Festival du nouveau cinéma announces opening, closing films

The Festival du nouveau cinéma is pleased to announce it will be opening its 41st edition on October 10 with the world premiere of La mise à l’aveugle (Small Blind) by Quebec director Simon Galiero. Camille Rewinds by French actress/director Noémie Lvovsky will close the Festival on Saturday, October 20.

La mise à l’aveugle, second feature by Simon Galiero (Nuages sur la ville), will mark the official start of the 41st edition. Opening night takes place on Wednesday, October 10, at the Théâtre Maisonneuve at Place des Arts, with the director in attendance along with actors Micheline Bernard (C’est pas moi, je le jure ! (It’s Not Me, I Swear!)), Louis Sincenne (La capture, Toi), Pierre-Luc Brillant (Borderline), Christine Beaulieu (Jaloux) and Julien Poulin (Camion). In 2009, Simon Galiero won the FNC’s Focus Grand Prize for best Quebec / Canadian feature film for Nuages sur la ville.

La mise à l’aveugle is the story of Denise (Micheline Bernard), who in her new life as a recently divorced retiree, succumbs to her love of gambling. The film, distributed by Funfilm, will screen in French with English subtitles at the Festival and will hit Quebec theatres in November 2012.

The Festival’s closing film, presented at the Cinéma Impérial, will be Camille redouble (Camille Rewinds), a fifth feature by Noémie Lvovsky (director of La vie ne me fait pas peur (Life Doesn’t Scare Me) and Les Sentiments (Feelings), and actress in L’Apollonide – souvenirs de la maison close (House of Tolerance) and Les Adieux à la reine (Farewell, My Queen)). Camille Rewinds won the SACD Award (Société des Auteurs et Compositeurs Dramatiques) during critics’ week at the last Cannes Festival and the Variety Piazza Grande Award at the 65th Locarno International Film Festival. Lvovsky’s delightful comedy takes a lighthearted, quirky look at the passage of time. One night, 40-year-old Camille (Noémie Lvovsky), recently separated from Éric, is transported 25 years into the past and rediscovers life as a teenager with her parents, her friends and Éric. The film stars Samir Guesmi (Hors-la-loi (Outside the Law)), Jean-Pierre Léaud (Le Havre), Yolande Moreau (Séraphine) and Denis Podalydès (Adieu Berthe).

Two actresses from this wacky comedy will be present at the closing ceremony. The film, distributed by Métropole Films, will be released in Quebec theatres starting October 26.

The 41st Festival du nouveau cinéma will run from October 10 to 21, 2012 in Montreal at the following venues: Excentris/Cinéma Parallèle, Cinéma Impérial (Centre Sandra & Leo Kolber, Salle Lucie & André Chagnon), Cineplex Odeon Quartier Latin, Cinémathèque québécoise, PHI Centre, Théâtre Outremont, Théâtre Maisonneuve and the Festival headquarters, located at the Agora Hydro-Québec in UQÀM’s Cœur des sciences.

The full lineup for the 41st Festival du nouveau cinéma will be announced at a press conference on Tuesday, September 25, at 11 a.m. in the Agora at UQÀM’s Cœur des sciences (175 President-Kennedy, corner of Jeanne-Mance).