The organizers of the International Festival of Films on Art unveiled on Tuesday the various activities that will mark the 41e editing.
Some 220 films on art and art films from 49 countries will be screened in Quebec City and Montreal from March 14 to 26. Select titles will also be available online from March 24 through April 2. In the lot, 67 films will be screened in world premiere and 41 in Canadian premiere.
“Since 2018, there have never been so many countries represented at the festival”, launches the general and artistic director of FIFA, Philippe U. del Drago. “FIFA is more open this year to productions from Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and Asia, continents whose presence was not regular in the past. »
He adds: “we also notice a strong presence of Quebec and Canadian films, which occupy around 40% of our programming. In this sense, the FIFA constitutes a true meeting between the world of international art and that of here. »
As every year, the festival is very anchored in the present moment, with the presentation of very recent productions. An event around the multidisciplinary artist Michael Snow, who died on January 5, was added at the last minute.
Philippe U. del Drago, general and artistic director of FIFA
Among the key events of the festival, let’s note the Carte blanche at Cirque du Soleil, which will present a recording of the show Oh as well as several world premiere short films. A program offered by the Institut du monde arabe in Paris will be structured around documentaries and films by queer artists.
“The queer theme is one of the strong themes for this year, notes Philippe U. del Drago. We also note the presence of several directors who make films on their own. Far from highly regulated subsidized circles, they show a great deal of creativity and great freedom in terms of form. »
Another eagerly awaited moment for festival-goers: the second edition of the Nuit de la danse which will bring together 28 films during a seven-hour screening marathon.
With regard to the official feature film competition, note the presentation of Keeping the Music Alive by Sarah El Younsi and Mandakini Gahlot, which follows the journey of Afghanistan’s first women’s orchestra. Also to discover: the film Zorn III (2018-2022) by Mathieu Amalric on Canadian soprano and conductor Barbara Hannigan, The Faithful: The King, the Pope, the Princess by Annie Berman “a documented foray into the world of admirers of Pope John Paul II, Elvis Presley and Lady Diana”, as well as a documentary devoted to the work of photographer Steve McCurry.