The 40th Montreal World Film Festival is in an apparent state of disrepair following the last minute resignations of many staff members and cancellations of dozens of screenings. A letter posted on Facebook Wednesday signed by 22 filmmakers whose films were scheduled to play at the fest before being cancelled at the 11th hour even asks festival president and founder Serge Losique to “seriously consider” resigning.
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“Many of us flew great distances from different countries including Finland, Colombia, Germany, Czech Republic, Russia, Israel and the USA with great excitement to see our films shown on the big screen,” the letter reads. “However, when we arrived at the festival offices and found out that our screenings had been canceled without any prior notice, we felt humiliated and outraged. Most of us found out after we had already landed in Montreal.
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“Many of us flew great distances from different countries including Finland, Colombia, Germany, Czech Republic, Russia, Israel and the USA with great excitement to see our films shown on the big screen,” the letter reads. “However, when we arrived at the festival offices and found out that our screenings had been canceled without any prior notice, we felt humiliated and outraged. Most of us found out after we had already landed in Montreal.
- 9/2/2016
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
Update: The head of the festival has branded reports of eleventh-hour staff resignations “slanderous” and “garbage” as the 40th anniversary edition got underway this week.
“It has nothing to do with the staff of the festival,” Serge Losique, who founded the Montreal World Film Festival in 1976, told Screen International on Friday. “It’s slandering [sic] and they will answer to that.”
The festival president flatly denied that any member of his staff had left, despite an open letter in Le Journal de Montreal this week in which staff said their resignations were motivated by what they claimed was financial instability at the festival.
In an emotional call to Screen in which he sounded irate and frustrated, Losique appeared to concede that there has been turnover of some volunteers and agency workers hired on short-term contracts, but added this was not the same issue.
“These people [volunteers and agency workers] know nothing about or finances,” he said. “When you have...
“It has nothing to do with the staff of the festival,” Serge Losique, who founded the Montreal World Film Festival in 1976, told Screen International on Friday. “It’s slandering [sic] and they will answer to that.”
The festival president flatly denied that any member of his staff had left, despite an open letter in Le Journal de Montreal this week in which staff said their resignations were motivated by what they claimed was financial instability at the festival.
In an emotional call to Screen in which he sounded irate and frustrated, Losique appeared to concede that there has been turnover of some volunteers and agency workers hired on short-term contracts, but added this was not the same issue.
“These people [volunteers and agency workers] know nothing about or finances,” he said. “When you have...
- 8/26/2016
- ScreenDaily
Willem Dafoe, Isabelle Adjani among festival guests; international industry express uncertainty on eve of 40th edition.
Montreal World Film Festival (Aug 25 – Sept 5) is facing a rocky start to its 40th edition following last-minute staff resignations and a key venue cancellation.
According to local reports, a large group of the festival’s full-time employees announced their resignation in an open letter sent to Le Journal de Montreal this week, citing financial uncertainty over the event as their prime motivation.
In another blow to the festival, the Cineplex movie theatre chain is withdrawing from the 40th edition due to “financial, timing and operational concerns”.
“We’ve been working hard to support and co-ordinate the 2016 festival for some time now,” Daniel Seguin, VP of operations for eastern Canada at Cineplex Entertainment told local media outlet CBC.
“Because of financial, timing and operational concerns with the festival itself, we had to make the difficult decision to not partner with them this...
Montreal World Film Festival (Aug 25 – Sept 5) is facing a rocky start to its 40th edition following last-minute staff resignations and a key venue cancellation.
According to local reports, a large group of the festival’s full-time employees announced their resignation in an open letter sent to Le Journal de Montreal this week, citing financial uncertainty over the event as their prime motivation.
In another blow to the festival, the Cineplex movie theatre chain is withdrawing from the 40th edition due to “financial, timing and operational concerns”.
“We’ve been working hard to support and co-ordinate the 2016 festival for some time now,” Daniel Seguin, VP of operations for eastern Canada at Cineplex Entertainment told local media outlet CBC.
“Because of financial, timing and operational concerns with the festival itself, we had to make the difficult decision to not partner with them this...
- 8/26/2016
- ScreenDaily
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