure Calamy, also seen in the lead role in Jonathan Barré's BONNE CONDUITE; the adventure film SOUDAIN, SEULS by Thomas Bidegain, with Gilles Lelouche and Mélanie Thierry, a sensational adaptation of the eponymous novel by French navigator Isabelle Autissier; the thriller DE GRANDES ESPÉRANCES directed by Sylvain Desclous and starring Rebecca Marder, discovered at the Angoulême Francophone Film Festival; VOLEUSES by Mélanie Laurent, in which Philippe Katerine stars alongside Adèle Exarchopoulos, Manon Bresch, and Isabelle
Adjani. Also worth seeing are several films that invite you to travel through different countries and eras: LA NUIT DU VERRE D’EAU by Carlos Chahine, set in Lebanon in the late 1950s as war looms in Beirut, starring Nathalie Baye; LES DERNIÈRES CENDRES, a surprising Luxembourgish Western by Loïc Tanson, delving into Luxembourg in 1854 (the Luxembourgish entry for the 2024 Oscars); and LUISE by Matthias Luthardt, a historical drama set in Alsace during World War I. An animated film completes this 2023 lineup: MA FÉE FAUTEUSE DE TROUBLE by Luxembourgish filmmaker Caroline Origer, which will be presented by the director and her producers in a screening dedicated to young viewers aged 5 to 10 on Friday, November 3rd at Cinéma Impérial.
A Prestigious Jury for the Official Competition "Visages de la Francophonie"
The "Visages of Francophonie" Competition offers a glimpse into contemporary Francophone production. The jury will once again be co-chaired by a Franco-Quebecois duo. This year, the French actress and director Emmanuelle Béart and the Quebec director Philippe Falardeau will lead the jury. To reward the films in competition, they will be joined by Luxembourgish actress Sophie Mousel (starring in LES DERNIÈRES CENDRES) and four Quebecers: screenwriter and director Geneviève Albert, filmmaker and producer Manon Barbeau, screenwriter, actor, and director Eric K. Boulianne, as well as actress Anne-Élisabeth Bossé.
Six awards will be presented at the closing ceremony on Sunday, November 12th at Cinéma Impérial in the presence of the jury during an event hosted by Patrick Fabre: the TV5 Québec-Canada Best Film Award, awarded to the best film in the competition; the Marc-André Lussier Jury Prize, presented by La Presse (in memory of the late film critic) for the jury's "heartwarming" film; the Sofitel Montreal Best Performance Award, given to an artist to highlight the quality of their performance; the SACD Best Screenplay Award; the Colombier-Dompierre Best Music Award, presented by ÉCHO SONORE in partnership with the Consulat Général de France à Québec. Additionally, Elle Québec and CINEMANIA are collaborating to create a new cross-competition award for both "Visages de la Francophonie" and "Films of Quebec": the Best Female Director Award, which will reward a female director for the best fiction. The audience will also have the opportunity to vote for the Air Canada Audience Award.
The "Visages de la Francophonie" competition this year features the following films: AMA GLORIA by Marie Amachoukeli (France), ANIMALIA by Sofia Alaoui (Morocco), IL PLEUT DANS LA MAISON by Paloma Sermon-Daï (Belgium), FOUDRE by Carmen Jaquier (Switzerland), L'ÎLE ROUGE by Robin Campillo (France), LAISSEZ-MOI by Maxime Rappaz (Switzerland), LE PROCÈS GOLDMAN by Cédric Kahn (France), QUITTER LA NUIT by Delphine Girard (Belgium, Quebec, France), ROSALIE by Stéphanie Di Giusto (France, Belgium), and SAGES-FEMMES by Léa Fehner (France).
“Films du Québec” Competition
The "Films of Quebec" competition showcases films partially or entirely produced in Quebec. The public and a jury of international festival professionals will discover eight feature films produced and directed in Quebec, presented at CINEMANIA with all the teams in attendance. The highly anticipated QUITTER LA NUIT by Quebec-Belgian director Delphine Girard, winner of the Audience Award in the Giornate degli Autori section at the Venice Film Festival, tells a story about trauma and the legal process following an assault, starring Veerle Baetens and Anne Dorval. KANAVAL by Henri Pardo, featuring Hana Sofia Lopes and Martin Dubreuil, double-award winner at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, is a story inspired by the director's family who immigrated from Haiti to Canada in the 1970s. World premieres include SUR LA TERRE COMME AU CIEL by Nathalie Saint-Pierre, an initiatory journey through Montreal with Edith Cochrane opposite the young Lou Thompson, and TU NE SAURAS JAMAIS by Robin Aubert, a powerful story of a dying man's declaration of love to the woman he loves. SUCRÉ SEIZE, a choral film about adolescence starring actress Alexa-Jeanne Dubé, is a cinematic adaptation of the play of the same name written by Suzie Bastien. LES RAYONS GAMMA by Henry Bernadet, is a drama shot with young people from the St-Michel neighborhood in Montreal. Following the documentary La Terre vue du cœur (2018), L'OCÉAN VU DU CIEL by Iolande Cadrin-Rossignol and Marie-Dominique Michaud is an invitation to discover and understand the adaptability of the marine environment. (The screening on November 5th at the Cinéma du Musée will be presented with live music performed by members of the Orchestre Métropolitain). Lastly, it is worth mentioning that LE SUCCESSEUR, the highly anticipated film by French director Xavier Legrand, which is part of the Bell Media Gala, is also part of the competition. At the end of the festival, four awards will be presented: the Banque Nationale Award for the best Quebec film, the Post-Moderne Jury Prize, the UDA Best Performance Award, and the SARTEC Best Screenplay Award.
The jury for the "Films of Quebec" competition will be composed of Amaury Augé (Head of the Acid section at the Cannes Film Festival), Alex Moussa Sawadogo (General Delegate of Fespaco, the Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso), Claire Diao (Programmer for the International Short Film Festival of Clermont-Ferrand and at Lincoln Film Center in New York), and Hugo Latulippe (General Manager of the Quebec City Film Festival).
Documentaries in Competition
For the competitive section dedicated to documentaries, a jury composed of Luce Grosjean (Miyu distribution), Nerimen Hadrami (Toni Films), Manon Kerjean (Lost in Frenchlation), and Marie Prouzet (Time Art), four French professionals from the We Build Change program launched at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, is responsible for presenting the Planète + Best Documentary Award.
The titles in competition are: PAR COEURS by Benoît Jacquot, shedding light on the daily lives of actors and their passion for the theater alongside Fabrice Luchini and Isabelle Huppert; VIVA VARDA! by Pierre-Henri Gibert, a refreshing chronicle of the work and world of Agnès Varda, selected at the last Cannes Film Festival; VOYAGE AU PÔLE SUD by Luc Jacquet, presented in Locarno, offering a new dive into the heart of Antarctica; SUR L'ADAMANT by Nicolas Philibert, Golden Bear winner at the 2023 Berlinale, a film that introduces us to adults suffering from mental disorders. These titles are joined by JE SUIS LA FRANCE, a French-Quebec co-production by Sarah El Attar, a collection of testimonies that address the systemic reality of police violence; CHIENNE DE ROUGE by Swiss journalist Yamina Zoutat offers an exploration of blood in its various forms. AU CIMETIÈRE DE LA PELLICULE by Guinean filmmaker Thierno Souleymane Diallo is a road-movie that delves into the genesis of Francophone African cinema. L’OCÉAN VU DU COEUR is also part of the "Films of Quebec" competition.
This year, the Documentary Jury's initiative, in partnership with the We Build Change program, will be supported by Rémy Khouzam, founder and partner at Lussier & Khouzam, a Montreal-based law firm specializing in arts and communication law.
Short films
CINEMANIA will also feature a rich competition of short films, including 11 Quebec productions out of a total of 16 short films. The festival will host "La Grande soirée du Court québécois" on Friday, November 3, at the Studio-Cabaret of Espace St-Denis, with festivities led by programmer Jason Béliveau and attended by various short film artists and creators. On Thursday, November 9, the Cinémathèque québécoise will host "La Grande soirée des courts-métrages internationaux," with the presence of several French short filmmakers: Enzo Martinez (UNE NUIT PARTICULIÈRE), Massimo Riggi (MAMINA), and Quentin Delcourt (IMPATIENTES), made possible by Unifrance as part of a new program dedicated to emerging French talent. The jury, consisting of Quebec actress and writer Gabrielle Boulianne-Tremblay, Montreal film critic Nicolas Gendron, and Justine Lévêque, director of the Champs-Elysées Film Festival, will award three prizes: the Télé-Québec Best Short Film Award; the AQCC Jury Special Award, with support from La Marquise Content Lab, and the "Prix Francophonie des Amériques" awarded by a jury of young Canadian francophone professionals, in partnership with the Quebec Secretariat for Canadian Relations (SQRC).
Switzerland, Country of Honor.
This year, Switzerland is the country of honor at CINEMANIA, with Swiss short and feature films accompanied by numerous guests and events, offering a captivating cinematic journey through Swiss diversity and innovation. Six North American or Canadian premieres among the feature films include LE THÉORÈME DE MARGUERITE by Anna Novion, LA VOIE ROYALE by Frédéric Mermoud, ARDENTE.X.S by Patrick Muroni, DE LA CUISINE AU PARLEMENT by Stéphane Goël, RIVIÈRES by Hugues Hariche, and LES HISTOIRES D’AMOUR DE LIV S. by Anna Luif. Two Swiss films in the selection compete in the "Visages de la francophonie" section: FOUDRE by Carmen Jaquier, which has enjoyed international festival success, and LAISSEZ-MOI by Maxime Rappaz, featuring Jeanne Balibar. CHIENNE DE ROUGE by Yamina Zoutat is in competition in the documentary section. The filmmakers Patrick Muroni, Stéphane Goël, Hugues Hariche, Anna Luif, Carmen Jacquier, Maxime Rappaz, and Yamina Zoutat will all be part of the Festival to introduce their films to the spectators.
Swiss animation cinema will also be celebrated with a focus on NADASDY FILM's catalog, in the presence of producer Nicolas Burlet, a screening of Claude Barras's MA VIE DE COURGETTE, and a panel discussion on November 4 at the Cinémathèque québécoise titled FILMS D'ANIMATION: UN MONDE ENTRE ARTISANAT ET TECHNOLOGIE, moderated by Marco de Blois (in French only). This discussion will address the technical and logistical challenges of hybrid animation with Swiss and Quebecois participants. Additionally, two other panel discussions will be held at the Cinémathèque québécoise: the Valais Film Commission will present filming possibilities in peripheral areas, and a cross-discussion between Quebec and Switzerland will address sustainability in audiovisual production.
CINEMANIA PRO - 2nd Edition
Following the success of its inaugural edition last year, CINEMANIA PRO, the professional component of the Festival, returns from November 7th to 10th this year. It aims to provide a space for meetings, exchanges, and reflections for key players in the industry. Expect no less than 40 international guests from the Francophone film world, mostly festival directors, to participate in six conferences, three roundtable discussions, three workshops, and numerous screenings. Immersed in the heart of Quebec's vibrant cultural scene, they will engage in roundtable discussions, conferences, and conversations about major industry topics. These include the regulation of artificial intelligence in creative processes, the use of French in an increasingly international context, representation and inclusion of minorities in cinema, the significance of artist agencies in promoting local talents internationally, and the appeal of territories resulting from the impetus of regional festivals. Similar to last year's focus on Manitoba, CINEMANIA PRO renews its commitment to giving a voice to Francophone artistic communities in Canada (outside Quebec). This year, the focus expands to celebrate not one but three extensive regions: Yukon, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia. Within this context, the festival will host a delegation of artists and professionals, driven by a passionate commitment to promote and disseminate Canadian Francophone culture.
The Quebec Office of the French Language (Office Québécois de la Langue française) is one of the major partners of CINEMANIA PRO this year. On Tuesday, November 7th, a comprehensive overview of the use of French in the workplace of Quebec companies will be presented. Practical challenges and positive aspirations are the primary objectives of these discussions.
Events and Special Presentations
Ticket sales are now open on the festival's website.
Consulat général de France à Québec, Film Fund Luxembourg, Unifrance, Principauté d’Andorre, Consulat général d’Allemagne à Montréal, Principauté de Monaco, Goethe Institut, Délégation générale Wallonie-Bruxelles au Québec.
Swiss Films, Consulat général de Suisse à Montréal, Ambassade de Suisse au Canada, Suisse Tourisme, Valais Film Commission, Présence Suisse, Cinéforom - Fondation romande pour le cinéma, Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS), VALAIS - Matterhorn Region, Service culturel du Canton du Valais, Geneva Tourism, Locarno Pro. Air Canada, Sofitel Montréal Le Carré Doré, Bell Média/Crave, Banque Nationale du Canada.
Studiocanal TV, Planète+, Mezzo Live, Télé-Québec, Banque Transatlantique, Davies, TV5 Québec-Canada, Post-Moderne, Café Liégeois, Delonghi, Akufen, Mezzacorona.
Le Centre de la Francophonie des Amérique, le Partenariat du Quartier des Spectacles, l’Association québécoise de la production Médiatique, Lussier & Khouzam, EVS, Olive Orange, le Bureau du Cinéma et de la Télévision du Québec, NAWAL, l’Office franco-québécois pour la jeunesse (OFQJ), La Presse, ELLE Québec, Lucion, la Société des auteurs et compositeurs dramatiques, l’Union des Artistes, la Société des auteurs de radio, télévision et cinéma, la Fédération culturelle canadienne-française, l’Association des réalisateurs et réalisatrices du Québec, Film Laurentides, Réalisatrices équitables, l'Association québécoise des critiques de cinéma, Echo Sonore, Bernard-Massard, Lamcom, Molson-coors.
La Cinémathèque québécoise, Cinéma du Parc, Cinéma du Musée, Cinéma Moderne, Office national du film du Canada, le Balcon, le Studio-Cabaret de l’Espace St-Denis.