Serge Losec, who held the Montreal World Film Festival (FFM) at arm’s length from 1977 to 2018, is launching a new festival, as well as a series of shows set to begin Thursday at Imperial in Montreal. This will be a tribute to FFM, which was once the most popular film festival in Canada. But for now, some guest filmmakers fear this is a hoax.
Unbelievable, director Andre Foursier said in an interview with duty. Titled The Montreal International Film Festival (GFFM) Honors Global Film Festival, the event consists of 25 screenings – all free – that must take place in the legendary auditorium of the Quartier des Spectacles between August 25 and September 5.
André Force movie Wyoming wind (1994) must be part of the programme, which is already detailed online on the GFFM website. However, the director was not aware of the existence of the GFFM of Serge Lucik: “I don’t know if it was a hoax. »
Thus, the Series of Shows in the Empire will be an event not only to honor FFM, but also aim to launch a larger festival, the Global Festival of Montreal Films (GFFM). According to its website, Pierre-Henri Deleu, first general delegate for the two-week directors of the Cannes Film Festival, is responsible for managing it. Its programs should be announced “later,” according to the GFFM website.
Mr Forsier recounts that Serge Losec called him “about a month ago” to be part of the board of an “upcoming organization”, but never got confirmation of what form it would take. “Pierre-Henri Deleu participated, so I accepted, it must have been important.”
As for the Empire tribute event, the director adds that “the programming is very good,” but “it’s not certain the films will really be shown.”
call him dutyHowever, François Baudry Losec, General Director of Imperial Cinema and son of Serge Losc, confirmed that the screenings will indeed take place, and that it is his father who organizes them: “We have film copies, everything is ready. However, the latter cannot confirm whether the biggest festival will be held. Or when, he adds, “I want him to succeed.”
Henry Welch, co-founder of press relations agency Ixion Communications and formerly director of communications for the fact-finding mission, remains skeptical. “I don’t know if it was a hoax,” he says, “I wonder what the versions of Losique films are.”
Henry Welch adds, “The last time I spoke to Claude Gagnon, who is also presenting a film at the event, he told me he also didn’t know his movie was going to be shown.” Like André Forcier, he was unable to reach Serge Losique this week for more information.
“Cultural Standard Bearer” is burdened with debt
“The GFF is the natural successor to FFM, and with the new charter and new board of directors, it will continue the technical programming of the FFM. We hope it will achieve the same success nationally and internationally,” the event website reads.
Thus, the GFFM is a homage to former festival Serge Lucic, who, according to his website, has been the “bearer of cultural standards for Montreal and Quebec” for 43 years. The event was, for many years, Canada’s most important film festival, attracting seven-star art stars such as Claude Lelouch and Catherine Deneuve, as well as tens of thousands of festival-goers.
The festival had to end in 2018, as it reportedly struggled with nearly $500,000 in debt duty.
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