On the fourth floor of the labyrinth that is the cooperative of cultural enterprises Méduse, in the Saint-Roch district of Quebec, a new dark room is appearing. An initiative of the Antitube organization, the small cinema called Circuit Beaumont opens to the public on weekends during the Quebec City Film Festival (FCVQ).
“We didn’t have a cinema in downtown Quebec. We really needed it. You still need a car to see films in theaters in the capital,” says Jason Béliveau, programming director for the Circuit Beaumont and Antitube. The organization has been offering auteur film screenings in various locations in the city, including the Musée de la civilisation, since 1995.
For the first time, this non-profit organization (NPO) will have the right to its own cinema. The date of its official opening, with regular daily programming, has not yet been confirmed, but Jason Béliveau hopes for it “by the end of the year”. For the moment, the FCVQ therefore serves as the first large-scale test event for the new establishment, after a benefit screening of Ukrainian short films last May.
A fan of Quebec cinema, Mr. Béliveau says he will give pride of place to local cinema with his new theatre, but that he also wishes to present international auteur cinema, like independent Montréal cinemas such as the Modern cinema: “We can see that the Modern works very well, it inspires us a lot. »
“We still want to offer a local flavor,” says the programmer, however. “We want to show films from the regions as much as possible, and allow Montreal filmmakers to present their films in person. There is a lot of diversity in our cinema and we want to cultivate it,” he adds.
When Excentris — a Montreal arthouse cinema complex founded in 1999 — closed its doors in 2015, the film community feared the death of small commercial independent theaters in Quebec. The platforms of streaming like Netflix were at their peak, and multiplexes were increasingly establishing themselves as the only survivors of the changes the industry was going through.
“The climate is now becoming very favorable again,” rejoices Roxanne Sayegh, new director of the Beaubien, Parc and Musée cinemas, formerly head of the Public Cinema and Modern Cinema. She explains that the public remains at the rendezvous in the independent cinemas which present auteur cinema, but that these must redouble their efforts to distinguish themselves.
“Cinemas today must stand out by creating special events such as meetings between filmmakers and the public, or thematic series. We realize that there is also a lot of interest in retrospective events, or for screenings that are not necessarily new,” says Ms.me Sayegh. According to her, cinemas show “more old films over the years, and it works well”.
The NPO model seduces
Aude Renaud-Lorrain, director of Cinéma Public, based at the Casa d’Italia, in the Villeray district of Montreal, believes that it is its status as an NPO that allows Cinéma Public to survive and offer programming that goes beyond beaten track. “It helps us not to be completely dependent on theatrical sales. We even take advantage of additional budgets to work with neighborhood organizations, to involve the community in our projects. That’s where we stand out,” she says.
Jason Béliveau is “enthusiastic” at the idea of extending this business model, which is increasingly popular with Quebec movie theaters, to the capital: “Commercial cinemas have no choice but to show blockbusters to be profitable. We want to create a community around the Beaumont, we will have a cultural mission. »