Film Festivals in Canada: A Guide to Montreal and Toronto
Film festivals in Canada are concentrated in two cities, Toronto and Montreal. Toronto is mostly associated with TIFF, while Montreal hosts several events with distinct profiles and histories. Which festival suits you best depends on the kind of cinema you enjoy. This guide covers the history, founders and character of four events: TIFF, Festival du nouveau cinéma, Fantasia and Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma.
TIFF: the festival in Toronto
TIFF began in 1976 under the name Festival of Festivals, with its first edition taking place in October. Its founders were William Marshall, Henk Van der Kolk and Dusty Cohl. The current name, Toronto International Film Festival, was not adopted until 1994, eighteen years after the first edition.
Among the festival's awards is the People's Choice Award, decided by the audience. This is a distinctive feature: viewers choose the winner, rather than leaving the decision solely to film professionals. Among Canadian film festivals, TIFF is the clearest example of one built around an audience vote.
Montreal: three festivals, three profiles
Montreal has a different character from Toronto, with several events running side by side, each with its own focus. Festival du nouveau cinéma was founded in 1971 by Claude Chamberlan and Dimitri Eipidès, initially as a festival of 16 mm films. It is described as Montreal's oldest film festival.
Fantasia is younger. Founded in 1996 by Pierre Corbeil, André Dubois and Martin Sauvageau, it began with Asian genre cinema. Those origins show how Montreal's festivals occupy distinct niches rather than follow a single model.
The third event is Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma, Montreal's festival of Quebec cinema. It is run by the organisation Québec Cinéma and usually lasts about ten days in late February. The same organisation presents the Prix Iris gala. The award was created in 1999 as the Jutra and was renamed Prix Iris in 2016.
How to choose a festival
The simplest way to choose is to follow your interests. If you value festival history, consider Festival du nouveau cinéma, which has run since 1971 and began with 16 mm films. Fans of genre cinema can turn to Fantasia, whose roots lie in that field. Anyone drawn to cinema from Quebec will find a home at Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma. TIFF remains the choice for those who want a festival with an audience award and a tradition dating back to 1976.
The second criterion is the time of year. Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma usually runs for about ten days in late February, so attending means a winter trip to Montreal. For the other events, check the organisers' official websites for current dates and the length of each edition.