Cinephiles worry about FFM future
Day 2 of the Festival des films du monde saw only a few dozen diehard filmgoers milling about outside the Imperial Cinema on Bleury St. on Friday afternoon.
With speculation about the festival’s imminent demise after staff walked off the job en masse, and screenings reduced to only one screen in one venue, longtime patrons lamented the possible loss of the 40-year-old festival, which has known much better times.
Despite the gloom, Montrealer Caroline Nabozniak said she would hate to see the festival fade to black after this year.
“I would feel bereft of a festival. I’ve always enjoyed this festival and its diversity of films. I know it’s not the Toronto (International) Film Festival or Cannes, but I believe the choice of films is excellent here. It would be a real loss for our city.”
Fellow film patron Orysia Krucko agreed.
“I lived in Toronto for 20 years. I went to the Toronto festival for many years, but it’s difficult to get tickets. It’s more Hollywood, a different kind of festival.
“The film selection here has been excellent,” Krucko said. “I’ve never been disappointed in any of the movies.”
Still, talk of the festival’s demise has her concerned.
“I’m pretty upset about it. I was actually considering buying a pass for $130, but with a limited amount of films, I don’t know what to do.”
Nabozniak came to the defence of Serge Losique, the festival’s embattled founder, whom some critics feel should step down given the festival’s sagging fortunes.
“Is that really the problem?” she said. “Would someone else choose as interesting films as him?
“Maybe he’s not a good manager, but we’ve been given too little information,” she added.
Montrealer Mary O’Halloran, 75, has been coming to the festival for more than 20 years and found this year’s event poorly organized. (Paper schedules were tacked on the windows of the Imperial.)
“I remember when there were huge crowds, all the way down around the corner,” she said.
“Will it improve? I don’t know. Maybe they need other people to be involved. I don’t know about Serge Losique, but he seems to be in over his head, maybe.
“Before, there were more venues you could go to. But this one — the Imperial — is a very nice one. It’s comfortable.”
O’Halloran said it would be a pity for Montreal to lose its film festival, while Toronto’s more glamorous event shines by comparison.
“Ours came before theirs. (TIFF) really caters to the stars, the Americans, Hollywood. I like those films to a certain degree, but I like this better. I like to see films from different countries, and this is kind of special because it’s unique.”
Cinephile Jean-Sébastien Carrier usually takes in 10-20 films each year at the Montreal festival, but says the event must evolve or die.
“I have mixed feelings,” he said. “I understand Serge Losique, but at the same time he didn’t adapt. I know there’s an honesty and a truthfulness in the way he sees it. But at the same time, he’s too rigid, and that doesn’t work.
“The general approach of the festival was a great approach. But I don’t think it’s great for a majority of people. For the last 10 years, I don’t think it was the right formula for the times.” Should Losique resign? “I don’t think he has a choice,” Carrier said. “It’s sad. He’s done a lot of good, not only for cinema goers like me, but for Montreal . ... But it’s over.”
James McLaughlin and Anna Schierioth, a couple from New Hampshire, have made the trek to Montreal for the past four years to see interesting international films. This time, however, they couldn’t even find a festival schedule at their hotel.
“That was the first indication of trouble,” said McLaughlin. Then they went to the Quartier Latin cinema, which the festival used until last year, “and we were told that the whole festival was kaput.”
Given the Montreal festival’s state of flux, the couple are thinking of heading to Toronto next year for TIFF instead.