Is it worth developing a taxonomy of film festivals? Would such an order more resemble a food pyramid or a series of loosely overlapping Venn diagrams? At the peak or center of either we can be assured to find prestige world-class festivals à la Tiff or the Nyff. In the 1990s, Montréal had its own to rival and even challenge these, the Montréal World Film Festival. Technically the festival still exists, though as a shell of its former glory following decades of poor programming and mismanagement by the president Serge Losique. As was widely reported in August, this year the […]...
- 1/4/2017
- by Jesse Cumming
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
The 40th Montreal World Film Festival is in an apparent state of disrepair following the last minute resignations of many staff members and cancellations of dozens of screenings. A letter posted on Facebook Wednesday signed by 22 filmmakers whose films were scheduled to play at the fest before being cancelled at the 11th hour even asks festival president and founder Serge Losique to “seriously consider” resigning.
Read More: Tiff’s Second-Ever TV Lineup Includes ‘Black Mirror’ and ‘Transparent’
“Many of us flew great distances from different countries including Finland, Colombia, Germany, Czech Republic, Russia, Israel and the USA with great excitement to see our films shown on the big screen,” the letter reads. “However, when we arrived at the festival offices and found out that our screenings had been canceled without any prior notice, we felt humiliated and outraged. Most of us found out after we had already landed in Montreal.
Read More: Tiff’s Second-Ever TV Lineup Includes ‘Black Mirror’ and ‘Transparent’
“Many of us flew great distances from different countries including Finland, Colombia, Germany, Czech Republic, Russia, Israel and the USA with great excitement to see our films shown on the big screen,” the letter reads. “However, when we arrived at the festival offices and found out that our screenings had been canceled without any prior notice, we felt humiliated and outraged. Most of us found out after we had already landed in Montreal.
- 9/2/2016
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
Update: The head of the festival has branded reports of eleventh-hour staff resignations “slanderous” and “garbage” as the 40th anniversary edition got underway this week.
“It has nothing to do with the staff of the festival,” Serge Losique, who founded the Montreal World Film Festival in 1976, told Screen International on Friday. “It’s slandering [sic] and they will answer to that.”
The festival president flatly denied that any member of his staff had left, despite an open letter in Le Journal de Montreal this week in which staff said their resignations were motivated by what they claimed was financial instability at the festival.
In an emotional call to Screen in which he sounded irate and frustrated, Losique appeared to concede that there has been turnover of some volunteers and agency workers hired on short-term contracts, but added this was not the same issue.
“These people [volunteers and agency workers] know nothing about or finances,” he said. “When you have...
“It has nothing to do with the staff of the festival,” Serge Losique, who founded the Montreal World Film Festival in 1976, told Screen International on Friday. “It’s slandering [sic] and they will answer to that.”
The festival president flatly denied that any member of his staff had left, despite an open letter in Le Journal de Montreal this week in which staff said their resignations were motivated by what they claimed was financial instability at the festival.
In an emotional call to Screen in which he sounded irate and frustrated, Losique appeared to concede that there has been turnover of some volunteers and agency workers hired on short-term contracts, but added this was not the same issue.
“These people [volunteers and agency workers] know nothing about or finances,” he said. “When you have...
- 8/26/2016
- ScreenDaily
Willem Dafoe, Isabelle Adjani among festival guests; international industry express uncertainty on eve of 40th edition.
Montreal World Film Festival (Aug 25 – Sept 5) is facing a rocky start to its 40th edition following last-minute staff resignations and a key venue cancellation.
According to local reports, a large group of the festival’s full-time employees announced their resignation in an open letter sent to Le Journal de Montreal this week, citing financial uncertainty over the event as their prime motivation.
In another blow to the festival, the Cineplex movie theatre chain is withdrawing from the 40th edition due to “financial, timing and operational concerns”.
“We’ve been working hard to support and co-ordinate the 2016 festival for some time now,” Daniel Seguin, VP of operations for eastern Canada at Cineplex Entertainment told local media outlet CBC.
“Because of financial, timing and operational concerns with the festival itself, we had to make the difficult decision to not partner with them this...
Montreal World Film Festival (Aug 25 – Sept 5) is facing a rocky start to its 40th edition following last-minute staff resignations and a key venue cancellation.
According to local reports, a large group of the festival’s full-time employees announced their resignation in an open letter sent to Le Journal de Montreal this week, citing financial uncertainty over the event as their prime motivation.
In another blow to the festival, the Cineplex movie theatre chain is withdrawing from the 40th edition due to “financial, timing and operational concerns”.
“We’ve been working hard to support and co-ordinate the 2016 festival for some time now,” Daniel Seguin, VP of operations for eastern Canada at Cineplex Entertainment told local media outlet CBC.
“Because of financial, timing and operational concerns with the festival itself, we had to make the difficult decision to not partner with them this...
- 8/26/2016
- ScreenDaily
The 38th Montreal World Film Festival will be dedicated to the memory of the late Colombian literary giant, who died earlier this month.
“I had the privilege of meeting this brilliant beacon of 20th century world literature on several occasions,” said Mwff president Serge Losique.
“His immense humanist talent, his powerful advocacy for South American cultures in general and magic realism in particular influenced not only his literary colleagues but numerous Latin American filmmakers whose work we have showcased over the years at the festival. And his influence has radiated across the globe.”
The 38th Montreal World Film Festival will run from August 21-September 1.
“I had the privilege of meeting this brilliant beacon of 20th century world literature on several occasions,” said Mwff president Serge Losique.
“His immense humanist talent, his powerful advocacy for South American cultures in general and magic realism in particular influenced not only his literary colleagues but numerous Latin American filmmakers whose work we have showcased over the years at the festival. And his influence has radiated across the globe.”
The 38th Montreal World Film Festival will run from August 21-September 1.
- 4/28/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The Montreal World Film Festival (Mwff) top brass announced (28) that Massimo Saidel has been named special advisor to the Montreal International Film Market for 2014.
Saidel currently serves as advisor to the Rome Film Market.
He will report to Gilles Bériault, director of the Montreal International Film Market and become the exclusive advisor to the Montreal Market in 2015.
“Mr Saidel has an impressive track record as a sales agent of films on the international scene and has dealt with many of the most prominent producers and distributors on both sides of the Atlantic,” said Mwff president Serge Losique.
The 38th Montreal World Film Festival as well and film market are scheduled to run from August 21-September 1.
Saidel currently serves as advisor to the Rome Film Market.
He will report to Gilles Bériault, director of the Montreal International Film Market and become the exclusive advisor to the Montreal Market in 2015.
“Mr Saidel has an impressive track record as a sales agent of films on the international scene and has dealt with many of the most prominent producers and distributors on both sides of the Atlantic,” said Mwff president Serge Losique.
The 38th Montreal World Film Festival as well and film market are scheduled to run from August 21-September 1.
- 2/28/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Toronto - Hollywood producer Alan Ladd Jr., who gave George Lucas the greenlight to shoot Star Wars, will head up the competition jury at the upcoming Montreal World Film Festival. Ladd Jr., who was given a special achievement award in 2008 by the Montreal festival, will serve as president of the international jury. “We are very happy to have one of the premier Hollywood producers of our time to preside over the festival jury," Serge Losique, Montreal festival founder and president, said in a statement. Ladd Jr.'s film credits include Braveheart, Blade Runner, The Right Stuff, An Unfinished Life
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- 7/30/2013
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
TOKYO -- The Tokyo International Film Festival has chosen the jury for its 20th outing and has tapped David Puttnam as the recipient of its fourth Akira Kurosawa Award.
Alan Ladd Jr. will be president of the international competition jury. Ladd has headed both 20th Century Fox and MGM/UA. His producing credits include the upcoming "Gone Baby Gone".
Also sitting on the jury will be Serge Losique, the Montreal World Film Festival director and president of the Ottawa International Animation Festival. Italian composer Nicola Piovani, who has written more than 130 soundtracks, including the Grammy-nominated "Life Is Beautiful" in 2000, will serve alongside Wu Nien-jen, the Taiwanese director, producer and actor who also has written more than 80 screenplays.
Representing Japan on the jury will be Tokyo actress Kyoko Kagawa and director Yasuo Furuhata. Kagawa made her movie debut in 1950, while Furuhata made his directorial debut in 1966.
The Akira Kurosawa Award, which includes a $100,000 cash prize, is awarded to directors and producers who "made many works of high quality that balance entertainment and artistic objectives and who contributed to the development of world cinema."
Previous winners include Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-Hsein, and joint recipients Steven Spielberg and Yamada Yoji.
Alan Ladd Jr. will be president of the international competition jury. Ladd has headed both 20th Century Fox and MGM/UA. His producing credits include the upcoming "Gone Baby Gone".
Also sitting on the jury will be Serge Losique, the Montreal World Film Festival director and president of the Ottawa International Animation Festival. Italian composer Nicola Piovani, who has written more than 130 soundtracks, including the Grammy-nominated "Life Is Beautiful" in 2000, will serve alongside Wu Nien-jen, the Taiwanese director, producer and actor who also has written more than 80 screenplays.
Representing Japan on the jury will be Tokyo actress Kyoko Kagawa and director Yasuo Furuhata. Kagawa made her movie debut in 1950, while Furuhata made his directorial debut in 1966.
The Akira Kurosawa Award, which includes a $100,000 cash prize, is awarded to directors and producers who "made many works of high quality that balance entertainment and artistic objectives and who contributed to the development of world cinema."
Previous winners include Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-Hsein, and joint recipients Steven Spielberg and Yamada Yoji.
- 10/11/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
MONTREAL -- The Montreal World Film Festival kicked off its 31st edition Thursday night with the world premiere of the Quebecois comedy "Bluff" -- and a new lease on life.
WFF founder and president Serge Losique, having seen his festival endure a near-death experience two years ago when key government subsidies were pulled, was triumphant on opening night in the wake of the recent restoration of public funding for the event.
"Who says I'm back from the dead? I never went away," Losique said just before walking the red carpet outside the Theatre Maisonneuve with French actress Sophie Marceau at his side.
Marceau and Jon Voight, here with "September Dawn", will receive lifetime achievement awards in Montreal.
Before Marc-Andre Lavoie and Simon-Olivier Fecteau's "Bluff" was screened, the restored funding from various levels of government led to a lengthy roll call of politicos in the house. Losique also expressed pride in Montreal's 22-strong official competition this year.
Two U.S. titles, Mark Brokaw's "Spinning Into Butter", a New England college-set drama starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Miranda Richardson, and Christopher Cain's historical epic "Dawn", are among those competing for the Grand Prize of the Americas.
WFF founder and president Serge Losique, having seen his festival endure a near-death experience two years ago when key government subsidies were pulled, was triumphant on opening night in the wake of the recent restoration of public funding for the event.
"Who says I'm back from the dead? I never went away," Losique said just before walking the red carpet outside the Theatre Maisonneuve with French actress Sophie Marceau at his side.
Marceau and Jon Voight, here with "September Dawn", will receive lifetime achievement awards in Montreal.
Before Marc-Andre Lavoie and Simon-Olivier Fecteau's "Bluff" was screened, the restored funding from various levels of government led to a lengthy roll call of politicos in the house. Losique also expressed pride in Montreal's 22-strong official competition this year.
Two U.S. titles, Mark Brokaw's "Spinning Into Butter", a New England college-set drama starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Miranda Richardson, and Christopher Cain's historical epic "Dawn", are among those competing for the Grand Prize of the Americas.
- 8/24/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
TORONTO — The embattled Montreal World Film Festival appears set to regain its financial footing after settling a long-running battle with two key government agencies that had threatened its viability.
“All the fighting has been solved. Everything is back to normal, ” MWFF marketing director Sylvain Gagne said Wednesday of the peace that festival founder Serge Losique has achieved with Quebec film financier SODEC and its federal counterpart, Telefilm Canada.
A spokesman for SODEC said the agency will give provide CAN$220,000 ($210,000) in operating funds for the MWFF’s upcoming 31st edition, a move that follows a meeting last week between Losique and SODEC president Jean Chaput.
Meanwhile, a Telefilm Canada spokesman said that, while no agreement has yet been reached, the federal agency is considering a funding application from the MWFF for its Aug. 23-Sept. 3 run.
In 2005, SODEC and Telefilm Canada shifted about CAN$1 million ($950,000) in subsidies from the Montreal World Film Festival to fledgling competitor the New Montreal Filmfest.
“All the fighting has been solved. Everything is back to normal, ” MWFF marketing director Sylvain Gagne said Wednesday of the peace that festival founder Serge Losique has achieved with Quebec film financier SODEC and its federal counterpart, Telefilm Canada.
A spokesman for SODEC said the agency will give provide CAN$220,000 ($210,000) in operating funds for the MWFF’s upcoming 31st edition, a move that follows a meeting last week between Losique and SODEC president Jean Chaput.
Meanwhile, a Telefilm Canada spokesman said that, while no agreement has yet been reached, the federal agency is considering a funding application from the MWFF for its Aug. 23-Sept. 3 run.
In 2005, SODEC and Telefilm Canada shifted about CAN$1 million ($950,000) in subsidies from the Montreal World Film Festival to fledgling competitor the New Montreal Filmfest.
- 7/26/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
MONTREAL -- Having survived a rival film festival and the loss of key government funding, the Montreal World Film Festival (MWFF) launched Thursday night to a chorus of disapproval for Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper. A no-frills MWFF opened with a gala screening of Nos amis les terriens, (Our Earthmen Friends), a first feature for French sci-fi writer Bernard Werber. But festival founder and president Serge Losique struggled to get his 30th edition off the ground after Telefilm Canada, the federal government's film financier, and SODEC, its Quebec counterpart, pulled key funding for MWFF for the second year running.
- 8/24/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
TORONTO -- Former Berlin and Venice festival boss Moritz de Hadeln said Thursday that the New Montreal FilmFest, due to start Sunday, has garnered a major lineup of international films. "I'm very satisfied. We have succeeded in only six months to put together an attractive program (for the inaugural launch)," he said. As chief programmer for the event, he announced a 184-film lineup that starts Sunday with the North American premiere of "Les poupees russes" (The Russian Dolls) from French writer-director Cedric Klapisch. De Hadeln faced bitter rivalries with two other Montreal film festivals, Serge Losique's Montreal World Film Festival, which wrapped Sept. 5, and Claude Chamberlan's Festival of New Cinema and New Media , and strong competition for U.S. titles from Toronto and Venice.
- 9/15/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
TORONTO -- When the curtain goes up on the 29th Montreal World Film Festival on Friday night, it will launch eight weeks of marathon screenings in Montreal by three different festivals. A gala screening at the Place des Arts for Chinese director Xiaogang Feng's A World Without Thieves caps off a difficult year for MWFF founder and director Serge Losique, who lost key government funding to the rival New Montreal FilmFest, which opens Sept. 18. At the same time, Claude Chamberlan is set to go ahead with the 34th edition of the Montreal Festival of New Cinema and New Media on Oct. 13, having seen key backers Daniel Langlois and Sheila de la Varende defect to the New Montreal FilmFest.
- 8/25/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
TORONTO -- Former Berlin and Venice festival boss Moritz de Hadeln has faced mounting obstacles introducing the New Montreal FilmFest to a global film industry grappling with the limits of launching films in Montreal. The international press has had a field day following warring Montreal film festivals as de Hadeln, recently named head programmer at the New Montreal FilmFest, uses his connections and know-how to lay the groundwork for an inaugural Oct. 12-23 run. "I find it very sad, all this battling," he said Thursday of recent confrontations with Serge Losique's Montreal World Film Festival and Claude Chamberlan's Montreal Festival of New Media and New Cinema, which will also run in October.
TORONTO -- After two weeks of feuding among three major Montreal film festivals, Telefilm Canada and the Societe de developpement des entreprises culturelles (SODEC) on Tuesday reaffirmed their support for the New Montreal Film Festival ahead of its first edition in October. In a joint statement, Telefilm Canada, the public film financier, and SODEC, its Quebec provincial counterpart, "reaffirmed their intention to give Montreal a major festival" by helping underwrite the costs of launching the New Montreal Film Festival. Officials at Telefilm Canada could not be reached for comment at press time. Myriam Archard, a spokeswoman for the New Montreal Film Festival, said the reaffirmation of support followed two weeks of negative press attention in Montreal surrounding that city's three main film festivals: Serge Losique's Montreal World Film Festival, Claude Chamberlan's Montreal Festival of New Media and New Cinema and the New Montreal Film Festival, to be operated by L'Equipe Spectra, which also runs the popular Montreal Jazz Festival.
- 2/23/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
TORONTO -- Citing creative differences, movie effects creator Daniel Langlois said Tuesday that he will part company with the Montreal Festival of New Cinema and New Media, which he co-founded in 1997. Langlois will instead join forces with the New Montreal FilmFest, which is headed up by former Berlin International Film Festival and Venice International Film Festival boss Moritz de Hadeln and plans to launch its inaugural edition Oct. 12-23. His sudden departure also injects further venom into a Montreal film festival environment in which Serge Losique's embattled Montreal World Film Festival has fought long-running battles with the Montreal International Festival of New Cinema and New Media and its longtime director and co-founder Claude Chamberlan.
- 2/16/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
OTTAWA -- Telefilm Canada and the Quebec provincial cultural ministry will fund a new international film festival for Montreal to be run by Equipe Spectra, the organizers of the city's successful jazz festival, in partnership with software creator Daniel Langlois and his existing Festival of New Media and New Cinema. Officials with federal government funding agency Telefilm Canada and its Quebec counterpart, Societe de developpement des enterprises culturelles, said that they will pull funding away from Serge Losique's Montreal World Film Festival to fund the new venture. The government organizations added that next year will be a transition year during which the funding will go toward Langlois' Festival of New Cinema, with Equipe Spectra helping in the organization. The new film festival, backed by the public funding, would then be inaugurated in 2006 and likely will go head-to-head with the Montreal World Film Festival.
- 12/17/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
OTTAWA -- Hollywood effects creator Daniel Langlois on Thursday unveiled a pitch for his proposed Montreal International Festival of New Cinema to supplant Serge Losique's beleaguered Montreal World Film Festival as the city's main festival. Montreal-based Langlois applied to Telefilm Canada and the Quebec provincial cultural agency for about CAN$1 million ($840,000) in annual subsidies to create a more mainstream, star-powered festival to be staged each October. Langlois faces a rival bid from a partnership between the Just for Laughs Festival and Vision Globale. Telefilm Canada and the Quebec government this year decided to withdraw public support from Losique's Montreal World Film Festival and put the taxpayer funds up for grabs. In partnership with movie theater Ex-Centris, the 33-year-old Festival of Nouveau Cinema proposed a festival filled with gala evenings, popular films with the director and cast attending and a new section called "No. 1 at the Box Office" to showcase popular films from 10 countries.
- 12/3/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
TORONTO -- Montreal World Film Festival founder and president Serge Losique issued an open letter Friday claiming government efforts to divert funding away from his fete are not legal. "There is an inherent contradiction in what is being proposed, which is to set up another festival in Montreal similar to that of the World Film Festival, but that would usurp the mandate of the MWFF," Losique's letter said. "The model offered by the Secor 'report' is that of Toronto, never mentioning the detrimental effect on cultural diversity of a festival that primarily serves American industry at the expense of Canadian taxpayers. It's true, the American presence attracts those who dream of having their films picked up by an American company. This is a dream that is rarely realized. Outside festivals, non-American films are nearly invisible on the screens of English-Canada."...
- 9/24/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
MONTREAL -- Brushing aside speculation about the future of his festival, Montreal World Film Festival founder and president Serge Losique unveiled a lineup Tuesday that includes an official competition with few U.S. films and mostly European fare. In all, the 28th installment of the festival, which runs Aug. 26-Sept. 6, will offer 416 films from 72 countries. But a stormy press conference here presided over by Losique was dominated by questions about a recent government report highly critical of the annual event and threatening its survival. Losique refused to answer questions about the report released early this month that praised the rival Toronto International Film Festival, the Vancouver International Film Festival and the Atlantic Film Festival, while indicating that government funding for the Montreal festival could be pulled next year.
- 8/11/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
MONTREAL -- Brushing aside speculation about the future of his festival, Montreal World Film Festival founder and president Serge Losique unveiled a lineup Tuesday that includes an official competition with few U.S. films and mostly European fare. In all, the 28th installment of the festival, which runs Aug. 26-Sept. 6, will offer 416 films from 72 countries. But a stormy press conference here presided over by Losique was dominated by questions about a recent government report highly critical of the annual event and threatening its survival. Losique refused to answer questions about the report released early this month that praised the rival Toronto International Film Festival, the Vancouver International Film Festival and the Atlantic Film Festival, while indicating that government funding for the Montreal festival could be pulled next year.
- 8/11/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
OTTAWA -- Canada's federal and Quebec's provincial governments took the first step Tuesday toward ceasing public funding for the embattled Montreal World Film Festival beginning next year. The move follows the release of a study they commissioned on major Canadian film festivals that concluded that the Montreal festival did poorly when measured for "clientele satisfaction, financial performance and management and governance quality." Festival founder Serge Losique has faced persistent criticism in recent years for his control of the festival, and the event has seen a steep drop in industry participation as Canadian and international filmmakers and distributors opt instead to launch their movies at festivals in Toronto, Venice or elsewhere.
- 7/28/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
MONTREAL -- A day after the 27th Montreal World Film Festival wrapped, festival president Serge Losique said Monday that he plans to tie his 2004 edition next year to the Athens Olympics. Losique said Montreal would introduce a special section next year at the festival to be called Cinema and Sport, with only new films about sport included. With the Olympics in Greece, where they were started, the festival will pay tribute to Greek director Theo Angelopous. Losique said the event will screen Angelopous' latest film, which is now in production and is expected to be finished sometime this year. The Greek director will attend the festival. "Cinema and sport have something in common, and that is passion," Losique said in an interview. "It's been officially confirmed that we have the support of the International Olympic Committee and president Jacques Rogge to do this next year." At the closing ceremonies Sunday night, Losique announced that the dates for the 28th Montreal World Film Festival would be Aug. 26-Sept. 6.
MONTREAL -- As the 27th Montreal World Film Festival kicked into gear during the weekend, first-time and foreign filmmakers are jumping at the chance to screen their movies just as veteran film buyers leave town for the Toronto International Film Festival, which launches Thursday. Zhang Jiarui, director of the $1 million "When Ruoma Was Seventeen", a Chinese film in competition that opens in China in October, said Montreal was opening doors for his film. "The festival will open my film up to the Western world," he said, adding that audiences congratulated him on his work after it screened Sunday. Festival president Serge Losique said he was not deterred by the absence of industry players, who either bypassed Montreal for the currently running Venice film festival or Toronto.
OTTAWA -- Swedish director Jan Troell and Polish director Andrzej Zulawski were named as co-presidents of the international jury of the 27th Montreal World Film Festival, fest president Serge Losique said Thursday. Troell is best known outside of Sweden for The Emigrants (1972), and The New Land. "Possession is the most well known film by Zulawski, who has made a name for himself with the European art-house audiences. Other members of the seven-member jury are French actress Julie Depardieu, Quebec producer Rock Demers, Spanish historian and film critic Luis Gasca, Screen International editor Mike Goodridge and Italian filmmaker Alessandro D'Altari.
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