CINEMANIA Film Festival is a French-language

film festival A film festival is an organized, extended presentation of films in one or more cinemas or screening venues, usually in a single city or region. Increasingly, film festivals show some films outdoors. Films may be of recent date and, depending upo ...

with English subtitles that takes place in

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...

. It is the most important event fully dedicated to francophone cinema in North-America.

Festival

The CINEMANIA French Film Festival in Montreal was established in 1995 and has continued annually ever since. The festival is dedicated solely to quality French-language feature films emanating from France, Belgium, Switzerland, Quebec, Algeria, Morocco, Senegal, and other French-speaking regions. All films screened must be North American, Canadian, or Quebec premieres, and all are subtitled in English. The event takes place every November during a period of 11 days opening on the first Thursday of the month. All films are screened in the Cinéma Impérial, Théâtre Outremont, Cinéma du Parc, Cinéma du Musée and

Cinémathèque québécoise The Cinémathèque québécoise is a film conservatory in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Its purpose is to preserve, document, film and television footage and related documents and artifacts for future use by the public. The Cinémathèque's collectio ...

in downtown

History

The festival was founded by Maidy Teitelbaum who was the ongoing president until january 2020 when she definitively left the organization after 26 years of commitment. The festival's first 10 years were at the

Montreal Museum of Fine Arts The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA; french: Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal, MBAM) is an art museum in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is the largest art museum in Canada by gallery space. The museum is located on the historic Golden Square ...

, but in 2004 the event moved to the greater capacity Imperial Cinema. In 2006, Teitelbaum was awarded the Chevalier dans l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government for her work in fostering French culture. In addition, in 2008 the SACD decorated Teitelbaum with the Médaille Beaumarchais awarded each year since 1 777 to the persons who best exemplify efforts to protect the rights of artists, composers and writers. In 2017, Maidy was awarded the distinction of Officier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres de la '' République Française.'' As young French film critic Guilhem Caillard joined the team in March 2011, CINEMANIA began a collaboration with the Cinémathèque Québécoise, which allows, each year, to welcome a greater number of prestigious guests. This additional location enables the festival to organize retrospectives. According to T'Cha Dunlevy ('' The Gazette''), "''Festival director Guilhem has taken Cinemania to unprecedented heights of renown.''" "''We’re answering a deep need in the community, here in Montreal, and in la francophonie, for these films which talk about the world of today differently'',” Caillard said. Journalist Dunlevy adds: "''Not only does Cinemania get local premières of the big movies before they hit theatres — where they’re not always screened with subtitles — but the festival has become a place to catch many independent French-language films that wouldn’t otherwise make it to the big screen here.''" Renowned actors and actresses, such as Soko and Virginie Efira, attend the event every year. In 2019, CINEMANIA celebrates its 25th anniversary with brio, recording the highest number of participants in its history with 28 000 spectators and once again reaffirms its commitment to the Francophonie. The French feature films such as

Céline Sciamma Céline Sciamma (; born 12 November 1978) is a French screenwriter and film director. She is especially known for her films ''Girlhood'' (2014), '' My Life as a Courgette'' (2016), and '' Portrait of a Lady on Fire'' (2019), winning many nomina ...

’s '' Portrait of A Lady on Fire'' and Québec’s Sophie Deraspe’s ''

Antigone In Greek mythology, Antigone ( ; Ancient Greek: Ἀντιγόνη) is the daughter of Oedipus and either his mother Jocasta or, in another variation of the myth, Euryganeia. She is a sister of Polynices, Eteocles, and Ismene.Roman, L., & R ...

'' represent their respective countries in the race for the 2020

Oscars The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

, further enhancing the selection. In light of the

Covid-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...

pandemic, CINEMANIA initiates a major digital shift by developing an online streaming platform for most of its programming. For the first time, viewers from ocean to ocean in Canada are able to watch films from the Festival’s selection from the comfort of their living room. The event runs for three weeks more than 80 virtual screenings, including many highlights of major film fests, from the

Festival de Cannes The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...

on down. In 2020, and for the first time, CINEMANIA creates an important tribute to a Quebec film director, Louis Bélanger. This famous filmmaker is also the subject of a documentary portrait, produced and directed by CINEMANIA, while Bélanger receives the distinction of ''Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres'' de la République française from Consul General Frédéric Sanchez. This same year, as the event celebrates its 26th edition, Guilhem Caillard announces that CINEMANIA "''opens a new chapter in its history by offering 34 short films, an original selection with an emphasis on creativity and diversity. For the very first time, the Festival is launching a short-film competition with a specialized jury. The

Nespresso Nestlé Nespresso S.A., trading as Nespresso, is an operating unit of the Nestlé Group, based in Lausanne, Switzerland. Nespresso machines brew espresso and coffee from coffee capsules (or ''pods'' in machines for home or professional use) ...

-AQCC Jury Prize has been created for this purpose. Further, our association with the Saguenay International Short Film Festival, whose 24th edition was abruptly interrupted by the quarantine, is indicative of the strong ties we maintain with our colleagues.''" As the

Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie The (OIF; sometimes shortened to the Francophonie, french: La Francophonie , but also called International Organisation of in English-language context) is an international organization representing countries and regions where French is a ...

(OIF) celebrates its 50th anniversary, the film selection takes another step toward a greater Francophonie, vibrant and creative, with new feature films from the Ivory-Coast, Morocco, France, Luxembourg, Rwanda and Belgium.

Program

CINEMANIA's very specific role in the panorama of

and

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

's cinematographic events is that it is the only francophone film festival devoted solely to presenting quality French-language feature films subtitled in English. In fact, for many of the films screened, the festival is the only avenue of distribution. CINEMANIA is, as a result, considered by many artists, journalists and cinephiles as a unique portal to view French-language films. CINEMANIA offers cinephiles the opportunity of discovering a wide range of French-language films: masterpieces, innovative films and first feature films by young directors. CINEMANIA shows approximately 50 feature films, each film screening twice. In order to arrive at their final selection, the Festival programmers view over 120 French-language films each year. The focus is both on established filmmakers and first-time directors, providing a launching pad for up-and-coming talent. Well-known directors whose work appears frequently on CINEMANIA's screen include André Téchiné,

Anne Fontaine Anne Fontaine (born Anne-Fontaine Sibertin-Blanc; 15 July 1959) is a Luxembourger film director, screenwriter, and former actress. She lives and works in France. Life and career Born Anne-Fontaine Sibertin-Blanc in Luxembourg, sister of actor ...

François Ozon François Ozon (; born 15 November 1967) is a French film director and screenwriter. Ozon is considered one of the most important modern French filmmakers. His films are characterized by aesthetic beauty, sharp satirical humor and a free-wheeli ...

Maïwenn Maïwenn Le Besco (; born 17 April 1976), known mononymously as Maïwenn, is a French actress and filmmaker. Early life Maïwenn Le Besco was born on 17 April 1976 in Les Lilas, Seine-Saint-Denis, the daughter of artist Catherine Belkhodja. ...

Robert Guédiguian Robert Jules Guédiguian (born 3 December 1953) is a French film director, screenwriter, producer and actor. Most of his films star Ariane Ascaride and Jean-Pierre Darroussin. Life and career Guédiguian is the son of a German mother and an Armen ...

, Manuel Poirier, Aki Kauresmaki, and the Dardennes Bros. There have been guest appearances by such notable filmmakers as

Bertrand Tavernier Bertrand Tavernier (25 April 1941 – 25 March 2021) was a French director, screenwriter, actor and producer. Life and career Tavernier was born in Lyon, France, the son of Geneviève (née Dumond) and René Tavernier, a publicist and writer, s ...

Arnaud Desplechin Arnaud Desplechin (; born 31 October 1960) is a French film director and screenwriter. In 2016, he won the César Award for Best Director for ''My Golden Days'' (2015). Life and career Desplechin was born in Roubaix. He is the son of Robert and ...

, Olivier Assayas,

Cédric Klapisch Cédric Klapisch ( ; born 4 September 1961) is a French film director, screenwriter and producer. Life and career Klapisch was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine. He is from a Jewish family; his maternal grandparents were deported to Ausc ...

, Nicole Garcia,

Alexandre Arcady Alexandre Arcady (born 17 March 1947) is a French actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Life and career Alexandre Arcady was born in Algiers, Algeria. He emigrated to France at the age of fifteen. His son is filmmaker Alexandre Aja. ...

Costa-Gavras Costa-Gavras (short for Konstantinos Gavras; el, Κωνσταντίνος Γαβράς; born 12 February 1933) is a Greek-French film director, screenwriter, and producer who lives and works in France. He is known for films with political and s ...

, Jean-Jacques Beinix, Patrice Leconte, and

Radu Mihaileanu Radu may refer to: People * Radu (given name), Romanian masculine given name * Radu (surname), Romanian surname * Rulers of Wallachia, see * Prince Radu of Romania (born 1960), disputed pretender to the former Romanian throne Other uses * Ra ...

. CINEMANIA guest stars have included

Michel Hazanavicius Michel Hazanavicius ( lt, Hazanavičius; born 29 March 1967) is a French film director, screenwriter, editor, and producer. He is best known for his 2011 film, '' The Artist'', which won the Academy Award for Best Picture at the 84th Academy Aw ...

Juliette Binoche Juliette Binoche (; born 9 March 1964) is a French actress and dancer. She has appeared in more than sixty feature films and has been the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Silver Bear, ...

Emmanuelle Béart Emmanuelle Béart (born 14 August 1963)
''Tecinema.jeuxactu.com''. Retrieved 21 April 2020. is a F ...

Isabelle Huppert Isabelle Anne Madeleine Huppert (; born 16 March 1953) is a French actress. Described as "one of the best actresses in the world", she is known for her portrayals of cold and disdainful characters devoid of morality. She is the recipient of sev ...

, Virginie Efira,

Lambert Wilson Lambert Wilson (born 3 August 1958) is a French actor, singer and activist. He is best known internationally for his portrayal of The Merovingian in ''The Matrix Reloaded'', ''The Matrix Revolutions'' and ''The Matrix Resurrections''. Biograph ...

Laurent Lafitte Laurent Lafitte (born 22 August 1973) is a French actor. He is known for playing the role of Patrick in ''Elle ''Elle'' (stylized ''ELLE'') is a worldwide women's magazine of French origin that offers a mix of fashion and beauty content, tog ...

and Soko, among others. Juliette Binoche Cinemania 2006

Public

CINEMANIA's loyal public keeps growing year after year. After 11 years at the

, CINEMANIA moved to the Imperial Cinema to increase its capacity and thus respond to cinephiles' ever growing interest in the festival. The 12th edition saw its attendance increase by 50%, and the 13th edition in 2007 continued this growth. Those successive increases did not diminish the "cine-club" atmosphere of the festival, which is characterized by the interaction of film lovers and artists. In 2020, as CINEMANIA went online due to the

pandemic, the box-office resultats were surprisingly very impressive: the event reached out close to 30 000 spectators everywhere in Canada. Managing Director Guilhem Caillard declared: "''One thing is certain, the results of this 26th online edition of CINEMANIA have far exceeded all our expectations. We are stunned by the number of viewers who participated in this edition. For the first time, our festival went out to meet viewers in the privacy of their homes, in the four corners of the province of

and far beyond. CINEMANIA now has new fans in the rest of

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. This is, I believe, what we must remember about the complex situation we are all facing: the health crisis has exacerbated the need for culture, entertainment, the appetite for a different kind of cinema, the need to discover and defend French-language films.''"

Related activities

CINEMANIA organizes quality events that challenge and stimulate many cinephiles: master classes, discussion panels, presentation of films by their directors and actors, question and answer sessions after the projections.

Mel Hoppenheim Prix du public

The Festival awards an annual prize, the Mel Hoppenheim Prix du Public, given each year to the most popular film by public ballot. Over the years, the Mel Hoppenheim Prix du Public went to the following films: *1998: '' Serial Lover'', directed by

James Huth James Huth (born 29 August 1947 in Sutton, Greater London) is an English-born French film director, screenwriter and producer, mostly known for his collaborations with actor Jean Dujardin Jean Edmond Dujardin (; born 19 June 1972) is a French ...

*1999: '' Girl on the Bridge (La Fille sur le pont)'', directed by Patrice Leconte *2000: ''

Sentimental Destinies ''Sentimental Destinies'' (french: Les Destinées sentimentales) is a 2000 French drama film directed by Olivier Assayas. Running from the 1890s to the 1930s, the film tells the story of two wealthy Protestant families in the south-west of Fran ...

(Les Destinées sentimentales)'', directed by Olivier Assayas *2001: '' Once We Grow Up (Quand on sera grand)'', directed by Renaud Cohen *2002: '' Yes, But... (Oui, mais...)'', directed by

Yves Lavandier Yves Lavandier (born April 2, 1959) is a French film writer and director. Biography Yves Lavandier was born on April 2, 1959. After receiving a degree in civil engineering, he studied film at Columbia University, New York, between 1983 and 1985 ...

*2003: '' If I Were a Rich Man (Ah! Si j'étais riche)'', directed by

Michel Munz Michel may refer to: * Michel (name), a given name or surname of French origin (and list of people with the name) * Míchel (nickname), a nickname (a list of people with the nickname, mainly Spanish footballers) * Míchel (footballer, born 1963), ...

and

Gérard Bitton Gérard (French language, French: ) is a French masculine given name and surname of Germanic languages, Germanic origin, variations of which exist in many Germanic and Romance languages. Like many other Germanic name, early Germanic names, it is ...

*2004: '' Twenty-Five Degrees in Winter (25 degrés en hiver)'', directed by Stéphane Vuillet *2005: ''

Live and Become ''Live and Become'' (french: Va, vis et deviens) is a 2005 French drama film about an Ethiopian Christian boy who disguises himself as an Ethiopian Jew to escape famine and emigrates to Israel. It was directed by Romanian-born Radu Mihăileanu. It ...

(Va, vis et deviens)'', directed by

*2006: '' Gorgeous! (Comme t'y es belle !)'', directed by

Lisa Azuelos Lisa Azuelos (born Elise-Anne Bethsabée Azuelos; 6 November 1965 in Neuilly-sur-Seine) is a French director, writer, and producer. She is the daughter of singer Marie Laforêt. Biography Lisa Azuelos is the daughter of French singer and actr ...

*2007: '' The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Le Scaphandre et le papillon)'', directed by

Julian Schnabel Julian Schnabel (born October 26, 1951) is an American painter and filmmaker. In the 1980s, he received international attention for his "plate paintings" — with broken ceramic plates set onto large-scale paintings. Since the 1990s, he has been ...

*2008: ''

Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 1995 has been managed, ...

'', directed by

Pierre Schoeller Pierre is a masculine given name. It is a French form of the name Peter. Pierre originally meant "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word πέτρος (''petros'') meaning "stone, rock", via Latin "petra"). It is a translation ...

*2009: ''

Le Concert ''Le Concert'' is a 2009 French comedy-drama film by Radu Mihăileanu, starring Aleksei Guskov, Mélanie Laurent and Miou-Miou. It won the Best Original Score and Best Sound awards at César Awards 2010. It was also nominated for two Magritt ...

'', directed by

*2010: ''

Potiche ''Potiche'' is a 2010 comedy film written and directed by François Ozon, based on the play of the same name by Pierre Barillet and Jean-Pierre Gredy. It stars Catherine Deneuve, Gérard Depardieu, Fabrice Luchini, Karin Viard, Judith Godrèch ...

'', directed by

*2011: ''

Polisse ''Polisse'' (released at some film festivals as ''Poliss'', ) is a 2011 French crime drama film written, directed by and starring Maïwenn. It also stars Joeystarr, Karin Viard, Marina Foïs, Nicolas Duvauchelle, Emmanuelle Bercot and Riccard ...

'', directed by

*2012: ''Ombline'', directed by Stéphane Cazes *2013: ''Violette'', directed by Martin Provost *2014: ''

Diplomacy Diplomacy comprises spoken or written communication by representatives of states (such as leaders and diplomats) intended to influence events in the international system.Ronald Peter Barston, ''Modern diplomacy'', Pearson Education, 2006, p. ...

'', directed by

Volker Schlöndorff Volker Schlöndorff (; born 31 March 1939 Friday) is a German film director, screenwriter and producer who has worked in Germany, France and the United States. He was a prominent member of the New German Cinema of the late 1960s and early 1970s ...

*2015: '' The Sense of Wonder (Le Goût des merveilles)'', directed by Eric Besnard *2016: '' A Kid (Le Fils de Jean)'', directed by

Philippe Lioret Philippe Lioret (born 10 October 1955) is a French film director, screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on ...

*2017: '' See You Up There (Au revoir là-haut)'', directed by Albert Dupontel *2018: '' Sink or Swim (Le grand bain)'', directed by Gilles Lellouche *2019: ''

Spread Your Wings "Spread Your Wings" is a power ballad by the rock band Queen, from their 1977 album ''News of the World''.Nicolas Vanier Nicolas Vanier (born 5 May 1962) is a French adventurer, writer and director. His 2004 film '' The Last Trapper'' follows a trapper in Yukon, Canada. His film, ' ("Wolf") was released at the end of 2009 and was presented at the 2010 Cannes Film ...

*2020: '' Call Me Human (Je m'appelle humain)'', directed by

Kim O'Bomsawin Kim O’Bomsawin is a writer, film director, and a human rights activist specifically for Indigenous women in Canada and the U.S. O'Bomsawin is of Abenaki origin, which is a First Nation in Quebec, Canada. She is considered a leading indigenous fi ...

Audience award for the Best First Feature Film

CINEMANIA presents, since 2012, an additional award dedicated to encouraging talented newcomers of the francophone cinema world. The public will vote for the 13 first-time feature film screened at the festival. The TFO Audience award went to the following films: * 2012 : ''Ombline'', directed by Stéphane Cazes * 2013 : ''Tonnerre'', directed by Guillaume Brac * 2014 : '' Number One Fan (Elle l'adore)'', directed by Jeanne Henry * 2015 : '' Journey Through China (Voyage en Chine)'', directed by Zoltan Mayer * 2016 : '' The Dancer (La Danseuse)'', directed by Stéphanie Di Giusto

Prix Visages de la francophonie TV5

New Award launched in 2017. For the competition, the Programming Committee selects feature films that offer reflections on the Francophone world, its political and social issues and the contemporary history of the countries portrayed. All the titles will be competing for the "Visages de la Francophonie TV5" Award (a cash prize for the winning director for the development of their next project). The films selected are judged by members of the Francophone Youth Jury. * 2017 : '' Bloody Milk (Petit paysan)'', directed by Hubert Charuel * 2018 : ''Sofia'', directed by Meryem Benm'Barek * 2019 : '' Camille'', directed by Boris Lojkine * 2020 : '' Call Me Human (Je m'appelle humain)'', directed by

Award for the Best Quebec film or coproduction

New Award launched in 2020. With the Quebec film industry experiencing some difficult months in 2020, CINEMANIA wants to extend its solidarity and make a concrete contribution promoting cinema from here. Thus, the festival is particularly pleased and proud to be launching this new award, made possible thanks to the generous support of Michel Trudel, founder of Mel’s Cité du Cinéma and Locations Michel Trudel. * 2020 : '' Night of the Kings (La nuit des rois)'', directed by Philippe Lacôte

AQCC-Nespresso Award for Best Short Film

New Award launched in 2020. The 26 short films were selected with an eye to celebrating diversity and supporting the next generation of filmmakers. Six Francophone countries are represented:

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

Luxembourg Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small lan ...

Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 ...

and

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. Many of the titles will be making their Canadian premier. The winning filmmaker is selected by a new jury made up of three Quebec film critics and will take home the AQCC-

Critics Award (a cash prize). * 2020 : ''Landgraves'', directed by Jean-François Leblanc

References

{{Reflist

External links

* http://www.festivalcinemania.com Film festivals in Montreal

Festival

History

Program

Public

Related activities

Mel Hoppenheim Prix du public

Audience award for the Best First Feature Film

Prix Visages de la francophonie TV5

Award for the Best Quebec film or coproduction

AQCC-Nespresso Award for Best Short Film

See also

References

External links