Editor

Montreal's Festival du Nouveau Cinéma presents its 37th annual event October 8 to 19. With nearly 250 films in every conceivable format, several North American and world premieres, and one of the most enjoyable festival experiences anywhere, the FNC is more accessible than ever. Films from some sixty countries including shorts and feature-length films, documentary and fiction, animation, retrospectives, tributes, exhibits, industry meetings and special events 11 full days to satisfy the most discerning filmgoer and the person who loves just discovering whats new. The FNC formula is simple: bring in the years best films, along with some of its most high profile film directors and accomplished unknowns. Theyre all bursting with talent, and theyre on the FNC menu for your fall tasting pleasure. The grand dame of Canadas international festivals is definitely in fine shape!
Opening to Closing

On Wednesday, October 8, A Sentimental Capitalism, the latest from Olivier Asselin (Quebec/Canada), will have its world premiere at the Imperial Cinema at the 37th FNC opening night. The films entire team will be on hand to welcome industry representatives and guests and kick off the festivities. The first film of the evening will be the short film Next Floor by Denis Villeneuve (Quebec/Canada). A festival opening under the sign of creativity and innovation featuring two of the most inventive directors working in Quebec today. Eleven days of cinematic free dives later, we will say good-bye at a screening of the big prizewinner at Cannes this year. On Saturday, October 18, the 2008 Palme dOr winner, The Class by Laurent Cantet (France) will screen at the Imperial Cinema. The closing night will be open to the public, who will see the awards presentation and a very special gala evening

Programming for this 37th annual FNC is designed to initiate anyone and everyone to film in all its formats. The categories for films and activities include an International Selection (Louve dOr award), Special Presentation, International Panorama, Focus, Tempsج Short Films, Tribute & Retrospective, and Encounters (Master Classes), as well as the FNCLab & Events.

International Selection: Louve dOr
19 films. First as well as second feature by young filmmakers each more talented than the next. Some have already won laurels at earlier festivals. Others are genuinely new and not-to-be-missed. All covet the marvellous Louve dOr! This years International Selection is: 14 Kilometros, Gerardo Olivares (Spain); lOuest de Pluton, Henry Bernadet, Myriam Verreault (Quebec/Canada); Federico Veiroj (Uruguay/Argentina/ Spain/Mexico); Afterschool, Antonio Campos (United States); Blind Loves, Juraj Lehotsky (Slovak Republic); Cap Nord, Sandrine Rinaldi (France); Down to the Dirt, Justin Simms (Canada); Est��o, Marcos Jorge (Brazil); Everybody Dies But Me, Valeria Gaia Guermanika (Russia); Hunger, Steve McQueen (United Kingdom); Le Sel de la mer, Anne-Marie Jacir (Palestine/France); Snow, Aida Begic Zubcevic (Bosnia-Herzegovina, Germany, Iran, France); Still Orangutans, Gustavo Spolidoro (Brazil); Tale 52, Alexis Alexiou (Greece); Tulpan, Sergey Dvortsevoy (Kazakhstan/Germany); Universalove, Thomas Woschitz (Austria); Waltz with Bashir, Ari Folman (Israel); Wonderful Town, Aditya Assarat (Thailand); Zift, Javor Gardev (Bulgaria).

Special Presentation
Traditionally, the Special Presentation category is where to find the years best films and biggest names. This year, the category has no fewer than 27 films all screening for the first time in Montreal: 12, Nikita Mikhalkov (Russia); Adoration, Atom Egoyan (Canada); Gods Offices, Claire Simon (France); Chelsea on the Rocks, Abel Ferrara (United States); Cloud 9, Andreas Dresen (Germany); Filth and Wisdom, Madonna (United Kingdom); Four Nights with Anna, Jerzy Skolimowski (Poland); La Frontière de lAube, Philippe Garrel (France); Heaven on Earth, Deepa Mehta (Canada); Il Divo, Paolo Sorrentino (Italy/France); Inju, the Beast in the Shadow, Barbet Schroeder (France); Lady Jane, Robert Guédiguian (France); I Served the King of England, Jiri Menzel (Czech Republic); The Mourning Forest, Naomi Kawase (Japan/France); Tonight, Werner Schroeter (France/Portugal/Germany); Of Time and the City, Terrence Davies (United Kingdom); Palermo Shooting, Wim Wenders (Germany); Papa à Chasse aux Lagops, Robert Morin (Quebec/Canada); Les Plages d'Agnès AgnèsVarda (France); Just Anyone, Jacques Doillon (France); Rachel Getting Married, Jonathan Demme (United States); Restless, Amos Kollek (Israel/Canada/Belgium/France); Three Monkeys, Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Turkey/France/Italy); The Tigers Tail, John Boorman (Ireland); Two-Legged Horse, Samira Makhmalbaf (Iran); A Lake, Philippe Grandrieux (France); La Vie moderne, Raymond Depardon (France).

International Panorama
Documentary and fiction films that reflect the societies that produced them and our own. The International Panorama category brings 26 distinctive films from different continents to Montreal, offering an inside look at the world in which we live. Indelibly engaged with peoples lives, this years category includes: A View from Below, Matt OConnor, Paul Dinatale (United States), A Year Ago in Winter, Caroline Link (Germany), LApprenti, Samuel Collardey (France), Its Hard Being Loved by Jerks, Daniel Leconte (France), Caos Calmo, Antonio Luigi Grimaldi (Italy), Country Teacher, Bogdan Slama (Czech Republic, Germany, France), Delta, Kornel Mundruczo (Hungary, Germany), Dernier Maquis, Rabah Ameur-Zaﭥche (France, Algeria), The Last Card, Sylvain Biegeleisen (Israel), Elle veut le chaos, Denis C��/i> (Quebec/Canada), Flame & Citron, Ole Christian Madsen (Denmark), Gomorra, Matteo Garrone (Italy), Les Grandes personnes, Anna Novion (France, Sweden), Hommes ࠌouer, Rodrigue Jean (Quebec/Canada), Lost Song, Rodrigue Jean (Quebec/Canada), The Lovebirds, Bruno de Almeida (Portugal), Man on Wire, James Marsh (United States), Must Read After My Death, Morgan Dews (United States), Born in 68, Olivier Ducastel, Jacques Martineau (France), Nos Enfants Nous Accuseront (That should not be), Jean-Paul Jaud (France), Patti Smith: Dream of Life, Steven Sebring (United States), Le premier jour du reste de ta vie, Rémi Bezan (France), Séraphine, Martin Provost (France/Belgium), Synecdoche, New York, Charlie Kaufman (United States), Voy a Explotar, Gerardo Naranjo (Mexico), Wendy & Lucy, Kelly Reichardt (United States).

Focus presented by Radio-Canada
The Focus in this category is on vibrant new Canadian and Quebec films, and at just 3 years old it is already one of the FNCs most sought-after tickets. This years category includes 19 powerful films that will grab you emotionally and leave you pondering your society. Unique films well worth coming out for: Adams Wall, Michael Mackenzie (Quebec/Canada); the Focus section opening film All Together Now, Adrian Wills (Quebec/Canada); Chers ɬecteurs, Manuel Foglia (Quebec/Canada), Tomorrow, Maxime Giroux (Quebec/Canada), Behind Me, Rafaèl Ouellet (Quebec/Canada), Le Jour avant le lendemain, Marie-Hélène cousineau, Madeline Plujuq Ivalu (Quebec/Canada), The Man Who Crossed the Sahara, Korbett Matthews (Quebec/Canada), La Maitre des Anges, Luc Bourdon (Quebec/Canada), The Museum, Kenton Vaughan (Canada), Nurse.Fighter.Boy, Charles Officer (Canada), RIP: Remix Manifesto, Brett Gaylor (Quebec/Canada), Shes a Boy I Knew, Gwen Haworth (Canada), Sous la cagoule: un voyage au bout de la torture, Patricio Henriquez (Quebec/Canada), Trois Saisons, Jim Donovan (Quebec/Canada), Turbid, George Fok (Quebec/Canada), Le Voyage du Capitaine Michaud, Yann Langevin (Quebec/Canada), When Life Was Good, Terry Miles (Canada), The Woman of Ahhs, Benjamin Paquette (Quebec/Canada). A last minute addition is Fifty Dead Men Walking, by Kari Skogland (Canada/United Kingdom), a huge success at this years TIFF.

Short Films
128 films in 12 of the most eclectic programs ever: 24 films by promising filmmakers in competition, three programs in the Focus Section with a wide range of shorts from Quebec and Canada, and masters of experimental and animation film. Short films have always enjoyed a special place at the FNC and their die-hard fans insist that this program is the place to sift for gold. Looking at this years program, who could argue? Among the treasure: Denis Villeneuve (Quebec/Canada) with Next Floor in the New Images Program a fantastically rich collection of the best in contemporary images; Ryan Larkin and Laurie Gordon (Quebec/Canada) with Spare Change, opening the Focus section; Guy Edoin (Quebec/Canada) with La Battue; Sarah Fortin (Quebec/Canada) with Synthéthiseur; and Hella Wenders (Germany) with A Sunday in Winter. The motto? Exuberance and curiosity. Magic moments guaranteed!
Retrospectives / Tributes / Encounters
With
TRIBUTE AND ENCOUNTER: JOHN BOORMAN: Have camera, will travel is the motto for this vastly talented director. John Boorman has made films in Ireland, England and the United States for more than 35 years. The FNC will be honouring Boorman with its Louve dHonneur during his time in Montreal to present his latest film, The Tigers Tail. Also screening at the FNC, three of his most successful films: Zardoz, Leo the Last and Deliverance. Boorman will revisit his films at a Master Class, open to the public, on Friday, October 10 at 1:00p.m. at Ex-Centris.

ENCOUNTER WITH ABDELLATIF KECHICHE: French director Abdellatif Kechiche has won numerous filmmaking awards, but he was an actor before he made his first film, La Faute ࠖoltaire, winner of the Lion dOr for Best First Film at Venice in 2000. Next came LEsquive (2003) and La Graine et le mulet (2007), each of which took 4 Cesars including Best Film and Best Director. To celebrate Kechiches visit to Montreal, the FNC will screen three of his films in a very special program. Kechiche will meet audiences on October 16 at Ex-Centris.
ENCOUNTER WITH JACQUES DOILLON: The FNC is proud to announce that French filmmaker-director Jacques Doillon (Le Petit Criminel, Amoureuse, Ponette, Le Jeune Werther) will attend this years event. His most recent film, Le Premier Venu, will screen in a Special Presentation. He will meet members of the public at a Master Class on Thursday, October 9 at Ex-Centris.
TRIBUTE TO BRUCE CONNER: Avant-garde film legend Bruce Conner died in July. To honour him, the FNC will be presenting 11 of his films, with his collaborator Michelle Silva in attendance. A unique opportunity to discover or rediscover the works of this American visionary. Presented in partnership with the Bruce Conner Estate and with the generous permission of the Conner Family Trust and Jean Conner.