The 14th edition of the Montreal International Documentary Festival (RIDM) ended on Sunday, Nov. 20, after 12 days of screenings and a wide range of activities. The rich and varied program included 119 films from 32 countries, shown in 10 Montreal theatres to more than 30,000 festivalgoers. Audiences and some 65 guests from around the world saw 26 Canadian and Quebec films, 14 world and international premieres, and 25 North American premieres. Prizes totaling $20,000 in cash and $6,500 in services were awarded at the closing ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 19.
AWARDS
Highlights of the 14th RIDM include the national competition winners, Les États‐Unis d’Afrique by Yanick Létourneau, which won the Cinémathèque québécoise‐Critics’ Choice Award, and Catherine Hébert’s Carnets d’un grand détour, winner of the Grand Prize for Best Canadian Feature. Montreal audiences will have the chance to see both films again once they hit theatres this winter and spring. The Vanishing Spring Light by Xun Yu won the Best New Talent from Quebec/Canada Award, and went on to win the First Appearance Award at IDFA in Amsterdam.
WOMEN INMATES AWARD
For the first time, a jury of five female inmates from the Joliette Institution chose a film from among eight candidates. The Mexican film The Tiniest Place (El lugar más pequeño) by director Tatiana Huezo won the inaugural Women Inmates Award. RIDM also continued its other initiatives in the corrections system, with a screening of Bouton at Maison Tanguay on November 21, with the filmmaker, Res Balzli (Switzerland), in attendance.
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| Jørgen Leth Photo Jacqueline Mallette |
Other successful initiatives included free matinees for students and seniors, which generally played to full houses. Three retrospectives and accompanying master classes, featuring filmmakers Jørgen Leth, Helena Třeštíková and Frederick Wiseman, also drew large audiences. Several films from the official selection attracted a great deal of attention from audiences and media, including Inside Lara Roxx by Mia Donovan, Mom et moi by Danic Champoux, L’or des autres (The Gold of Others) by Simon Plouffe, L’Empire du milieu du Sud (The Empire of Mid‐South) by Jacques Perrin and Éric Deroo, Position Among the Stars by Leonard Retel Helmrich, and Crazy Horse by Frederick Wiseman.
DOC CIRCUIT MONTRÉAL
Doc Circuit Montreal, the Quebec documentary market, attracted a diverse group of more than 300 professionals. The event’s 7th edition had a number of highlights, including the opening roundtable about festivals, with Philippe Clivaz (Visions du Réel), Javier Packer‐Comyn (Cinéma du réel), Alex Rogalski (Hot Docs) and David Wilson (True/False Film Fest); a roundtable on American funding institutions, with Orlando Bagwell (Ford Foundation), Beth Janson (Tribeca Film Institute), Judith Helfand (Chicken & Egg Pictures) and Emily Verellen (The Fledgling Fund); the EyeSteelFilm Pitch and the eventclosing Cuban Hat Pitch.
In addition, there was also the eagerly anticipated Face‐to‐Face activity; and many presentations and networking activities. Doc Circuit Montreal also included four new initiatives designed to support emerging talents, promote inter‐generational dialogue and provide alternatives to conventional financing. Doc Circuit Montreal is proud to have emerged as an essential documentary industry event.
RIDM IN QUEBEC CITY AND DOCVILLE
Starting Friday, Dec. 2, RIDM will offer additional screenings in Quebec City, followed by a new series of monthly “Docville” screenings launching in January. The last Thursday of every month at 7 p.m., at Excentris, viewers will be treated to the Montreal premiere of one of the year’s best films. The films will be announced three weeks before each screening. Movie cards are available for $50 for 8 films.
Quebec’s only film festival dedicated to documentaries, the Montreal International Documentary Festival presents the best reality‐based films, including the works of established directors and new talents.
The 15th edition of the RIDM will take place from November 7 to 18, 2012.
Information: www.ridm.qc.ca / info@ridm.qc.ca
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