The 14th Quebec City Film Festival celebrates women at the heart of the movie industry
Cassandra Kerwin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter
cassandra@qctonline.com
Cinemaphiles will get their fill from Sept. 10 to 14 with back-to- back movies playing all over town. For its 14th edition, the Quebec City Film Festival (QCFF) announced an almost all-female program, on Aug. 21 at the Cinéma Beaumont in the Méduse complex.
At Théâtre Le Diamant, the festival opens with a cocktail reception and Mille secrets mille dangers, by Quebec film- maker Philippe Falardeau – a film about secrets finally revealed after a wedding, based on a 2021 novel by Alain Farah. From then on, female directors and producers will be in the spotlight. “After 135 years of male-dominated cinema, during which we saw very few female directors at the Oscars and only three Palmes d’Or at Cannes, it was about time that the QCFF humbly gave women a prominent place,” said filmmaker and director of the festival Hugo Latulippe. He said the festival was following a trend observed at the Berlin and Venice festivals, among others.
“About 45 per cent of films made in Quebec would have been directed by women, according to the Société de développement des entreprises culturelles (SODEC). By showcasing female voices from here and elsewhere, the QCFF invites us to see the world differently, with sensitivity, strength and boldness,” said Coun. Catherine Vallières- Roland, member of the executive committee responsible for culture and major events. “For all these reasons, the Ville de Québec is proud to support this event, which has carved out a prominent place at the heart of the capital’s cultural life.”
To get the festivities going, in memory of the great cinematographer Jean-Marc Vallée (1963-2021), the QCFF will hold a Mixtape event at Le Diamant throughout the week- end. The rest of the festival will be dedicated to women in film. To highlight their work, members of the QCFF board wore white shirts emblazoned with the names of women who had made their mark on cinema in Quebec: Indigenous director, writer and activist Kim O’Bomsawin; screenwriter, director and producer Anne- Claire Poirier; and director, actor, screenwriter and musician Micheline Lanctôt.
In addition to shining the spotlight on women, the QCFF continues to focus on environ- mental issues. It will present Geographies of Solitude, an award-winning documentary by Nova Scotia-born, Montreal- based filmmaker Jacquelyn Mills, which follows naturalist and environmentalist Zoe Lucas and the wild horses she studies on the beaches of Sable Island, N.S.
Other feature films include the dark Quebec teen comedy Vampire humaniste cherche suicidaire consentant and Patrice: The Movie, an acclaimed American documentary about a couple, both of whom have physical disabilities, navigating the perils of marriage and bureaucracy.
It wouldn’t be a film festival without a bit of friendly competition. Movie makers pour their heart, sweat and tears into their work. With pride, they present it to the public and to juries at events like the QCFF. In the long feature film category are Mille secrets mille dangers; The Swedish Torpedo; Sorda précédé d’Orbites; Coexistence, My Ass!; Girls & Gods; Anna Kiri; Ms. President; Puisque je suis née and La mort n’existe pas. The short film category has 126 entries, including 76 from Quebec. The jury prize for Best Short Film is presented in addition to the $30,000 Best Quebec Short Film prize, awarded by a student jury and sponsored by Spira and Paraloeil.
Many more films are on offer, including films for young audiences. The QCFF is also hosting a few other events at different locations and times: a community party at the Powder Magazine, cocktail parties, discussions, master classes, and karaoke. While the majority of the program is presented in- doors and requires tickets or a pass, free outdoor films will be shown at Place D’Youville. Film lovers can even be spectators or extras in the festive real- time shoot at Place Dis Oui, the playground of the Théâtre Rude Ingénierie collective.
“There is so little to do and so much time, scratch that, reverse it,” said Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka in the 1971 classic Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. He was referring to a chocolate factory tour, but the same could be said of the QCFF. For more information, a detailed program and a “create your own schedule” tool to make sense of it all, visit fcvq.ca.