Montreal: If the World Film Festival appeared a bit battered and beleaguered this month, its cross-town rival, the upstart New Montreal FilmFest, is itself looking rather confused.

Much of that confusion is a result of the battles between WFF honcho Serge Losique and NMFF, which is being organized by L’Équipe Spectra, the firm that also organizes Montreal’s hugely successful Jazz Festival. When Spectra announced its festival’s official name – originally the Montreal International Film Festival – Losique immediately launched a lawsuit, pointing out that he had registered the word ‘International’ in conjunction with his festival.

As a result, organizers were forced to come up with a new English name, New Montreal FilmFest, not to be confused with the Festival du Nouveau Cinema, the 33-year-old fete that will return in October.

It seems all of the maneuvering to create one focused international large-scale festival for the city has backfired. The city’s film festival landscape gets more complicated by the minute. (Notably, NMFF press screenings will begin on Sept. 12, when most Montreal critics are in Toronto attending the Toronto International Film Festival.)

NMFF director of programming Moritz de Hadeln conceded at an Aug. 24 press conference that the situation facing Montreal’s film festivals is ‘unhealthy.’ Organizers have asked for patience from critics. This is, they point out, their first kick at the can.

Case in point, when de Hadeln was asked about the dates for next year’s NMFF, he repeatedly responded ‘No comment.’ Spectra president Alain Simard eventually intervened, noting that the fest had already announced that next year it will shift to midsummer.

De Hadeln also sounded a wee bit insecure, as if he was trying to convince himself, as well as the press corps, about the stability of NMFF. ‘The festival has a future,’ he said when asked about his hopes. But when asked about his own future with NMFF, he said only, ‘I have a three-year contract. I intend to complete that term.’

Confusion aside, NMFF unveiled the bulk of its programming. The Sept. 18-25 festival will take a more-quality, less-quantity approach than the WFF, screening 170 productions from 40 countries. WFF (Aug. 26 to Sept. 5) featured 340 films this year.

There will be 14 films in official competition for the Gold and Silver Iris Awards, including Polumgla, Russian Artem Antonov’s World War Two film about German POWs held in the northern U.S.S.R. and their relationship with nearby villagers; Der Fischer und seine Frau, the latest from renowned German director Doris Dörrie (Men) based on a Grimm’s fairy tale; Josh’s Trees, Swiss director Peter Entell’s entry about a man dealing with the devastating loss of his close friend; and Little Brother, I.M. Tai-hyung’s family melodrama told from the perspective of a nine-year-old child, from South Korea.

Also screening: Shisso from Japan, about the tormented relationship between two brothers, and L’Audition, the first feature directed by celebrated Quebec thespian Luc Picard, fittingly about a man who has always dreamt of becoming an actor.

Responding to the long-standing criticism that WFF is out of touch with the local film scene, NMFF is working to highlight homegrown talent. The late Robin Spry, considered a pivotal figure in the Quebec film milieu, will be posthumously feted with a retrospective. An Iris Hommage Award will be presented to Michel Brault, at a screening of one of his most famous films, Les orders.

Canadian and Quebec content will also include David Cronenberg’s highly touted A History of Violence, William D. MacGillivray’s Silent Messengers, Jean-François Pothier’s Les Moutons de Jacob, Charles Binamé’s The Hunt for Justice: The Louise Arbour Story, Marcel Simard’s A part des autres and Albert Nerenberg’s Escape to Canada.

The opening film for NMFF will be Cédric Klapish’s Les Poupées russes, the eagerly anticipated sequel to the international hit L’Auberge espagnole. Robin Aubert’s mystery, Saints-Martyrs-des-Damnés, which will have premiered at TIFF, will have its Quebec debut at NMFF. The film has a journalist investigating a series of mysterious disappearances in a small town.

Christian Carion’s Joyeux Noël, a hit at Cannes in May, will also screen. The France/England/Germany/Belgium/Romania copro is inspired by the true story of the World War One Christmas Eve when soldiers put down their weapons and united in peace for a fleeting few hours. Claude Lelouch’s zany and innovative comedy Le Courage d’aimer will also screen, as will Bruno Podalydès’ Le Parfum de la dame en noir.

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