Tuesday, November 21, 2017

RIDM 2017 Award Winners


Award winners of the 20th Montreal International Documentary Festival
(RIDM)

November 18, 2017 

Regardless of the Montreal International Documentary Festival (RIDM) ending on November EATURE19, 2017 the award winners for this 20th annual RIDM were announced  the day before, on November 18, 2017, during the closing ceremony at Concordia University’s Alumni Auditorium (H110).


GRAND PRIZE FOR BEST INTERNATIONAL F
The grand prize for best international feature, presented by Bell Media, went to Room for a Man by Anthony Chidiac. “The film opens doors and windows to an inner world that contains an entire private universe of deep meaning, broaching serious issues with wry humour and an irresistible rebellious spirit.”

SPECIAL JURY PRIZE – INTERNATIONAL FEATURE
“For its bold artistic vision that seeks ways to involve film in social and political realities, its original creative approach and its exploration of the dark corners of exile”, the special jury prize went to Taste of Cement by Ziad Kalthoum.

The jury for the international feature competition was composed of Daniel Kasman, Damien Detcheberry, Leena Pasanen, Marie-Ève Juste and Neil Young.

GRAND PRIZE FOR BEST CANADIAN FEATURE
Citing “the fluid and original structure the filmmaker created for his portrait of a complex protagonist,” the Canadian feature jury named Taming the Horse by Tao Gu as best Canadian feature.

The jury also awarded a special mention to Primas by Laura Bari.

SPECIAL JURY PRIZE – CANADIAN FEATURE
The special jury prize went to Jean-François Lesage for La rivière cachée, “for making a natural phenomenon a protagonist, and for the precision and elegance with which the film describes even ordinary existential issues.”

BEST NEW TALENT FROM QUÉBEC / CANADA
Presented by Post-Moderne, the award for best new talent from Quebec/Canada is presented to the maker of the best first Canadian documentary in the official selection. This year’s award went to Emilie B. Guérette for L’autre Rio. “The filmmaker ventured into the interstices of a major international event, where she achieved remarkable proximity to her protagonists.”

The Canadian feature competition jury was composed of Emilie Bujès, Pablo Alvarez Mesa and Robert Gray.

BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT OR MEDIUM-LENGTH FILM
The jury selected Ico Costa’s Nyo Vweta Nafta as this year’s best international short or medium-length film. “This magnificent film, shot in 16mm, is grounded in the political and economic realities of Mozambique. Its artistic vision serves its contemplation of the world and helps us understand important issues.”

BEST CANADIAN SHORT OR MEDIUM-LENGTH FILM
The award for best Canadian short or medium-length film was presented to Jacquelyn Mills for In the Waves. The film “is a touching meditation that transcends the personal, elegantly steering a course from the banal to the deeply philosophical, without ever losing sight of the materiality of everyday routine.”

The jury for the Canadian and international short and medium-length competitions was composed of Adam Cook, Amandine Gay and Lisa Jackson.

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD
Presented by TV5, this award recognizes festivalgoers’ favourite film in the official competition and Panorama sections. This year’s audience pick was Amandine Gay for Ouvrir La Voix.

MAGNUS ISACSSON AWARD
The Magnus Isacsson award was created in honour of the late, much-loved Montreal documentary filmmaker Magnus Isacsson. It is presented to an up-and-coming Canadian director who demonstrates social conscience. Presented by the ARRQ, Cinema Politica, DOC Québec and Main Film, this year’s award went to Jason O’Hara for State of Exception, “a film that reveals its director’s exceptional commitment. An activist, passionate, necessary film, made entirely independently over many years.”

The jury for the Magnus Isacsson Award was composed of Jocelyne Clarke, Ezra Winton (Cinema Politica), Richard Brouillette (Main Film), Sophie Bissonnette (ARRQ) and Steve Patry (DOC Québec).

STUDENT AWARD
This award recognizes a documentary selected by the student jury from among the films in the Canadian competition. It is part of the RIDM’s youth outreach and awareness program and is presented with the support of the CSN and Telefilm Canada. This year’s student award was presented to Tasha Hubbard for Birth of a Family, a film notable for “the urgency and authenticity of its subject, majestic landscapes that echo the intense emotions the film inspires, and its frank documentation of the alienation of a people. It is a clear reminder that we are on unceded indigenous land.”

The jury for the student award was composed of Florence Côté-Lagacé (Cégep Édouard-Montpetit), Antoine Harvey (Collège Montmorency), Charles-Édouard Martel-Marquis (Cégep de Saint-Laurent), Sarah Mederos Bernia (Cégep André-Laurendeau), Adriana Paquette, (Cégep Marie-Victorin), Chloé Simard (Collège de Maisonneuve).

WOMEN INMATES’ AWARD
The women inmates’ jury is composed of five inmates of the Joliette Institution. They chose a winner from a selection of eight films from the official competition and Panorama. Daisy, Mélanie, Jackie, Roxanne and Julie named Bagages by Paul Tom for “its original approach that opens a window on the other and introduces us to young people who reveal themselves frankly and unreservedly, and because we believe this is a touching and necessary film.” This initiative is carried out in partnership with Telefilm Canada, the Quebec chapter of the Elizabeth Fry Society and the Entente sur le développement culturel de Montréal. The project is supported by the Ministère de la Culture et des Communications and the Ville de Montréal.


Information: www.ridm.ca / info@ridm.ca

Wednesday, November 01, 2017

RIDM 2017: Opening Film


Montreal International Documentary Film Festival (RIDM)
20th Edition
November 9 - 19, 2017

Opening Film

24 Davids
WORLD PREMIERE

CANADA-QUEBEC / 2017 / 133 min. / French, English, Spanish, Twi / S.T. English and French

This film is an essay by Céline Baril filmed on three continents. It will have its world premiere on Thursday, November 9, during the Opening night of the RIDM festival, in the Alumni Auditorium (H-110) at Concordia University (by invitation only). The filmmaker will be in attendance, following a public screening during the festival’s first weekend.



For more than two decades, Céline Baril has been one of the original voices in Quebec’s film industry. The cinematic essay is her favoured medium. She has travelled the world and met members of many different cultures in her quest to create a humane, critical portrait of the world today.

24 Davids is a road movie that travels to three continents for 24 inspiring encounters. All 24 men the audience meet are very different from one another except that they all have the same name David. They also all reflect on major issues facing the world, and express their desire to work for a change. 

All Davids in the film are young men who are either concerned how the universe is made or are struggling to make this world better. There is a constant juxtaposition between the theoretical discussion of cosmology issues in a prestigious academic environment as opposed to the realities in less affluent and the third world countries, their real day-to-day struggles, the awareness that the world has to be made a better place for people and the solutions they offer. The film renders a strange perspective of a major disconnect between those two totally different worlds, the theoretical academic and the real one. 

24 Davids is produced by Colette Loumède at the National Film Board of Canada (NFB). Its cinema release is slated for February 2, 2018.

FILM TRAILER on Vimeo
https://vimeo.com/224206494

For more information, visit the Montreal International Documentary Film Festival (RIDM) website.


Tuesday, October 17, 2017

FNC 2017: Award Winners


AWARD WINNERS

Prizes were awarded on October 14, 2017


INTERNATIONAL Competition - Best Feature Film
Jury: Sophie Cadieux, Alexandre Domingue andLyse Lafontaine.
Louve d’Or presented by Québecor ($15,000 cash from Québecor)
AVA by LÉA MYSIUS (France)


Daniel Langlois Innovation Award
To recognizes an International Competition film for its daring aesthetics, creative use of new technologies and/ or groundbreaking treatment of a sensitive subject matter.
TÉHÉRAN TABOU by ALI SOOZANDEH (Austria, Germany)


Best Actor or Actress Award
Best actor or actress in a feature film in the International Competition.
DARYA ZHOVNAR in CLOSENESS by KANTEMIR BALAGOV (Russia)


FOCUS QUÉBEC/CANADA – Feature Films
Jury: Luciano Barisone, Nina Rodriguez and Jan Naszewski.
Canada Award  presented byPost-Moderne ($3,000 cash and $12,000 in post production services).
LES FAUX TATOUAGES by PASCAL PLANTE (Québec/Canada)


INTERNATIONAL PANORAM – Feature Films
Jury Cinema Politica: Pierre Luc Junet, Michelle Latimer, Zahra Moloo, Svetla Turnin and Ezra Winton.
Cinema Politica Award - Best feature film in the Panorama competition.
LIFE AND NOTHING MORE by ANTONIO MENDEZ ESPARZA (Spain)
Cinema Politica Special Mention 
THE NOTHING FACTORY by PEDRO PINHO (Portugal)


Peace Award presented by the Family Brian Bronfman Fondation
To Recognizes a work in the Panorama Competition that stands out for its contribution to the development of peace ($2,000 cash from the Family Brian Bronfman Fondation).
GHOST HUNTING by RAED ANDONI (Palestine, France, Switzerland, Qatar)


NEW  ALCHIMISTES – Feature Films
Jury of l’AQCC (New Alchemists - Les nouveaux alchimistes): Maxime Labrecque, Sylvain Lavallée and Zoé Protat.
AQCC Award and experimentation Award presented by Mubi
Best feature film in the Les nouveaux alchimistes competition (exclusive broadcast on the Mubi platform).
LES GARÇONS SAUVAGES by BERTRAND MANDICO (France)


TEMPS Ø – LONGS MÉTRAGES
Temps Ø Public’s Choice Award
Meilleur long métrage issu de la section Temps Ø / Best feature film in the Temps Ø section.
LES AFFAMÉS de Robin Aubert (Québec/Canada)


INTERNATIONAL Competition – SHORT FILMS
Jury: Natasha Kanapé Fontaine, Magalie Lépine-Blondeau et Véronique Barbe.
Loup argenté - Best short film in the International Competition.
COPA-LOCA by CHRISTOS MASSALAS (Greece)
Jury's Special mention
TESLA : LUMIÈRE MONDIALE by MATTHEW RANKIN (Québec/Canada)


FOCUS QUÉBEC/CANADA – Short Films
Jury: Wouter Jansen, Sanne Jehoul and Samya Papasoff.
Focus Québec/Canada  Grand Prix– Short Film presented by CineGround
Best short film in the Focus Québec/Canada competition ($15,000 in camera and/or post-production services awarded by CineGround).
MILK by HEATHER YOUNG (Nova Scotia, Canada)


Short film Focus Québec/Canada - People’s Choice Award presented by Unis TV
Best short film in french language in the Focus Québec/Canada competition ($2,000 cash from Unis TV).
CRÈME DE MENTHE by JEAN-MARC E. ROY et PHILIPPE DAVID GAGNÉ (Québec/Canada)


NEW ALCHEMISTES – SHORT FILMS
Jury:  Pierre Hébert, Delphine Jeanneret et Guillaume Lafleur.
Dada Award presented by Main Film and Mubi experimentation Award presented by Mubi
Best short film in the Les nouveaux alchimistes compétition ($1,000 cash from Main Film and exclusive broadcast on the Mubi platform).
PAINTING WITH HISTORY IN A ROOM FILLED WITH PEOPLE WITH FUNNY NAMES by KORAKRIT ARUNANONDCHAI (Thaïland/USA)
Special Mention
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE MOUNTAIN by CHRISTIN TURNER (USA)


RENCONTRES PANCANADIENNES DU CINÉMA ÉTUDIANT – STUDENT FILM PAN-CANADIAN ENCOUNTERS
Jury: Sofia Bohdanowicz, Alexandre Dostie and Gabrielle Lautru.
Pan-Canadian Student Film Encounters Award presented by Ulule
 ($1,500 to start a funding campaign on Ulule with personalized pre-campaign support).
PRENDS MA MAIN by ALEXANDRE LEFEBVRE (Québec/Canada)


Sound Design Special Mention
TOER by JASMIJN CEDÉE and SAM MONGEAU (Belgium)


P’tits loups Award - Small Wolfs Award
Jury: Camélia Laure Belzile, Fatima Bertin, Julien Bouchard, Clara Fonfrède and Jules Péloquin.
Best short film in the P’tits Loups section.
LA MAISON DU HÉRISSON by EVA CVIJANOVIC (Québec/Canada)
Special Mention
BIRDLIME by EVAN DERUSHIE (Québec/Canada)


FNC EXPLORE – INTERACTIVE PROJECTS and VIRTUAL TRALITY
Jury: Paola Gazzani Marinelli, Michael Kronish, Sandra Rodriguez, Liz Rosenthal and Jenna Seydon.
Innovation Award presented by Prim
The most innovative work for new platforms ($10,000 in production expenses and artist residency from PRIM).
VR_I by GILLES JOBIN & ARTANIM (Switzerland)
Immersion Award presented by Geneva International Film Festival
Best immersive work in the FNC EXPLORE.
NOTHING HAPPENS by MICHELLE & URI KRANOT (Danemark, France)


FNC EXPLORE Performances/Installations – Virtual reality
Public’s Choice Award presented by Viveport (HTC) 
$2,500 US cash from Viveport (HTC)
VR_I by GILLES JOBIN & ARTANIM (Switzerland)


FNC EXPLORE Films Public's Choice Award 
presented by Viveport (HTC) 
$1,500 US cash from Viveport (HTC)
PLANET  by MOMOKO SETO, BARNEROUSE FILMS (France)


Best French Work Award presented by uniFrance 
€1,000 cash from UniFrance
ALTERATION  by JÉRÔME BLANQUET, OKIO STUDIO (France)


Award for the best presentatio of a VR project in development 
$1,000 US cash from Viveport (HTC)
CINEMATOGRAFI  by BOMBINA BOMBAST (Sweden)  


Sunday, October 15, 2017

FNC 2017: Old Czech Legends


OLD CZECH LEGENDS

Staré povesti ceské

LES INCORTOUNABLES
ANIMATION

CZECHOSLOVAKIA | 91 MINUTES | 1953| Czech with English Subtitles 


The Czeck film Director Jiří Trnka is renown as the great master of puppet making and puppet animation. His contribution to that special art form is quite significant. Because of his influence in animation, he was called "the Walt Disney of Eastern Europe".

For his Old Czech Legends, Trnka chose six classic Czech folktales, more specifically, historical legends that were put into a literary form in 1984 by the writer Alois Jirásek in his book with the same Czech title as Trnka's film.


Trnka is careful to vary the tales' tone and tempo, transforming long forgoten heroes of national legends into living characters, incarnated by his very unique puppets he designed and made himself. Trnka’s work is equally impressive for his innovative editing, lighting, and sound. He was a winner of many international film award, raising the bar for the future puppet animators and influencing their work, even of the Quay Brothers. 

The film represent a unique opportunity to become acquainted with the work of a master puppeteer Jiří Trnka, and to get to experience his way of transmitting a narrative through his animated puppets.



FNC OFFICIAL SYNOPSES
"The lives of the earliest inhabitants of the historic land of Bohemia, recounted in a series of six stop-motion animation segments. Released in 1953, this film by the Czech director breathes humanity and empathy into the folk tales behind the heroes and legends of Czechoslovakia. Inspired by the book Ancient Bohemian Legends by Alois Jirásek, Old Czech Legends is proof not just of Trnka’s outstanding artistry and puppeteering talent, but also his amazingly inventive use of cinematic language."


For more informations about the FNC, the program, film scheduling and various venues visit the FNC festival's website.


Saturday, October 14, 2017

FNC 2017: Salyut-7


SALYUT-7

Салют-7


TEMPS Ø

CANADIAN PREMIERE
RUSSIA | 119 MINUTES | 2017 | Russian with English Subtitles

The film is based on real events that took place at the height of the Cold War in 1985. In February 1985, the Soviet Flight Control Center (MCC) lost control of their Salyut-7 orbital station that has been unmanned for half a year. The station only had a short time before falling to Earth, causing the death of many people if it hit a populated area and especially a large city.


The Americans are concerned it would fall on the US territoriality and that some nuclear weapons might be aboard. The USSR authorities, in turn, fear that the destruction of the Salyut-7 will put the country outside the space race, and that the US will take advantage of the situation, steal the station and learn its scientific secrets. To prevent this from happening, two astronauts are sent into space, the commander of the ship Vladimir Fedorov (actor Vladimir Vdovichenkov) and the flight engineer Viktor Alyokhin (actor Pavel Derevyanko). For the first time in history, they will have to attempt a manual docking with an uncontrolled object and then find and fix the problems on Salyut-7.


The scenario is based on real events - the mission of Vladimir Dzhanibekov and Victor Savinykh. The names of the real people in this space drama film are changed to emphasize that it is not a documentary but an artistic interpretation of it. Details and action portrayed are dynamic and dramatic and keep viewers in suspense. The visual design and acting are very strong. The amount of problems the two astronauts face, the way they deal with them, their space walk, and their camaraderie are quite inspiring and impressive.


FNC OFFICIAL SYNPOSES

In space, no one can hear you repair a Soyuz. This Russian blockbuster dramatizes one of the unsung heroic moments in the history of the space race.
True story: on February 11, 1985, Salyut-7 went quiet. The crown jewel of Soviet space technology was at risk of crashing to Earth with disastrous consequences. With the Cold War at its peak — on Earth and in space, in science and in politics — the situation was a complicated one. Two cosmonauts are sent on an apparently impossible mission to repair the craft and save the motherland’s honour. Can they do it ?”

DIRECTOR: Klim Shipenko
SCREENWRITER: Aleksey Chupov
ACTORS: Vladimir Vdovchenko, Pavel Derevyanko, Aleksandr Samoilenko, Lyubov Aksyonova, Ilya Andryukov 

FILM TRAILER


For more informations about the FNC, the program, film scheduling and various venues visit the FNC festival's website.