Quebec City Film Festival (french: Festival de cinéma de la ville de Québec) (FCVQ or QCFF) is a film festival held annually in September in

Quebec City Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Communauté métrop ...

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. It screens short and feature films and premieres movies from all over the world.

Description

Founded in 2011, the Quebec City Film Festival (QCFF) is a non-profit organization that strives to offer film enthusiasts from Quebec and visitors from outside the province and abroad a major film event similar to other iconic international film festivals. It is a renowned and recognised platform that screens regional and international productions of new and original films. The QCFF also supports local and regional emerging artists by providing them with a showcase to present their works that attracts major media exposure.

History

Since its inception, every year in the month of September the QCFF presents about 50 international feature films and more than 100 short films. The films represent all cinematographic genres and perspectives from all over the world, attracting an audience of more than 25,000 festival visitors every year. In addition to these works come the artisans that create them. At past events, the QCFF was proud to welcome more than 300 special guests to the festival, including well known filmmakers

Jean-Claude Labrecque Jean-Claude Labrecque, (June 19, 1938 – May 31, 2019) was a director and cinematographer who learned the basics of filmmaking at the National Film Board of Canada. Career Jean-Claude Labrecque was born in Quebec City, Quebec, and trained as ...

Xavier Dolan Xavier Dolan-Tadros (; born 20 March 1989) is a Canadian filmmaker, actor and costume designer. He began his career as a child actor in commercials before directing several arthouse feature films. He first received international acclaim in 2 ...

Jean-Marc Vallée Jean-Marc Vallée (March 9, 1963December 25, 2021) was a Canadian filmmaker, film editor, and screenwriter. After studying film at the Université de Montréal, Vallée went on to make a number of critically acclaimed short films, including '' ...

Denys Arcand Georges-Henri Denys Arcand (; born June 25, 1941) is a French Canadian film director, screenwriter and producer. His film ''The Barbarian Invasions'' won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film in 2004. His films have also been nominated three f ...

Christophe Gans Christophe Gans (born 11 March 1960) is a French film director, producer, and screenwriter who specializes in horror and fantasy movies. Life and career Gans was born in Antibes, France. As a teenager, he spent a large portion of his time crea ...

Mike Figgis Michael Figgis (born 28 February 1948) is an English film director, screenwriter, and composer. He was nominated for two Academy Awards for his work in ''Leaving Las Vegas'' (1995). Figgis was the founding patron of the independent filmmakers o ...

, and

Larry Clark Lawrence Donald Clark (born January 19, 1943) is an American film director, photographer, writer and film producer who is best known for his controversial teen film ''Kids'' (1995) and his photography book ''Tulsa'' (1971). His work focuses prim ...

as well as the many actors, writers and producers who also accompany their works at the festival. The festival was not staged in 2021, due to the

COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec The COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec is part of an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a novel infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Until 2021, Quebec had reported t ...

, but returned in 2022 with a smaller program than usual.

2011

* 21 September – 2 October * 122 films * 80 special guests * 10 387 festival visitors For its first edition, the QCFF opened with film

’s film ''

Café de Flore The Café de Flore () is one of the oldest coffeehouses in Paris, celebrated for its famous clientele, which in the past included high-profile writers and philosophers. It is located at the corner of Boulevard Saint-Germain and Rue Saint-Benoî ...

'', which was attended by the film's team; '' The Happiness of Others (Le bonheur des autres)'', the feature debut by

Jean-Philippe Pearson Jean-Philippe Pearson (born 1970) is a Canadian actor and screenwriter. He is most noted as cowriter with Patrice Robitaille and Ricardo Trogi of the film ''Québec-Montréal'' (2002), for which they won the Jutra Award for Best Screenplay at t ...

, closed the festival.

2012

* 13 – 23 September * 155 films * 75 special guests * 24 421 festival visitors Based on a true story,

L'Affaire Dumont ''L'Affaire Dumont'' is a Canadian drama film, released in 2012. Written by Danielle Dansereau based on a true story and directed by Daniel "Podz" Grou, the film stars Marc-André Grondin as Michel Dumont, a divorced young father of two who is a ...

was presented as the opening film of the second edition of the QCFF and attended by director Podz, producer Nicole Robert and actors that appeared in the film. Filmmaker

Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette (born 1979) is a Canadian novelist, film director, and screenwriter from Quebec. Her films are known for their "organic, participatory feel." Barbeau-Lavalette is the daughter of filmmaker Manon Barbeau and cinematogra ...

Inch'Allah ''In sha'Allah'' (; ar, إِنْ شَاءَ ٱللَّٰهُ, ʾIn shāʾ Allāh ), also spelled In shaa Allah, InshAllah, Insya Allah and İnşAllah is an Arabic language expression meaning "if god wills" or "god willing". It was mentioned i ...

was chosen to close the second festival. Festival activities were centred around the Dôme (aka the Igloo) in Place d’Youville and became a distinctive feature of the festival. It was open free to the public and hosted several evening parties and VIP events.

2013

* 18 – 29 September * 161 films * 88 special guests * 25 464 festival visitors For its third edition, Parkland by

Peter Landesman Peter Landesman (born 3 January 1965) is an American screenwriter, film director, producer, journalist, novelist and painter. He wrote a number of cover stories for ''The New York Times Magazine'', ''The New Yorker'', ''The Atlantic Monthly'' an ...

, an ensemble film based around the assassination of JFK, was presented to open the festival. The Quebec premiere of

Stefan Miljevic Stefan may refer to: * Stefan (given name) * Stefan (surname) * Ștefan, a Romanian given name and a surname * Štefan, a Slavic given name and surname * Stefan (footballer) (born 1988), Brazilian footballer * Stefan Heym, pseudonym of German writ ...

’s film Amsterdam was chosen to close the festival. New for the third year: the creation of the Cinephile Jury, made up entirely of residents of Québec City. The jury awards the most original film among first-time filmmakers. In 2013, the award went to

Don Jon ''Don Jon'' is a 2013 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt in his feature directorial debut. The film stars Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson, and Julianne Moore, with Rob Brown, Glenne Headly, Bri ...

, the debut by American actor

Joseph Gordon-Levitt Joseph Leonard Gordon-Levitt (; born February 17, 1981) is an American actor. He has received various accolades, including nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his leading performances ...

2014

* 18 – 28 September * 161 films *105 special guests * 23 191 festival visitors Mommy by

was presented as the opening film and attended by the film's team. The North American premiere of

Beauty and the Beast ''Beauty and the Beast'' (french: La Belle et la Bête) is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve, Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in ''La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins'' ( ...

was screened at the awards ceremony and attended by the film's writer and director

. The usual closing ceremony, which had been held on the last Saturday, is from then on replaced by a gala on the second Wednesday, during which the award ceremony takes place. Shortly before the festival began, containers were remodelled as mini cinema halls named Ciné Pop-up. A roaming project, they are placed in different locations throughout Québec City. The goal of Ciné Pop-up is to relocate screenings to where residents live so that they can view a selection of short films in their neighbourhoods.

2015

* 16 – 27 September * 217 films *208 special guests * 24 839 festival visitors

Paul à Québec ''Paul à Québec'' ("Paul in Quebec City") is a Canadian drama film from Quebec, directed by François Bouvier and released in 2015.François Bouvier François Bouvier is a Canadian film and television director from Quebec."A paradoxical people put on quite the show". ''The Globe and Mail'', June 15, 1985. His credits have included the films '' Jacques and November (Jacques et novembre)'', ''Un ...

was presented as the opening film: author

Michel Rabagliati Michel Rabagliati (born 7 September 1961) is a Canadian cartoonist born and based in Montreal, Quebec. He was published by Drawn & Quarterly and is currently published by Conundrum Press in English, and La Pastèque in French. Rabagliati has wr ...

, producer

Karine Vanasse Karine Vanasse (born 24 November 1983) is a French-Canadian actress, who had roles in the films '' Polytechnique'', '' Séraphin: Heart of Stone (Séraphin: un homme et son péché)'', ''Switch'' and '' Set Me Free (Emporte-moi)''. International ...

and actors from the film descended on the red carpet of Place d’Youville for the occasion. Philippe Falardeau's film My Internship in Canada was screened at the awards ceremony. The concert film

The Phantom of the Opera ''The Phantom of the Opera'' (french: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra) is a novel by French author Gaston Leroux. It was first published as a serial in from 23 September 1909 to 8 January 1910, and was released in volume form in late March 1910 by Pierr ...

(a screening of the Rupert Julian classic from 1925 set to music by an orchestra conducted by Gabriel Thibaudeau) was presented at the Palais Montcalm and featured a Casavant organ. Ciné Pop-up continued to relocate throughout the city as Place d'Youville was transformed into a large open-air cinema, with screenings that included, among others, the Back to the Future trilogy to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the release of the first film.

2016

* 14 – 24 September * 204 special guests * 294 films * over 30 000 festival visitors For its sixth edition, the festival opened with '' Boundaries'' (French title: ''Pays'') by

Chloé Robichaud Chloé Robichaud (born January 31, 1988) is a Canadian director best known for her debut film ''Sarah Prefers to Run''. The film premiered at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section. Early life and education Robichaud was ...

, with some members of the film's crew attending. Along with the director, actors such as

Rémy Girard Rémy Girard (born August 10, 1950) is a Canadian actor and former television host from Montreal, Quebec. Acting career Girard played the role of Rémy, the main character, who is dying of terminal cancer, in the Canadian film ''The Barbarian In ...

Yves Jacques Yves Jacques OC (born 10 May 1956) is a Canadian film, television and stage actor.Yves Jacques ...

Macha Grenon Macha Grenon (born June 7, 1968) is a Canadian film and television actress.Emily Van Camp, as well as Quebec cinema artists like

Julien Poulin Julien Poulin (born April 20, 1946) is Canadian actor, film director, screenwriter and film producer. He has portrayed numerous roles in several popular Quebec films and series. Elvis Gratton films His most memorable role was Elvis Gratton in whi ...

, Marie Eykel,

Manon Briand Manon Briand (born January 1, 1964, in Baie-Comeau, Quebec)Manon Briand
at Toronto Inte ...

and

Rock Demers Rock Demers, (December 11, 1933August 17, 2021) was a Canadian film producer. He was the founder of the film company ''Les Productions la Fête'' and produced the '' Tales for All'' film series for children. Early life Demers was born in Saint ...

walked up the red carpet of place D’Youville. The Palais Montcalm also hosted the North-American premiere of '' 1:54'' by

Yan England Yan England-Girard (born 9 december 1981) is a Canadian actor, television and radio presenter, screenwriter, film producer and director of short films. From the age of eight, he was known for his role of Einstein in the youth program Watatatow du ...

, screened as the film of the Award ceremony night. The features ''

It's only the End of the World ''It's Only the End of the World'' (french: Juste la fin du monde) is a 2016 drama film written, edited and directed by Xavier Dolan. The film is based on the play of the same name by Jean-Luc Lagarce and stars Gaspard Ulliel, Nathalie Baye, Mario ...

'' (French title: ''Juste la fin du monde'') by

and ''

Kiss me like a Lover ''Kiss Me Like a Lover'' (french: Embrasse-moi comme tu m'aimes) is a Canadian drama film from Quebec, directed by André Forcier and released in 2016. Set in Montreal in the 1940s, the film stars Émile Schneider as Pierre Sauvageau, a young man ...

'' (French title: ''Embrasse-moi comme tu m’aimes'') by

André Forcier André Forcier (born Marc-André Forcier on July 19, 1947) is a Canadian film director and screenwriter. His work has been linked to Latin American magic realism by its use of fantasy but is firmly rooted in Quebec's reality. His unromanticized, e ...

, both premiered at the festival and were favorites among the audience, the latter winning the Public's Choice Award for a Feature Film. For a third year in a row, the Ciné Pop-up also spread around downtown, both before and during the festival, becoming over the years a classic and must-see event.

2017

* 13 – 23 September * 253 special guests * 291 films * over 45 000 festival visitors For its 2017 edition, the Festival opened with the world premiere of '' Cross My Heart,'' directed by

Luc Picard Luc Picard (born 24 September 1961) is a French Canadian actor, director and comedian. He was born on September 24, 1961, in Lachine, Quebec, Canada. He has played numerous characters in diverse roles. Early life and education Picard was born ...

. The filmmaker and members of the casr were in attendance. ''

Barefoot At Dawn ''Barefoot at Dawn'' (french: Pieds nus dans l'aube) is a Canadian drama film from Quebec, directed by Francis Leclerc and released in 2017.Francis Leclerc Francis Leclerc (born 1971 in Quebec City) is a Canadians, Canadian film director, film and television director, screenwriter and film editor. He is the son of Félix Leclerc. Since 1995 he has worked in the Quebec film industry, directing music v ...

screened as the Gala Night Film, and was preceded by the awards ceremony : cast members

Roy Dupuis Roy Michael Joseph Dupuis (; born April 21, 1963) is a Canadian actor best known in America for his role as counterterrorism operative Michael Samuelle in the television series '' La Femme Nikita''. In Canada, specifically Quebec, he's known for ...

, Justin Leyrolles-Bouchard,

Robert Lepage Robert Lepage (born December 12, 1957) is a Canadian playwright, actor, film director, and stage director. Early life Lepage was raised in Quebec City. At age five, he was diagnosed with a rare form of alopecia, which caused complete hair lo ...

and Marianne Fortier were attending. Two Film Concerts were hosted at Palais Montcalm. ''

The Passion of Joan of Arc ''The Passion of Joan of Arc'' (french: link=no, La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc) is a 1928 French silent historical film based on the actual record of the trial of Joan of Arc. The film was directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer and stars Renée Jeanne F ...

'', Dreyer's silent masterpiece of 1928, eas interpreted by the pianist and organist Karol Mossakowski. QCFF also screened Oscar-winning '' BiRDMAN'' by

Alejandro González Iñárritu Alejandro González Iñárritu (; American Spanish: ; credited since 2016 as Alejandro G. Iñárritu; born 15 August 1963) is a Mexican filmmaker and screenwriter. He is primarily known for making modern psychological drama films about the hum ...

, with the soundtrack performed live by its composer, drummer Antonio Sánchez. Various cultural personalities attended the Festival:

Louise Lecavalier Louise Lecavalier Order of Canada, OC (born October 3, 1958) is a Canadians, Canadian dancer known as one of the icons of Canadian contemporary dance. Biography Lecavalier was born and raised in Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She began her p ...

, Marc Séguin,

Zachary Richard Ralph Zachary Richard (born September 8, 1950) is an American singer-songwriter and poet. His music is a combination of Cajun and Zydeco musical styles. Biography Zachary Richard began his musical career at the age of 8, as soprano in the Bish ...

Cédric Klapisch Cédric Klapisch ( ; born 4 September 1961) is a French film director, screenwriter and producer. Life and career Klapisch was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine. He is from a Jewish family; his maternal grandparents were deported to ...

, and others.

Tributes

* 2017:

George Lazenby George Robert Lazenby (; born 5 September 1939) is an Australian actor. He was the second actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond in the Eon Productions film series, playing the character in ''On Her Majesty's Secret Service' ...

* 2016 :

* 2015 :

Matthew Rankin Matthew Rankin is a Canadian experimental filmmaker. He is most noted for his 2014 film '' Mynarski Death Plummet'', which was a shortlisted Canadian Screen Award nominee for Best Live Action Short Drama at the 4th Canadian Screen Awards and a s ...

* 2014 : Richard Lavoie,

Bruce LaBruce Bruce LaBruce (born January 3, 1964) is a Canadian artist, writer, filmmaker, photographer, and underground director based in Toronto. Life and career LaBruce was born in Tiverton, Ontario. He has claimed both Justin Stewart and Bryan Bruce as ...

Alain Resnais Alain Resnais (; 3 June 19221 March 2014) was a French film director and screenwriter whose career extended over more than six decades. After training as a film editor in the mid-1940s, he went on to direct a number of short films which included ...

* 2013 : Izabel Grondin &

Im Sang-Soo Im Sang-soo (born April 27, 1962) is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. He has twice been invited to compete for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, with '' The Housemaid'' in 2010 and ''The Taste of Money'' in 2012. Early li ...

* 2012 :

Alex Gibney Philip Alexander Gibney (; born October 23, 1953) is an American documentary film director and producer. In 2010, ''Esquire'' magazine said Gibney "is becoming the most important documentarian of our time". Gibney's works as director include '' ...

* 2011 : Jean-Claude Labrècque &

Spokespersons

* 2015 :

François Létourneau François Létourneau (born 1974 in Sainte-Foy, Quebec) is a Canadian actor and writer, best known as co-creator and star of the television series '' Les Invincibles'', ''Série noire'' and '' Happily Married (C'est comme ça que je t'aime)''. ...

* 2014 :

Yves Jacques Yves Jacques OC (born 10 May 1956) is a Canadian film, television and stage actor.Yves Jacques ...