Students from around fifty CEGEPs will debate this winter and spring the 10 finalist films of the 13e edition of the Collegial Prize for Quebec Cinema (PCCQ), which were unveiled this Wednesday.
The works which were selected by a jury made up of cinema specialists are fictional or documentary. Five feature films are in the race, namely the films The red rooms by Pascal Plante, Gamma rays by Henry Bernadet, Simple like Sylvain by Monia Chokri, Humanist vampire seeking consenting suicide by Ariane Louis-Seize, as well as the documentary Geographies of Solitude by Jacquelyn Mills.
In the short films category, we find fictions Until you die by Florence Lafond, The Kings by Olivier Côté and UWD by Brigitte Poupart and Myriam Verreault. The documentaries Cherry by Laurence Gagné-Frégeau and Madeleine by Raquel Sancinetti are also in the running.
CEGEP students will first view these works during local events to discuss them with their colleagues who attend the same establishment as them.
A representative from each CEGEP will then be sent to Montreal on April 5 for the national deliberation. The winning feature film and short film will be announced the following day.
A “rich” year for movie buffs
Cinema experienced a year “rich in inventiveness and refreshing spontaneity” in 2023, said Micheline Lanctôt, who has been the godmother of the PCCQ since its creation in 2012. “More than 1,000 young people from Quebec will discover these great films and will be able to connect with a culture that is theirs. »
Among the finalist feature films of this edition, the psychological thriller The red rooms by Pascal Plante tells the story of Kelly-Anne who spends her days at the courthouse to attend the trial of Ludovic Chevalier, accused of the premeditated murders of three teenage girls. For its part, the unusual comedy Humanist vampire seeking consenting suicide by Ariane Louis-Seize features Sasha, a young vampire who refuses to hunt.
Still in this category, the film Gamma rays by Henry Bernadet mixes fiction and documentary to depict the daily lives of teenagers in the Saint-Michel district of Montreal. The romantic comedy Simple like Sylvain by Monia Chokri relates the passion of lovers who find themselves poles apart, while Sylvain is a manual and Sophia an intellectual. The documentary Geographies of Solitude by Jacquelyn Mills delves into the heart of the unique ecosystem of Sable Island, Nova Scotia.
Concerning the selected short films, the documentary Madeleine by Raquel Sancinetti features a joker centenarian who agrees to go by car with her 30-year-old friend to go to the sea. The work of fiction Until you die by Florence Lafond follows the journey of Léa and Xavier who decided to become an open couple. The documentary Cherry by Laurence Gagné-Frégeau paints the portrait of Marie-Lise Chouinard, a woman as lively as she is magnetic.
Directed by Brigitte Poupart and Myriam Verreault, the short fiction film UWD presents damaged characters who evolve in a post-apocalyptic world. The friendship of Elias and Laurent, who are both faced with a boys club toxic, is at the center of the fictional work The Kings by Olivier Côté.
In 2023, the film viking by director Stéphane Lafleur triumphed in the feature film category, whileOasis by Justine Martin won honors for short films.