Seven Canadian features are having their world premieres at this year’s International Festival of Films on Art (Le FIFA).

The 43rd edition of the festival, which takes place in Montreal and Quebec City, runs from March 13 to 23. The online portion runs from March 21 to 30.

Among the world premieres, five are competing in the festival’s National Competition for features. They include Le temps (Films 53/12; pictured) written, directed and produced by François Delisle (Chorus). The film, which has Montreal-based h264 handing Canadian distribution and world sales, follows four characters across time and diverse landscapes and explores human resilience in the face of environmental upheaval.

It stars Emmanuelle Lussier-Martinez (Contre-offre), Mylène Mackay (Endorphine), Dominick Rustam (Aller simple), Robert Naylor (Société distincte), Laurent Lucas (Dumas), Julian Casey (La faille), Rose-Marie Perreault (Nuit blanche and Masha Bashmakova (Transplant). The film will release theatrically in Quebec on April 18.

COZIC (La Terreur Productions), meanwhile, hails from Montreal-based co-directors Etienne Desrosiers and Céline B. La Terreur. The feature documentary paints a portrait of the Canadian artist duo of the same name.

Also competing is Montreal-based Emmanuel Schwartz’s L’Avenir (YiKing Productions). The film showcases the students at the École de Théâtre du Collège Lionel-Groulx in Sainte-Thérèse, Que. and follows a soon-to-be graduate who, despite battling an illness, sticks with her cohort until the very last day of their shared journey.

Rounding out the features in competition is Montreal-based Juan David Padilla Vega’s part-documentary, part-choreographed video art piece Résilience (Insondable Studio, Urinator Studio); R. Roussil, le cul par terre (Tulp Films), Montreal-based Maxime-Claude L’Écuyer’s documentary on Quebec sculpture figure Robert Roussil; and LOOT: A Story of Crime and Redemption (New Theory Pictures), a documentary from B.C.-based Don Millar which looks into the criminal underbelly of the art market and the fight to return stole artifacts.

Lastly, Fernand Dansereau’s À la lumière du soir, produced by Ginette Petit, will also have its world premiere. The documentary, from the 96-year-old filmmaker, producer and screenwriter, explores the meaning of life, faith, the fear of death and future of humanity.

A number of medium-length films will also receive world premieres at FIFA. They include Phil Comeau’s documentary Résonance Acadie, which follows the work of 10 young artists from the Acadian diaspora who are tasked with creating a work of art in just eight days, and Benoit Fry’s documentary Ce qui nous lie, featuring string ensemble Collectif9 and alternating between performances and interviews.

Two films will make their Quebec premieres at the festival. They are the 2024 TIFF-premiering documentary So Surreal: Behind The Masks (Rezolution Pictures) from co-directors Neil Diamond and Joanne Robertson and Ryan Mah; and Arthur Erickson: Beauty Between the Lines (Black Rhino Creative), Danny Berish’s documentary on the renowned Canadian architect, which premiered at the Toronto edition of the Architecture and Design Film Festival in 2024.

Short films selected for the national competition include À bras-le-corps from Chélanie Beaudin-Quintin, Bleu tango by Marion Chuniaud, ElleX / ElleY from Valeria Galluccio, Fired-Up de Vito Zuraj from Mario Côté, La Mue by Mathieu Fortin, Muses from Simon Vermeulen and Nos petites mains by Josiane Roberge.

The short film Mercy from Philip Szporer will be screening in the international competition.

Image courtesy of Films 53/12