Christal Films’ La Vie avec mon père lost some ground in its third week out – its per-theater average slipping to $2,481 from $4,906 the week before – but had no trouble hanging on to the number-one spot at the Canadian box office despite competition from the English Canada release of Mémoires affectives and the much-anticipated Saint Ralph.

Writer/director Sebastien Rose’s second feature opened March 25 on 32 screens, then expanded to 42 screens, including a subtitled English print now playing in Montreal. As of April 18, the feature had grossed a total of $615,000.

Also from Christal and cracking the top five, Les États-Unis d’Albert brought in a total of $21,808 from five prints over the first week of its release, for a $4,362 average. As of April 18, its take had increased to $31,000.

Meanwhile, only days after winning the top award at the Paris Film Festival, Michael McGowan’s Saint Ralph was released in Canada by Odeon April 8. The story of a boy who hopes he can save his sick mother by winning the Boston Marathon pulled in $42,241 from 12 screens over its first week. Box-office totals more than doubled over week two, and by April 18 its take stood at $99,745.

Before winning four Prix Jutra and three Genies, Francis Leclerc’s Mémoires had grossed only $321,000 at the Quebec box office. Since then, its total take has increased to $592,674 and its release has expanded beyond Quebec. Alliance released the film in English Canada on April 8 at one Toronto theater, which as of April 18 had brought in $6,468.

Coming up, Sabah, starring Arsinée Khanjian, opens May 27 in Toronto and Vancouver. The east-meets-west romance is produced by Atom Egoyan and distributed by Mongrel Media.