The 38th Rendez-vous
Québec Cinéma, presented by Hydro-Québec, in collaboration
with Radio-Canada, invites the public to come celebrate our films
from February 26 to March 7. The festival’s spokesperson, Monia
Chokri, joins the RVQC team in inviting artists and cinephiles to 11 days
of festivities. With more than 300 films, including 80
premieres and more than 30 free events, the 2020 edition is
guaranteed to be THE Quebec film event of the year!
“ The Rendez-vous is a unique
event, appreciated not just at home but around the world. In a way, the
festival is the pulse of our industry, and for 38 years it has kept the beat
for our extraordinary cinema community. We invite our biggest talents and
freshly minted artists to come meet the public and share their passion during
the festival’s 11 days of screenings and celebrations. The Rendez-vous also
features a program of school-based activities, and programming for our newly
arrived compatriots who are learning French. With the 8th edition of
the Rendez-vous Pro and the new La Forge talent lab, we are evolving alongside
the industry to put the wonderful diversity of Quebec’s films in the spotlight.
I hope you will join us in making a rendezvous with our cinema,” said Ségolène
Roederer, executive director of Québec Cinéma.
The RVQC’s screenings and activities will take place at Cinéma Impérial, the Cinémathèque québécoise, Cineplex Odeon Quartier Latin, the Salon orange at Centre Pierre-Péladeau, and BAnQ Vieux-Montréal. The Buvette SUPER ÉCRAN, located in the heart of the Cinémathèque québécoise, will once again be the social hub where audiences can meet the artists who make our movies. The Buvette will host the festival’s cocktail parties, lively discussions, Soirées and Nights with round tables, readings, cabarets and great parties. Meanwhile, the Espace Rendez-vous, upstairs at the Cinémathèque québécoise, will exhibit the works in the festival’s digital art section.
LES SOIRÉES TAPIS BLEU
LES NÔTRES, directed
by Jeanne Leblanc, who co-wrote the film with Judith Baribeau, will launch the
festival on February 26, with a gala world premiere at the Tapis
bleu Opening Night, presented by Bell. The film stars Émilie
Bierre, Marianne Farley, Judith Baribeau and Paul Doucet. The opening ceremony,
co-presented by MELS, will take place at Cinéma
Impérial. The SOIRÉES TAPIS BLEU 2020 series continues with
the documentaries RÉSISTANCE : LA POLICE FACE AU MUR by
Charles Gervais and FEMMES DES CASERNES by Louise Leroux. The
fictions in the series include two first features: MONT FOSTER by
Louis Godbout, with Laurence Leboeuf, Patrick Hivon, Lucie Laurier and Émile
Proulx-Cloutier, and FLASHWOOD by Jean-Carl Boucher, starring
Pier-Luc Funk, Antoine Desrochers, Simon Pigeon, Maxime Desjardins-Tremblay,
Laurent-Christophe de Ruelle and Karelle Tremblay. Lastly, the musical
documentary JUKEBOX : UN RÊVE AMÉRICAIN FAIT AU QUÉBEC by Guylaine
Maroist and Éric Ruel will close the 38th Rendez-vous on March 7 at the Closing Night
co-presented by Cineplex.
FICTIONAL FEATURES
The Rendez-vous will screen more than 40 FICTIONAL FEATURE FILMS, presented by Hydro-Québec. The program will give cinephiles the chance to (re)watch the biggest films of a banner year for our industry. They include SYMPATHIE POUR LE DIABLE by Guillaume de Fontenay, who co-wrote the film with Guillaume Vigneault, Jean Barbe and Paul Marchand; GENÈSE by Philippe Lesage; WILCOX by Denis Côté; ANTIGONE by Sophie Deraspe; IL PLEUVAIT DES OISEAUX by Louise Archambault; JEUNE JULIETTE by Anne Émond; MATTHIAS et MAXIME by Xavier Dolan; and LA FEMME DE MON FRÈRE by Monia Chokri, the RVQC 2020 spokesperson. The Rendez-vous will also have two exclusive previews of web series this year: season 3 of L’ÉCRIVAIN PUBLIC by Éric Piccoli, written by Michel Duchesne and Éric Piccoli, and RAMAILLAGES by Moïse Marcoux-Chabot.
The Rendez-vous 2020 is also
thrilled to present a special screening of the first feature film by Patrice
Laliberté and the Couronne Nord production house. Written by Nicolas Krief,
Patrice Laliberté and Charles Dionne, JUSQU’AU DÉCLIN is the first
Quebec-made film funded by Netflix. The grand premiere will be held on February
28 at Cinéma Impérial, with the filmmakers in attendance.
DOCUMENTARIES
This year’s Rendez-vous will present a total of 112 SHORT, MEDIUM-LENGTH AND FEATURE DOCUMENTARIES including 36 GRAND PREMIERES. The program includes the premieres of LOIN DE BACHAR by Pascal Sanchez, LE CHÂTEAU by Denys Desjardins, LA NUIT DE LA POÉSIE 1991 by Jean-Claude Labrecque and Jean-Pierre Masse, LE SILENCE DU FLEUVE by Rogério Soares, MAISONNEUVE by Nicolas Wadimoff and MON PÈRE ET SA MÉLANCOLIE by Xiaodan He. The RVQC also provides excellent opportunities to catch big-screen showings of documentaries that made a mark last year, such as LE FOND DE L’AIR by Simon Beaulieu, L.A. TEA TIME by Sophie Bédard Marcotte, XALKO by Hind Benchekroun and Sami Mermer, JORDAN RIVER ANDERSON, LE MESSAGER by Alanis Obomsawin, MAD DOG & THE BUTCHER – LES DERNIERS VILAINS by Thomas Rinfret and KENBE LA – JUSQU’À LA VICTOIRE by Will Prosper.
ANNIVERSARY SCREENINGS AND SPECIAL
PRESENTATIONS
To celebrate Quebec’s cinematic heritage, the Rendez-vous will present several ANNIVERSARY SCREENINGS and SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS of restored films. The festival will mark the anniversaries of LA MOITIÉ GAUCHE DU FRIGO by Philippe Falardeau (20 years), LES BONS DÉBARRAS by Francis Mankiewicz, written by Réjean Ducharme (40 years), and LES BRÛLÉS by Bernard Devlin (60 years). The RVQC will also screen restored prints of LES BLEUS AU CŒUR by Suzanne Guy, written by Michèle Robert, Louise Roy and Suzanne Guy; C’EST COMME UNE PEINE D’AMOUR by Suzanne Guy; and the restored second episode of SON DES FRANÇAIS D’AMÉRIQUE by Michel Brault and André Gladu, a series listed on UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register in 2017. The film will be followed by the most recent short film by André Gladu, L’ESPRIT DU VIOLON TRAD.
LONG ON SHORTS!
With 200 FILMS, including 62 PREMIERES, 63 FILMS IN COMPETITION and 26 PROGRAMS, the RVQC is incontestably the biggest showcase for Quebec-made shorts in every genre. The premieres include ARCHIPEL by Katherine Jerkovic, CHIEN by Pascal Sanchez, CRY OF THE LOON by Léa Marinova, VIGILE by Xavier Beauchesne-Rondeau and QUI PART À LA CHASSE, a student short by Anthony Coveney. Several shorts that had a fine year will also be part of the excellent 2020 program. They include UNE BOMBE AU CŒUR by Rémi St-Michel, LA PHYSIQUE DE LA TRISTESSE by Theodore Ushev, SECOND GENERATION by Myriam Charles, JE FINIRAI EN PRISON by Alexandre Dostie, JARVIK by Émilie Mannering, ASTRES by Andrée-Anne Roussel, JUSTE MOI ET TOI by Sandrine Brodeur-Desrosiers, and LE CORTÈGE by Pascal Blanchet and Rodolphe Saint-Gelais.The festival’s strong commitment to short films also means a prominent position for up-and-coming filmmakers, with a total of 35 STUDENT FILMS being screened this year.
The Rendez-vous is once again pleased to welcome the 16thPrix Prends ça court !(Quebec short film awards) on March 3 at the Cinémathèque québécoise. Emceed by Marc Beaupré (Série Noire, Victor Lessard, Jusqu’au Déclin) with the frenetic rock of Les Shirley, the evening will be a festive one, showcasing the diversity, richness and uniqueness of our short films. At 6 p.m., a red carpet will precede the ceremony. The winners from this 2020 edition will take home prizes with a total value of more than $250,000. This will also be where the Rendez-vous will present the Prix RVQC awards for the short films screened at the 38th edition. The evening will celebrate 20 years of Prends ça court ! and reward the talent of Quebec’s short-film artists and professionals, whether established or emerging. This 16th edition of the year’s big celebration of Quebec’s short films will be presented in collaboration with the RVQC.
DIGITAL ARTS
Festivalgoers will be able to
discover several Quebec-made digital artworks for free from February 27 to
March 7 in the Espace Rendez-vous. The program for 2020 will
include 7 VIRTUAL REALITY EXPERIENCES and 2 INSTALLATIONS.
The virtual reality works include 21-22 ALPHA by Thierry
Loa, À QUOI TU JOUES ? by Alexis Fortier Gauthier, 21-GUN
SALUTE by Chélanie Beaudin-Quintin, ABITIBI 360 —
SAISON 2 by Serge Bordeleau, ÁRÓRA by Tommy Caron and
Sarah Ouellet, GYMNASIA by Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski,
and PETITS ESPACES ENTRE LES TEMPS ET LES SILENCES by Anne-Marie
Bouchard. The installations are ANNA by Ghassan Fayad,
Jean-Sébastien Lord, Alex Mayhew and Katherine Ouimet and ISOCHRONE by
Manuel Chantre.
RVQC AWARDS 2020
As well as being a recognition of their talent and encouragement to keep on making films, the RVQCAWARDS have a tangible impact on the winning filmmakers’ careers. A total of 11 awards will be presented to winners selected from the 87 films in competition at this year’s Rendez-vous. The prestigious Prix Gilles-Carle, for best first or second fictional feature, co-presented by Bell and Québec Cinéma, and the Prix Pierre-et-Yolande-Perrault, for best first or second documentary feature, presented by Hydro-Québec, have both doubled their grants this year, and now award $10,000 each. The 2020 jury comprises 18 cultural professionals from Quebec and la francophonie, including 11 women who are active in the film industry. The Prix Jury en herbe, selected by a jury of three teens (ages 13-16), will be awarded to the best fictional feature in the Lab Québec Cinéma selection.
MEET THE TALENTED PEOPLE WHO MAKE
OUR MOVIES
Festivalgoers are sure to appreciate this year’s 4 MASTER CLASSES, presented by the Ministère de la Culture et des Communications– and it’s quite a program! In 2019, cinematographer Yves Bélanger created the images for Matthias & Maxime by Xavier Dolan, Long Shot by Jonathan Levine and Richard Jewell by Clint Eastwood. This excellent storyteller will share his inspirations and some samples of his work during his captivating master class. / Louise Archambault will give a generous master class, full of wisdom and humour. Among other films, the director has given us two of the year’s top-grossing features. Her master class is presented by the ARRQ. / Editor Dominique Fortin will tell you she has the best job in the world. The public is invited to learn more about this fascinating art, with an artist who has edited more than 50 films, documentaries and series here and in the United States, including the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies, La grande séduction and Chien de garde. Director Sophie Dupuis will also participate. / Director, screenwriter and cinematographer Sophie Deraspe has led a uniquely impressive career, which she will discuss during her characteristically inventive and unique master class, presented by the ARRQ. In 2019, her film Antigone was crowned best Canadian film at the Toronto International Film Festival, and was among the contenders to represent Canada for the Oscar for Best International Feature Film.
HAPPY HOURS AT THE RENDEZ-VOUS
The Rendez-vous has assembled a festive program for its great evening events. Starting at 5 p.m., festivalgoers are invited to the Buvette SUPER ÉCRAN at the Cinémathèque québécoise for a series of gatherings, discussions, trivia games and discussions with artists. THREE ROUND TABLES moderated by Claudia Hébert will explore hot topics and issues in our industry. At a time when environmental concerns are a major preoccupation, the round table RAISING AWARENESS – AND IMPROVING PRACTICES will shed light on ways the film industry can minimize its environmental footprint, with panellists including Simon Beaulieu, Éric Martin and Caroline Voyer. This round table is presented by the Bureau du cinéma et de la télévision du Québec(BCTQ). / From Cannes to Hollywood to the current prestige television shows, our artists are enjoying unprecedented global success. Monia Chokri, Caroline Dhavernas, Théodore Pellerin and Yanic Truesdale will discuss TRANSLATING SUCCESS AT HOME TO SUCCESS ABROAD in a round table presented by the Canada Media Fund (CMF). / From emigration to fatigue, many artists struggle to advance their careers here despite considerable industry support for new artists. Beyond questions of money, APPROACHES TO LONG-TERM CAREER SUPPORT will look into ways the industry could be helping artists keep their work visible for the long term; the round table is presented by the ARRQ. The Rendez-vous will also host the annual gathering of students and the artists behind the nominees for the Prix collégial du cinéma québécois (PCCQ) – the film of the year as selected by the province’s cégep students. This step is pivotal for the young people in the run-up to the province-wide deliberations, in March. Claudia Hébert will moderate the discussion with Monia Chokri (La femme de mon frère), Gabriel d’Almeida Freitas (Matthias et Maxime), Sophie Deraspe (Antigone), Guillaume de Fontenay (Sympathie pour le diable) and Myriam Verreault (Kuessipan). The event will also be livestreamed on Québec Cinéma’s Facebook page, to give students at 50 cégeps across the province the chance to join the conversation. The PCCQ is sponsored by Québec Cinéma. / The year 2020. Quebec’s film industry is putting together a new crew to offer a billion… um, to offer festivalgoers a reading of DANS UNE GALAXIE PRÈS DE CHEZ VOUS. This one-night mission will go… where the hand of man has never set foot. Julien Corriveau, Juliette Gosselin, Mickaël Gouin, Léane Labrèche-Dor, Jean-François Provençal,Kevin Raphaël and Phil Roy will take on the first film in the cult series in a reading organized by Louis Tremblay. DANS UNE GALAXIE PAS SI LOIN DE CHEZ NOUS is presented by Microbrasserie Trou du diable. / Lastly, to celebrate 35 years of friendship and collaboration between Les Offices jeunesse internationaux du Québec and the Bureau international Jeunesse de Bruxelles, Inis presents PORTRAITS CROISÉS : AMITIÉ ET ÉCHANGES ENTRE LE QUÉBEC ET LA WALLONIE-BRUXELLES, a discussion about the formative impact of a Quebec-Belgium exchange program that has led to the making of more than 20 documentary shorts by students from Inis, IAD and INSAS.
EVENINGS AT THE RENDEZ-VOUS
After warming up with happy-hour activities, the Rendez-vous present their not-to-be-missed Soirées. A popular and critical hit, Québec-Montréal is emblematic of the renewal of Quebec’s film scene in the early 2000s. There’s no better choice than Jean-Carl Boucher, Ricardo Trogi’s alter ego in the trilogy 1981,1987 and 1991, to lead a reading of the film’s multi-award-winning script. The reading, with Catherine Brunet, Stéphane Crête, Pier-Luc Funk, Étienne Galloy, Élodie Grenier, Guillaume Lambert, Simon Pigeon and Antoine Pilon, is presented by Super Écran. / The RVQC will also take the opportunity to celebrate the 15th anniversary of LES FILMS DU 3 MARS. In 2005, a group of filmmakers and producers founded an organization dedicated to distributing auteur films, the better to promote and increase the visibility of independent productions. Fifteen years later, F3M still has a keen eye, and you’re invited to come celebrate its work with a joyful party including special performances and a set by Tupi Collective. Lastly, COURTS CRITIQUES will salute those who have fought for social justice and tangible action against climate change. On the program for this activist event: speeches, works by film and video makers, and colourful performances.
NIGHTS AT THE RENDEZ-VOUS
To cap each evening in style, cinephiles are invited to extend their fun with 8 unbridled festive nighttime events. A party like only the RVQC can throw will kick off this 38th edition: after the screening of LES NÔTRES by Jeanne Leblanc, head over to the Buvette Super Écran to join the film’s team and dance the night away with DJ Kelly, Fab (Random Recipe) and Donzelle. / After the screening of L’ESPRIT DU VIOLONTRAD (Camp Violon Trad Québec) by André Gladu, you’re invited to a Labo Trad latenight event, with the band Bon Débarras getting things started. The evening continues with emcee Benjamin Tremblay Carpentier and a traditional Québécois music jam, where fiddle, guitar, accordion and singing will be paced by old-time Québécois foot-stomping. / As well as being crazy about music and words, Vincent Léonard also loves film. The other half of the hilarious comedy duo Les Denis Drolet invites you to a side-splitting cabaret with Jean-Michel Martel, Just-To-Buy-My-Love, Catherine Brunet and Jean-Sébastien Girard, all of them perfectly conventional – except when they’re not! / Web series are on the rise, and that’s why LA GRANDE FÊTE DES WEBSÉRIES invites festivalgoers to treat themselves to a new episode of each of the web series selected for this program: Amours d’Occasion, Avec moi II, Les Fleuristes, Fourchette II, Game (r) II, Le Killing — Saison 2, Projet 2000 and Top Dogs : Homicides. Guillaume Lambert will host this most amazing evening. / LE GRAND RENDEZ-VOUS RADIO-CANADA will host a party to celebrate the new series C’est comme ça que je t’aime by François Létourneau and Jean-François Rivard (Les Invincibles andSérie noire). The event, hosted by Marie-Louise Arseneault, includes a premiere screening of the first two episodes with the artists present, a trivia game and some fun surprises ! / Fabrice-Édouard La Roche-Francoeur will present an all-new cabaret, BONUS DVD — DRÔLE. VRAIMENT. DRÔLE., where Sandrine Bisson, Christian Bégin and Pier-Luc Funk will tell some saucy tales in a battle of confessions. The dynamic host will push his guests to let down their guard during a night of revelations worthy of The Bachelor. / Last but not least, the 1960s are making a comeback at the Rendez-vous with a party inspired by the colourful musical documentary JUKEBOX : UN RÊVE AMÉRICAIN FAIT AU QUÉBEC. Converted into a gogo-club, the Cinémathèque will fill your eyes and ears with the best yéyé music, live music, dancers and surprise guests. No doubt this will be THE party of the festival, and the undisputed best way to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Canal D!
NUIT BLANCHE FOR KUESSIPAN
The Rendez-vous has also put
together a “green” Nuit Blanche — a celebration of
the Earth and Nutshimit (territory in the Innu language) at a
music-and-poetry cabaret inspired by the film KUESSIPAN by Myriam
Verreault and the work of writer Naomi Fontaine. This big Innu
party, where community, family, frienship and neighbourliness are sources of
great pride, will be hosted by Sharon Fontaine-Ishpatao and Étienne
Galloy, with Samuel Archibald, Joséphine Bacon, Maya
Cousineau Mollen, Jean Désy, Naomi Fontaine,Marie-Paule
Grimaldi, Noémie Pomerleau-Cloutier and music by Scott-Pien
Picard.
A BREAK-WEEK RENDEZ-VOUS FOR THE
KIDS
On March 1 at 9:30 a.m., the RENDEZ-VOUS POPCORN, presented by Hydro-Québec, invites the young and not-so-young to a crazy day of movies, games, creative projects and get-togethers – and it’s all FREE! Kids will also enjoy the animated stories of Iris under the GRÔA TENT; listening to funny, tender, surprising and even (a little) scary stories, to be heard with eyes closed, in the ZONE D’ÉCOUTE DE LA PUCE À L’OREILLE; experimenting with a green screen by filming a short scene with C’EST ARRANGÉ AVEC LES GARS DES VUES; creating fun digital works using an iPad and projecting them in real time while munching popcorn with MAPP TON POPCORN; watching the best teen movies of the year with COURT COURT COURT and having a philosophical discussion afterwards; learning about the work of a programmer – watching unreleased films, making a pitch for your favourites to your friends and creating a competitive program – like a real BUDDING PROGRAMMER; watching the adventures of Derek Lavoie, animal detective, in SÉCURITÉ ANIMALE; and, lastly, meeting the young actor everybody’s talking about, Théodore Pellerin, with his special guests, for a frank conversation about the acting life, moderated by Ariane Roy-Poirier of Lab Québec Cinéma. The RENDEZ-VOUS POPCORN is all that and much more! Thanks to the FIFEM, Petits bonheurs, La Puce à l’oreille, the Associations des cinémas parallèles du Québec, MAPP MTLand Courts d’un soir for making the day possible.
Young cinephiles will also have a privileged position at the RVQC thanks to several special screenings, workshops, gatherings and discussions with artists. For the eighth straight year, the Rendez-vous is collaborating with the CinÉcole project by Mediafilm to present two works sure to appeal to children: KUESSIPAN by Myriam Verreault and ANTIGONE by Sophie Deraspe. Lab Québec Cinéma will also present a special screening of the documentary LA LANGUE EST DONC UNE HISTOIRE D’AMOUR by Andrés Livov, preceded by LE ROI EST MORT de Miguel Lambert. And, in collaboration with the Direction du classement des films and the business services division of the Ministère de la Culture et des Communications, the Lab will host an image education workshop aimed at making young people more aware of the nature of the content they encounter.
CITIZEN RENDEZ-VOUS
The Québec Cinéma team strongly believes that our cinema is a powerful educational tool and a force for social cohesion. That’s why, for the third year in a row, the festival will present a series of screenings for newcomers. The films IL PLEUVAIT DES OISEAUX and MERCI POUR TOUT by Louise Archambault, LES BONS DÉBARRAS by Francis Mankiewicz, LA FEMME DE MON FRÈRE by Monia Chokri, KUESSIPAN by Myriam Verreault, JEUNE JULIETTE by Anne Émond and JUKEBOX: UN RÊVE AMÉRICAIN FAIT AU QUÉBEC by Guylaine Marois and Éric Ruel, the closing film of this 38th edition, will be presented to groups of French-second-language students to help them learn more about Quebec’s culture and our particular flavour of French, complete with the chance to meet some of the filmmakers.
La Maison du Père, a proud
Rendez-vous partner for six years and counting, will host a special screening
during the festival. The film MERCI POUR TOUT by Louise
Archambault will be presented with the director in attendance. The
initiative is highly appreciated by those who spend time at La Maison du Père,
who will also have a chance to meet our film artists.
RENDEZ-VOUS PRO
An essential event for industry
professionals, the Rendez-vous Pro was created as a forum for discussing the
major issues facing our industry. The 8th edition,
co-presented by Québec Cinéma the National Bank, will be
held from March 4 to 6 and explore topics such as the
accessibility and discoverability of our films, educating young cinephiles in
the art of images, and supporting emerging artists. The Rendez-vous Pro is also
an exceptional international showcase for Quebec-made films thanks to the
Écrans du Québec initiative.
RENDEZ-VOUS CHEZ VOUS
From February 27 to March 7, viewers everywhere in Quebec will be able to enjoy a selection of films from this year’s festival. To every cinephile’s delight, a fine crop of Quebec-made feature films will be available to BELL FIBE subscribers. A special program of shorts will also be available on ICI TOU.TV – for free ! And, for a deeper dive into the RVQC, several events will be livestreamed or available streaming post-event – a chance to experience the Rendez-vous at your leisure, on your favourite platform!
A GREENER RENDEZ-VOUS
Sustainability and the reduction of the event’s environmental footprint are core values for the RVQC. Thanks to its presenting partner, Hydro-Québec, the festival will offer its guests, for a second year, resusable bottles to reduce their reliance on plastic bottles. The Rendez-vous also invites visitors from outside the city to travel with VIA Rail or to use the ride-sharing service Amigo Express to get to the event. Festivalgoers who visit the Buvette Super Écran will be offered two reusable options: glass or deposit Ecocups with RVQC branding.
TICKETS ON SALE!
Festivalgoers can now see
the full 2020 program online, or in print at the Cinémathèque
québécoise and at various cultural venues in Greater Montreal. It is also
possible to create your own personalized schedule on the RVQC
website by creating an account and linking it to your Facebook account.
Tickets for the 38th Rendez-vous
Québec Cinéma are on sale now at quebeccinema.ca!
To stay up
to date on the 38th Rendez-vous
Québec Cinéma: #RVQC
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