Montreal: The program for the sixth edition of Rencontres Internationales du Documentaire de Montreal, Nov. 14-23, features 94 works from more than 20 countries, selected from over 400 submissions, including a benefit screening of American filmmaker Jonathan Demme’s The Agronomist – a feature-length documentary tribute to assassinated Haitian journalist and human rights advocate Jean Dominque.

The doc fest’s opening-night film is Benoit Pilon’s Roger Toupin, epicier variete, produced by Amazone Films.

RIDM chair Jean-Daniel Lafond says some 50 international filmmakers and industry personalities are on this year’s guest list, including Belgian filmmaker Martinez Vignatti, who will present his Nosotros, a tracing of the origins of the tango and the invitation-only, closing-night film.

International guests include British documentarian Kim Longinotto (Divorce Iranian Style, Shinjuku Boys); veteran French photo-journalist Patrick Chauvel; Serge Lalou, producer/director with Paris-based documentary house Les Films D’Ici; U.S. filmmaker Elaine Esptein (State of Denial), as well as industry representatives from broadcaster RTBF, France’s Documentaire sur grand ecran, Scotland’s Docspace and the Sao Paulo, Nyon and Sheffield film festivals.

Five workshops are part of the program, including the annual state-of-the-industry gathering on Nov. 17, organized by the Documentary Network, and two sessions by the National Film Board, including Visions Documentaires on Nov. 20.

Canadian films include Issac Isitan’s L’Argent and Allan King’s Dying at Grace.

NFB selections include Min Sook Lee’s exploration of migrant workers El Contrato; Don McWilliams’ The Fifth Province; Gary Beitel’s Y’a rien de sacre, a portrait of Montreal newspaper cartoon luminaires Terry Mosher of The Gazette and Serge Chapleau of La Presse; and Jacques Godbout’s new political documentary, Les Heritiers du mouton noir.

In memoriam screenings will honor Richard Boutet (Sexe de rue, La Turlute des annes dures), Jean Chabot (Sans raison apparente) and Iranian-Canadian photo-journalist Zahra Hazemi.

Major RIDM partners include the NFB, Tele-Quebec, Telefilm Canada and SODEC.

-www.ridm.qc.ca