30th edition of the
Cinemania Film Festival
An eclectic selection showcasing the best of contemporary French-speaking cinema
October 23, 2024
The 30th edition of the Cinemania Film Festival is shaping up to be a major event for French-language cinema. It celebrates three decades of commitment to promoting cultural diversity through the seventh art. Film enthusiasts can look forward to a memorable festival that will showcase emerging and established talents from the French-speaking world. This year, the 30th edition marks a significant milestone in the history of this iconic cultural event in Montreal. Taking place from November 6 to 17, 2024, the festival will occupy several prestigious venues in Montreal, such as the Imperial Cinema, the Cinémathèque québécoise, the Cinéma du musée, the Théâtre Outremont, and the Cinéma du Parc.
Film enthusiasts can look forward to a memorable festival that will showcase emerging and established talents from the French-speaking world.
The program for this edition promises to be rich and diverse, featuring approximately 60 carefully selected feature films, documentaries, and short films. The films presented will come from major international festivals, including Cannes, Berlinale, the Toronto International Film Festival, the Venice Film Festival, and the Angoulême Francophone Film Festival. Additionally, as in previous years, Cinemania will welcome prestigious guests, with a retrospective allowing audiences to discover or rediscover their works.
For this 30th edition, France will be particularly highlighted. This theme will be reflected in a special program dedicated to French films and the presence of a French delegation comprising eight young professionals from the film distribution industry. This focus on France underscores the importance of cultural exchanges and strengthens ties between French-speaking countries.
Another important aspect of the festival is its professional component, Cinemania Pro. This program will allow film industry professionals to meet and exchange ideas and experiences. It’s a valuable opportunity to strengthen the “La Concorde francophone” Network, thus fostering future collaborations.
Must-see films
SHEPHERDS (Bergers) stars Félix-Antoine Duval as Mathyas, the young man who trades his urban life for a shepherd’s existence. The film also features Solène Rigot as Elise, a civil servant who abruptly quits her job and joins Mathyas on his journey. Sophie Deraspe, known for her award-winning film Antigone, brings her keen and authentic perspective to this new work, capturing the essence of the shepherd’s life in the South of France.
Another film not to be missed is CODE NAME: RED, directed by Tim Burton. This sequel takes place 36 years after the events of the previous film and follows the Deetz family as they face new adventures, with the return of iconic characters like Lydia and Betelgeuse. While this film is a departure from the French-language focus of Cinemania, its inclusion highlights the festival’s diverse programming.
On Sunday, November 16, the French film LE ROMAN DE JIM by directors Jean-Marie and Arnaud Larrieu will close the 30th edition of Cinemania at the Monument-National. This film, presented in the official selection at the Cannes Film Festival, is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Pierric Bailly. It stars Karim Leklou (known for BAC Nord and Le Monde est à toi), Laetitia Dosch (Les Rois de la piste, Mon Roi), Sara Giraudeau (Le Bureau), and Bertrand Belin in an odyssey about fatherhood. The Larrieu brothers and actor Karim Leklou will be present for the occasion.
Prestigious guests in Montreal
The Cinemania Festival will celebrate its 30th anniversary with some of the most beloved Francophone artists, who will come to Montreal to present their latest films in premiere and interact with audiences. Among the international guests expected for the 30th edition are Monica Bellucci, Tahar Rahim, Mehdi Idir, Grand Corps Malade, Katia Aznavour, Béatrice Dalle, Romain Duris, Guillaume Senez, Charlotte Le Bon, Céline Sallette and Franck Dubosc.
A true cinema icon, Monica Bellucci (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Irréversible), the most French of Italian actresses, will accompany the documentary MARIA CALLAS, LETTERS AND MEMORIES by Tom Volf and Yannis Dimolitsas. The film traces the career of the legendary Greek opera singer Maria Callas, embodied by a majestic Monica Bellucci. The Italian actress maintains an intimate dialogue with “La Callas”, from her modest childhood in New York to the heights of her career in Rome, Milan, Paris, Athens, and Monaco.
Tahar Rahim (A Prophet, The Serpent), who portrays Charles Aznavour, along with the duo of Mehdi Idir and Grand Corps Malade (Patients, Vie scolaire), co-directors and co-writers of Monsieur Aznavour, will present their film MONSIEUR AZNAVOUR in its Quebec premiere. Katia Aznavour, daughter of the famous singer, will accompany the delegation to Montreal.
Béatrice Dalle will be in Montreal to present two films: in LA PASSION SELON BÉATRICE, director Fabrice Du Welz presents a black and white portrait of Béatrice Dalle (Betty Blue, Lux Aeterna) between documentary and fiction, revealing her passion for cinema. In MALDOROR, by the same director, she brilliantly plays the role of an alcoholic mother of a young gendarme at the heart of an investigation into a series of child disappearances in Belgium in the 1990s.
For their second collaboration after OUR STRUGGLES (Nos batailles, presented at Cinemania in 2018), actor Romain Duris (The Animal Kingdom, L’Auberge Espagnole) and director Guillaume Senez will travel to Montreal together to present UNE PART MANQUANTE, a film that addresses the issue of parental custody rights in Japan.
NIKI, the first feature film by actress and director Céline Sallette (House of Tolerance) will be premiered at the Festival in the presence of its director and lead actress, Quebec’s Charlotte Le Bon (Yves Saint Laurent), who brilliantly embodies the artist and visual artist Niki de Saint Phalle in this highly anticipated biopic.
Franck Dubosc (Camping) will accompany his second feature film as a director, UN OURS DANS LE JURA, in which he also plays the lead role alongside Laure Calamy (My Donkey, My Lover & I) and Benoît Poelvoorde (Sink or Swim). A film with biting humour in which an accident with a bear disrupts the monotonous daily life of a couple.
The 30th edition of Cinemania will take place in Montreal from November 6 to 17, at Monument National, Cineplex Odeon Quartier Latin, Cinémathèque québécoise, Cinéma du Musée, Cinéma du Parc, Cinéma Moderne and Studio-Cabaret at Espace St-Denis.
TICKET OFFICE
Ticket sales are now open on the Festival’s website.
Image: Courtesy of the Cinemania Film Festival
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Cinemania, founded in 1995 by Maidy Teitelbaum, is one of the most important events in North America dedicated to francophone movies. Each year, during the festival, more than 50 feature films selected from the most prestigious international festivals premiere at Cinemania in their original versions, subtitled in English. festivalcinemania.com
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