On one hand, Serge Losique is happy that his World Film Festival will, despite reports of its imminent demise, be around to blow out 30 candles starting Aug. 24. But the controversial founder and president of the Montreal fest is also concerned about how digital technologies are impacting the way films are being consumed.

‘Film festivals – all film festivals – are going to face massive challenges in the next five years,’ the traditionally media-shy Losique tells Playback. ‘When I started, there were perhaps 20 festivals. Now every city seems to have a film festival. Even Philadelphia has one. In two years time, people will be able to watch any film they want at home, thanks to the Internet, just like they can read any book at home.’

Losique, whose age is listed as 74 or 75, says changes brought on by new technologies have been sweeping, noting that these shifts had an effect on his programming process this past spring. Losique was seeking out films from China, and found one particular feature invigorating, fresh and innovative. The filmmakers assured him that the film, which he would rather not name, would have its world premiere at the WFF.

‘A month after we got back, we found it for sale on the Internet,’ he recalls. ‘We dropped the film immediately.’

It was what Losique now calls a minor annoyance, but something that doesn’t bode well for the future of film festivals in general.

‘Distributors will begin to disappear in a few years,’ he says, although not sounding altogether sad about the prospect, especially given local distributors’ recent non-support of his festival. ‘Producers will no longer need them. They will be able to self-distribute on the Internet. Why wait to have your film pirated, when you can just go online and sell it right away? This will make getting exclusive premiere films for festivals much, much harder.’

At a press conference in Montreal Aug. 8, the embattled Losique was all smiles as he unveiled the WFF’s 30th anniversary lineup of more than 400 films from over 70 countries. But talking about the past was not something that Losique, legendary for his thorny relations with the press corps, was eager to discuss.

Needless to say, it’s been a particularly rough ride lately for the WFF. Last year, Losique saw his annual $1 million in funding from Telefilm Canada and SODEC taken away on the heels of accusations of mismanagement. Many onlookers predicted the 29th annual WFF would be a no-show, but Losique’s event went ahead. Then there was a scandal involving Karla, the U.S. indie film about the Bernardo-Homolka murders, which Losique initially championed but then dumped in the wake of threats from corporate sponsors.

But the fest made it to the finish line. Then, a rival startup fest hatched to supplant his event dropped dead after an excruciating debut. The New Montreal FilmFest received rock-bottom reviews, and finally crashed and burned amid a flurry of finger-pointing in Quebec’s film milieu and among government bureaucrats. While Losique didn’t gloat publicly, one could certainly imagine the flamboyant WFF ringmaster cracking open a few bottles of champagne over these developments.

Nearly one year after the NMFF debacle, Losique, though lacking the valuable public funding he once enjoyed, seems to be having the last laugh. He won’t talk about the various lawsuits that are still before the courts, involving his fest’s treatment at the hands of the public funders and the launch of the NMFF. Keeping talk positive, he says, is crucial to survival.

‘The best part of having this film festival’s 30th year is that we are continuing to promote cultural diversity with films from all around the world,’ he says. ‘Our public grew up with Hollywood films [but has absorbed] more diversity from European films and other international cinemas. Now Quebec has its own film culture, which continues to grow and become stronger. Really, there is no other place on earth like Quebec and Canada.’

When asked about his often bitter relations with the Quebec film community, Losique points to support from La Fête Productions’ Rock Demers, who is heading up the fest’s 30th anniversary organizational committee. And he brushes off many of the barbs that have come his way as endemic to Quebec society.

‘It’s a Latin mentality,’ he says. ‘One day we agree on everything and the next day we agree on nothing. We like to argue about everything, which is good for the arts. You know, we’ve had talk of separation here for so many years, but we’ve never had a shooting war. In the past, people have said [the WFF was] a piece of shit. Now everyone’s behind me… One day we threaten to kill each other, the next day we kiss each other. Look at Lucien Bouchard – he’s changed parties five times!’

Although he says he is not one for dredging up the past, Losique can’t help but cite his favorite WFF memories in this anniversary year.

‘There are so many,’ he says. ‘The guests we’ve had – from Ingmar Bergman to Jane Fonda to Clint Eastwood. But I loved it when Gloria Swanson came to the festival [in its inaugural year of 1977]. She was so happy to come here that she insisted on paying for her flights and her hotel room. Her appearance cost me nine dollars, which was the bill for two salads. She was so gracious – it was incredible to have her here. If we could have stars as great as Swanson here, the WFF could survive for the next 100 years on a mere $900!’

And how does he plan to ring in the fest’s 30th birthday?

‘You know, I’m not very into parties or big celebrations,’ he says. ‘We have a committee working on party plans, but I’m focusing on the programming. I am far more into the creative aspects of film, not the party side of things. To me, if the public enjoys our films and the festival, that’s a celebration in itself.’