For this year’s edition, the Festival du Nouveau Cinema asked Anita Hugi and me to join the FNC’s Katayoun Dibamehr to think about what a festival can provide in the way of interactive and web projects programming.
Our aim : to turn the festival’s professional days into an experience that’s off the beaten track.
We want to put festivalgoers at the very heart of the eXPlore festival program, just like interactive storytelling tries to put the viewer at the center of the story.
We’re also opening the door to critique and reflection, which the genre needs more of.
All in the spirit of joy – or at least we hope so !
Part of the program has just been announced.
More surprises are in the works ! We really hope you’ll like it !
And we hope to see you in early October at FNC explore, in Montreal, Canada !
Press Release For immediate release
The 45th Festival du nouveau cinéma of Montréal announces the creation of a new section : FNC eXPlore
Montreal, Tuesday, August 16, 2016 — For its next edition, the Festival du nouveau cinéma is pleased to announce the creation of FNC eXPlore, a brand new section dedicated to new trends in technology and debates surrounding them, presented from October 8 to 15, 2016. FNC eXPlore will take the shape of a true laboratory for sensory exploration, from a reflection conducted during one year with artist David Dufresne (director of interactive documentaries such as Fort McMoney and Prison Valley) and documentary maker Anita Hugi(director of Data-Data and Undine — le projet d’aimer and producer).
With this new initiative, FNC innovates once again this year by offering an initiatory and immersive journey into virtual reality that will present works never before seen in Montreal, along with analytic Think tank sessions that will bring together experts from around the world.
Thus, audiences will have free access to discover a selection of key works of VR and new storytelling presented for the first time in Montreal, opening new visual and technological perspectives that appeal to all of the senses. Festivalgoers, guided in this unique discovery by the creators and a team of passionate devotees, will become more familiar with this new technology and could develop a critical approach.
A one day conference, free and accessible to all, will also be offered. It will be animated by renowned influencers such as William Uricchio (thinker and director ofOpen Doc Lab at M.I.T in Boston) and Harold Goldberg (journalist at New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, The Washington Post or Wired and advisor at Tribeca Film Festival).
The multi-awarded Katerina Cizek (director of the interactive series HighRise) also inaugurates a new cycle within FNC eXPlore : the interactive screenings with commentary by their authors.
This initiative is made possible by two new partnerships, the Geneva International Film Festival Tous Écrans (Switzerland) and the Forum des images (France), with the collaboration of Voyelle Acker (Nouvelles Écritures France Télévision).
Among the selected works is LATE SHIFT by Tobias Weber, the world’s first cinematic interactive movie presented for the first time in its entirety in Canada as well as the following virtual reality experiences :
In competition :
BE BOY, BE GIRL by Frederik Duerinck and Marleine van der Werf North American Premiere - Netherlands, 2016 From one of the creators of the remarkable FAMOUTH DEATHS, official selection of the IDFA Doc Lab and Tribeca Film Institute in 2015
IN MY SHOES by Jane Gauntlett International Premiere — United Kingdom, 2016 Official selection of the Alternate Realities section of the Sheffield Doc/Fest
INVISIBLE de Darren Emerson North American Premiere - United Kingdom, 2016 Official selection of the Alternate Realities section of the Sheffield Doc/Fest
LA PÉRI by Balthazar Auxiètre / InnerspaceVR North American Premiere - France, 2016
MALAWI NJALA / Flames of Hunger by Mads Damsbo and Johan Knattrup Jensen World Premiere - Denmark, 2016
Created by artists that conceived THE DOGHOUSE, which has won the Prix Innovation Urbania last year at the Festival
MARS 2030 by Julian Reyes World Premiere — United States, 2016
THE ROSE AND I by Penrose Studios Canadian Premiere - United States, 2016
VIRTUAL ODDITY by Raphael / One Production, Apollo Studios World Premiere — Canada, 2016
Out of competition :
CLIP 360 by Adastra Films World Premiere — France, 2016
I AM EWA by Mads Damsbo and Johan Knattrup Jensen Premiered at the Next Pavilion at the Cannes Film Festival and official selection at the Virtual Reality bar at the Locarno Film Festival - Denmark, 2016
I, PHILIP by Pierre Zandrowicz North American Premiere - France, 2016
JOURS DE TOURNAGE DE MA LOUTE by Fouzi Louahem North American Premiere - France, 2016
The poster of the 45th edition
In a spirit of constant innovation, the Festival also decided to showcase on its 2016 poster, emerging Montreal filmmaker Caroline Monnet, a multidisciplinary artist who works in both fine arts and visual experimentation. She’ll be at the Festival, taking on a one-of-a-kind Carte Blanche created in partnership with Telefilm Canada, CinéGround and Post Moderne, before starting a residency at the Cannes Festival’s CinéFondation to write her first feature, BOOTLEGGER.
The poster is the result of collaboration between Ulysse del Drago (photographer) and Aleksandra Krakowiak (Studio a&a).
The 45th edition of the Festival du nouveau cinéma runs from October 5 to 16, 2016, in Montreal.
Media contact : Mélanie Mingotaud
514.582.5272 / melanie@mingo2.ca
