FNC FORUM to be held online, October 7 to 18

FNC FORUM to be held online, October 7 to 18

The Montreal Festival du nouveau cinéma (FNC) is pleased to unveil the programming for FNC Forum, its professional program focused on film creation, funding and distribution. In light of the current context, the 2020 Forum will be held online from October 7 to 18. On the lineup: networking events, workshops and expert panels aimed at sparking discussion among film industry professionals. On October 16, a master class with Philippe Falardeau will provide the perfect lead-up to the screening of his latest feature, MY SALINGER YEAR, which closes the Festival on October 18.

Master class with Philippe Falardeau
Online on Friday October 16 at 11 a.m.
Presented by the Directors Guild of Canada (DGC)
as part of DGC Visionaries

A well-established director and screenwriter whose Monsieur Lazhar (2011) received an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film, Philippe Falardeau shoots in both French and English and is today one of the most recognized and respected Quebec filmmakers in the world. During this master class, presented by filmmakers Daniel Roby and Tristan Dubois, Falardeau will discuss his career and share his vision of today’s film industry.

Online talks and panels

Keynote: State of affairs in 2020, and then what?

Friday, October 9 at 10 a.m.
What happened in 2020? Where are we at? How can we project ourselves in 2021, 2022, etc.? Donato Rotunno, producer and co-founder of Tarantula production company based in Luxembourg and Belgium, takes a look at the current state of Culture and the film industry.

Panel: Film production in the time of COVID. United we will stand!

Friday, October 9 at 11:30 a.m.
In partnership with the Bureau Estrien de l'Audiovisuel et du Multimédia (BEAM)
Roundtable with filmmakers and producers who had to suddenly shutdown their shoots due to COVID. How did they cope? Were there any alternatives? Was there any positive impact despite this forced pause?

Panel: The role of socially engaged cinema

Tuesday, October 13 at 10 a.m.
What is the responsibility of the artist? Has the year 2020 increased awareness? A conversation with filmmakers who see Cinema as a means of expressing their social commitment.

With 
Simon Lavoie, director and screenwriter, Quebec
Elza Kephart, director and screenwriter, Quebec
Joana Hadjithomas, visual artist and filmmaker, Lebanon

Case study

Wednesday, October 14 at 1;30 p.m.
Case study about Kaveh Nabatian’s film SIN LA HABANA, selected in the National Competition at the 2020 FNC edition. The director and his team will talk about their experience, the production and the creative process of the film.

Panel: Funding of Arthouse Cinema

Thursday, October 15 at 9 a.m.
Presented by the Canada Media Fund (CMF)
Since the recession of 2008 , funding and the distribution of Arthouse films have been hit by harsh blows. Where do we stand today? What is the state of funding around the world and more specifically in Canada? How are institutions adapting? Which initiatives or tools will be available for creators so they can create arthouse films which are original and diverse in their content and their form.

Moderated by Ilann Girard, Arsam, France
With
Pauline Couture, CEO of BlockFilm, Canada
Anne-Marie Gélinas, producer EMAfilms, Canada
A Canada Media Fund (CMF) representative
A Telefilm Canada representative

Panel: Online Festivals et Distribution are here to stay

Thursday, October 15 at 11 a.m. — panel in English
Traditional film distribution has been affected by profound changes in the last few years. Slowly but surely, online distribution and streaming are becoming the norm. More than ever, key players in distribution and producers need to adapt, and are called to design innovative strategies.

Moderated by Wendy Bernfeld, Right Stuff founder, Netherlands
With
Scilla Andreen, Indieflix founder, USA
Pierre Antoine, CEO of Kinow, France
An IFFR Unleashed representative

Discussions (free)

Thursday October 8 to Friday October 16 at 9 a.m.
Presented by Hôtel Monville
Relaxed and intimate discussions with filmmakers and cultural professionals sharing their experiences, points of view, and career path choices. An invitation to discover their relationship with the industry, their sensibility, their personal views and concerns.

With 6 pairs consisting of:
- Caroline Monnet (artist/filmmaker) and Élaine Hébert (producer at micro_scope)
- Tatiana Zinga Botao (actor) and Maxime Giroux (casting director)
- Alexandre Domingue (founder, Post-Moderne and co-founder, Cinéma Moderne) and Paul Landriau (director of programming, Pleins Écrans)
- Félix Dufour-Laperrièr (filmmaker) and Marie Michelle Deschamps (artist)
- Anthony Therrien (actor) and Stéphanie Hamelin Tomala (composer)
- Ariane Giroux-Dallaire (Managing Director and Head of Distribution MK2 MILE END) and Daniel Séguin (Vice president of operations for Eastern Canada - Cineplex Entertainment)

Networking, mentoring and online pitches — registration required

Speed meeting: The next generation of female filmmakers

Thursday, October 15 at 4 p.m.
In partnerhship with FCTMN
Virtual meetings between emerging female directors and industry professionals. This event has been created to support networking between women and give the new generation the opportunity to better understand their work and their creation.
Private event; registration required.

First Cut Lab FNC Montreal presented by Netflix

First Cut Lab FNC Montreal is a program designed for selected feature fiction films from Canada that are currently in the editing phase. Selected producer/director teams will screen their rough cut in a private session and receive expert feedback on their edit from international film professionals (creative producers, festival programmers, sales agents, etc.) as well as personalized advice from an editing consultant. 
Private event; registration required.

The three selected projects are:

• Très Belle Journée directed by Patrice Laliberté and produced by Julie Groleau (Couronne Nord)
  Advisers:
  Alesia Weston, Creative Director of accelerator Starfish, USA
  Kathleen McInnis, publicist at See-Through Films, USA
  Marina Andree Skop, director and producer, Bosnia-Herzegovina
  
  
• La Perla directed by Ariane Falardeau St-Amour and Paul Chotel and produced by Omar Elhamy, Simon Allard and Jeanne Dupuis 
  Advisers:
  Weijie Lai, producer E&W Films, Singapore and Canada
  Andrea Stavenhagen, Head of Industry at Morelia IFF, Mexico
  Isabel Ivars, Head of Festivals at Films Boutique, Germany
  
  
• Bootlegger directed by Caroline Monnet and produced by Catherine Chagnon (Microclimat Films)
  Advisers:
  Ewa Puszczyńska, producer, Poland
  Paz Lázaro, programmer at Berlinale, Spain and Germany
  Cristina Gallego, director and producer, Colombia
  

Pitch: Premières Oeuvres presented by Netflix

Pitch session where eight emerging Canadian filmmakers will pitch their films to a jury of experts and industry professionals. A presentation of first features and medium-length films in development (fiction, documentary, experimental, animation).
Private event; registration required.

Jury:
- Marit van den Elshout, Head of IFFR Pro, CineMart et Hubert Bals Fund, IFFR
- Anick Poirier, WaZabi Films co-president, Montréal
- Donato Rotunno, producer, co-founder of production company Tarantula (Luxembourg and Belgium).

Workshop: Video pitch and online meetings

Offered to selected participants of the 2020 Premières Oeuvres pitch session, this workshop focuses on developing and structuring a compelling pitch. Led by Hayet Benkara, industry consultant for FNC Forum 2020.
Private event; registration required.

Professional meetings

One-on-one meetings between Premières Oeuvres pitch participants and industry pros selected by the FNC Forum team.
Private event; registration required.

PASSES AND RATES

FNC Forum professional passes can now be purchased for $50 (taxes included) on our website.

The full Festival lineup will be unveiled on September 29.

SEE THE FULL PRESS RELEASE