The suspension of activities at the Imperial Cinema forces the organizers of the Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma (RVQC) to redeploy in the metropolis. The festival dedicated to Quebec cinema will be scheduled in at least six locations from February 21 to March 2.
In addition to the screenings planned at the Cinémathèque québécoise as well as at the Cinéplex Odéon Quartier Latin, the approximately 200 films from the Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma will be presented at the Cinéma du Musée, the Théâtre Outremont, the Théâtre National and the Salle Pierre-Mercure du Center Pierre-Péladeau, informed the festival management.
The Cinéma Impérial, which normally hosts the RVQC, but also the Festival du nouveau cinéma, Cinemania, Présence Autochtone as well as the Montreal International Documentary Meetings (RIDM), suspended its activities on January 31.
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
The Imperial Cinema
The spokesperson for the board of directors of the Center Cinéma Impérial, Benoît Clermont, said last December that if the federal government did not help finance the renovation work on the heritage building, the cinema would close its doors on December 31. January. Canadian Heritage had committed to paying one million over two years, while Quebec had offered 5.6 million. Discussions with the City of Montreal were also underway.
But the non-profit organization, saved from bankruptcy in 2017 by Quebecor (which has since injected 8.5 million into saving cinema), estimated that the federal government’s aid was insufficient. Hence the threat of closure. Since then, negotiations between Canadian Heritage and Imperial have resumed, but pending their conclusion, all activities are suspended.
The other festivals scheduled there are all currently looking for new screening locations.
Consult the RVQC schedule