The 28e edition of the Cinémania francophone film festival is impressive: 112 films, including many international, Canadian and Quebec premieres, will be presented in various Montreal cinemas from November 2 to 13. The festival has 22 guests from Europe, including Michel Blanc, Clovis Cornillac, Arnaud Desplechin, Denis Ménochet, Cédric Klapisch, Philippe Besson and conductor Zahia Ziouani.
Posted at 7:00 a.m.
It’s the movie white dogthe adaptation of the eponymous novel by Romain Gary, by Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette which will open the festival on November 2 at the Impérial cinema, then it will be Storma riding epic by Christian Duguay, which will close this 28e edition, November 13.
“It’s a return with great fanfare! We are presenting 112 films, 70 premieres, spread over 118 sessions, and we are returning to the Imperial cinema, which spectators love”, launches the director general of the festival and programming, Guilhem Caillard, in a telephone interview.
The objective of the Cinémania festival is to strengthen the feeling of belonging to the international Francophonie, of which Quebec is a part, and to nourish the desire for discovery for French-language cinema.
Guilhem Caillard, General Manager of Cinémania
Featured films
Among the expected premieres, there is Close, winner of the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival. Its director, the Belgian Lukas Dhont, will be in Montreal. are also expected peter von kant by Francois Ozon Brother and sister and Deception (Arnaud Desplechin will accompany his two films) and the Franco-Quebec co-production The origin of evil by Sebastien Marnier. Actor Laurent Lafitte will also be present with two films: Everybody loves Joan and Little Nicolas – What are we waiting for to be happy.
Other films will be previewed, such as almond trees by Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi, who was part of the official selection at the Cannes Film Festival, The high school student with Juliette Binoche, More than ever, the last film in which the late Gaspard Ulliel played, the innocent by Louis Garrel and The Man in the Cellar by Philippe Le Guay, with François Cluzet and Jérémie Renier.
As for the documentaries, will be on view The Super-8 years, co-directed by Annie Ernaux, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, and her son David Ernaux-Briot, as well as Patrick Dewaere, my hero, told by his daughter Lola Dewaere.
It is the French director Cédric Klapisch who will co-chair the jury with the actress Pascale Bussières. They will present three major awards during the closing ceremony.
Luxembourg is the French-speaking country of honor this year. “We will have the visit of the Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Xavier Bettel, announces Guilhem Caillard. Twenty films from Luxembourg will be presented, most of them are co-productions that show the know-how of the country, because Luxembourg has a very strong film industry [même s’il compte un peu moins de 650 000 habitants]. »
Celebrity Photographs
Luxembourg multidisciplinary artist Fabrizio Maltese will exhibit his photographs of celebrities from 7e art like Catherine Deneuve, Xavier Dolan, Charlotte Rampling, Vincent Cassel, Marion Cotillard, at the PHI Centre, the Cinémathèque québécoise and the Sofitel hotel.
Tribute to Francois Dompierre
The festival will pay tribute to the pioneer of film music in Quebec, François Dompierre, on November 12 at the Cinémathèque québécoise. The screening of films Ixe-13 and Augustine’s Passion will be followed by a public discussion moderated by Monique Giroux.
Cine-concert and other events
On November 11, at the Imperial cinema, the presentation of the film Entertainment by Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar will precede a concert-event with the musicians of the Orchester Métropolitain, who will be conducted by conductor Zahia Ziouani, whose life inspired the film. Cédric Klapisch will give a master class on November 12. This will be an opportunity to discuss his most recent films with him. A discussion between French filmmaker Arnaud Desplechin and Quebec director Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette is also on the menu. This meeting, led by our colleague Marc-André Lussier, will be held on November 10 at INIS. The festival will also be an opportunity to review two previous films by Arnaud Desplechin: A Christmas tale and kings and queen.
The Cinémania festival is presented at the Cinéma Impérial, the Cinéma du Musée, the Cinéma du Parc and the Cinémathèque québécoise, from November 2 to 13.