The 33rd: A galaxy of new lights and bright stars

The Montreal Festival of Nouveau Cinema will hold its 33rd edition from October 14 to 24. On this year’s menu: an impressive array of new voices and a fine group of established cinematic masters. These 208 works from 42 countries boldly reaffirm the Festival’s inclusive spirit: feature-length fiction and documentaries, short cuts, new-media installations and performances, and meetings for industry professionals. Canada’s oldest international film festival, known for its warm hospitality and jubilant atmosphere, is proud to present the year’s very best films. It all starts with Clean by Olivier Assayas (France/United Kingdom/Canada) and Ryan by Chris Landreth (Quebec/Canada) and ends with Mémoires Affectives by Francis Leclerc (Québec/Canada) – selections that reflect this year’s impressive Canadian and Quebec presence at the Festival.

Feature – International Selection
True to the Festival’s mission of bringing new talent into the spotlight, the international selection, programmed by Claude Chamberlan with Don Lobel and Dimitri Eipides, includes works from an unprecedented variety of countries and a record number of women filmmakers with strong visions. Some twenty of these films are first, second or third works. It’s a rich and bold selection grounded in current realities: Aaltra, Benoit Delépine, Gustave de Kervern (Belgium); Adieu, Arnaud des Pallières (France); Antares, Götz Spielmann (Austria); The Assassination of Richard Nixon, Niels Mueller (United States); Boats out of Watermelon Rinds (RindsKarpuz Kabugundan Gemiler Yarmak), Ahmet Uluçay (Turkey); Brodeuses, Éléonore Faucher (France); Demi-tarif (Half-Price), Isild Le Besco (France); Días de Santiago, Josué Méndez (Peru); L’Esquive, Abdellatif Kechiche (France); Garçon stupide (Stupid Boy), Lionel Baier (Switzerland); The Green Hat (Lu Mao Tze), Liu Fen Dou (China); The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things (Le Livre de Jérémy), Asia Argento (United States); Innocence, Lucile Hadzihalilovic (France); The Limb Salesman, Anais Granofsky (Canada); Littoral (Tideline), Wajdi Mouawad (Quebec/Canada); Or (Mon trésor), Keren Yedaya (France/Israel); Les petites vieilles (Starukhi), Gennady Sidorov (Russia); Temporada de Patos (Duck Season), Fernando Eimbcke (Mexico); Tropical Malady (Sud Pralad), Apichatpong Weerasethakul (Thailand/France); Turtles Can Fly (Lakposhtha Hâm), Bahman Ghobadi (Iraq, Iran); and Whisky, Juan Pablo Rebella, Pablo Stoll (Germany, Uruguay, Argentina).

Special Presentation
The latest from some of the world’s most talented directors, as well as a handful of older masterworks, have been selected by Claude Chamberlan with Dimitri Eipides, Don Lobel and Elyzabeth Walling. The section consists of nearly forty eagerly awaited films, many of which have recently won awards at some of the world’s most prestigious festivals. Together, they show that 2004 has been a great year for films from favourite directors. It’s a true embarrassment of riches: 5x2, François Ozon (France); 9 Songs, Michael Winterbottom (United Kingdom); 10 on Ten, Abbas Kiarostami (Iran); 10e Chambre – Instants d’audiences (The 10th District Court, Moments of Trials), Raymond Depardon (France); Acapulco Gold, Marc-André Forcier (Quebec/Canada); Anatomie de l’enfer (Anatomy of Hell), Catherine Breillat (France); Annie Sprinkle’s Amazing World of Orgasm, Annie Sprinkle, Sheila Malone (United States); Brothers (Brødre), Susanne Bier (Denmark); Childstar, Don McKellar (Canada); Cinévardaphoto, Agnès Varda (France); Comme une image (Look at me), Agnès Jaoui (France); Cool, Theo Van Gogh (Netherlands); Exils, Tony Gatlif (France); Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, Testuya Nomura, Takeshi Nozue (Japan); Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, Mamoru Oshii (Japan); Le Goût des jeunes filles (On the Verge of a Fever), John L’Écuyer (Quebec/Canada); Guerrilla: The Taking of Patty Hearst, Robert Stone (United States); L’intrus (The Intruder), Claire Denis (France); A Letter to True, Bruce Weber (United States); Land of Plenty (Terre d’abondance), Wim Wenders (United States); Lebensraum/Lifespace – Spectacle of Noise, Istvan Kantor (Canada); La Mala Educación (Bad Education), Pedro Almodóvar (Spain); Mirage (Iluzija), Svetozar Ristovski (Macedonia); Moolaadé, Ousmane Sembene (Senegal/France); Música Cubana, German Kral (Germany); Mysterious Skin, Gregg Araki (United States); Noir destin que le mien, Jean Leloup, Stéphanie Chabot, Thomas Bégin (Quebec/Canada); Notre musique, Jean-Luc Godard (France); On est au coton (uncensored), Denys Arcand (Quebec/Canada); Palindromes, Todd Solondz (United States); Le petit Jean-Pierre, le grand Perreault, Paule Baillargeon (Quebec/Canada); Une place parmi les vivants, Raoul Ruiz (France/Romania); Promised Land, Amos Gitaï (Israel); She Hate Me, Spike Lee (United States); Soraida, une femme de Palestine, Tahani Rached (Quebec/Canada); Star Spangled to Death, Ken Jacobs (United States); Superstar in a Housedress (The Life and Legend of Jackie Curtis), Craig B. Highberger (United States); Vera Drake, Mike Leigh (United Kingdom); and La Vie est un miracle (Zivot Je Cudo), Emir Kusturica (Croatia).