Montreal: To say a pall hung over the 28th edition of Montreal’s World Film Festival would be an understatement. Dubbed the Existential Festival from day one by local media, the event was reeling from the damning July 27 Telefilm Canada and SODEC report that demanded festival brass open themselves up to great scrutiny and accountability. This was not merely yet another government report that denounced WFF founder and director Serge Losique’s leadership; this time, Telefilm and SODEC spokespeople insisted they meant business, suggesting that unless the World Festival altered course significantly, it stood serious chance of losing the government agencies’ money.

That threat came one step closer to reality on Sept. 7, the day after the festival closed, when the funding agencies, clearly indicating that public funds will be channeled elsewhere in 2005, put out a call for proposals for a new international film festival based in Montreal (see story, p.1)

But despite the deluge of negative publicity, fest organizers appeared undeterred. When the fest announced its award winners on Sept. 6, Losique stood defiant, declaring the dates for the 29th annual WFF next year (Aug. 25 to Sept. 5), as if to underline the fact that his show will go on, with or without government help.

The awards, as per usual, reflected the international flavor of the event, with the Grand Prix of the Americas going to Eran Riklis’ Israel/France/Germany coproduction The Syrian Bride, the Jury Award a tie between An Zhanjun’s The Parking Attendant in July (China) and Jordan Roberts’ Around the Bend (U.S.), best director to Carlos Saura for The Seventh Day (Spain/France) and best artistic contribution to Quebecker Ghyslaine Cote’s Elles etaient cinq (The Five of Us), with Cote’s film also snagging the award for most popular Canadian film at the festival.

But The Syrian Bride was the clear standout, also winning the Air Canada’s People’s Choice Award, the Fipresci Award (International Film Critics) and the Ecumenical Prize. There was other good news for Canada among the awards, especially for the National Film Board, whose coproduction, JoDee Samuelson’s innovative animated film about menopause, Mabel’s Saga, picked up both the Jury Award for short film and the FedEx Prize for best Canadian short.

David Novek, the festival’s director of communications, declared the event a ‘huge success,’ saying he had heard from a number of filmmakers who were thrilled to have their projects screened there, and that international guests had commented on the enthusiasm and energy of Montreal audiences. ‘I feel very positive about the festival this year,’ Novek declared.

Novek had manoeuvred an intricate high-wire act during this year’s WFF. Though the Telefilm/SODEC report was explicit in its argument that Losique should be more forward and transparent, both Losique and his right-hand woman, Daniele Cauchard, declined interview requests. That left Novek to deflect the stench left by the report, released but a few weeks before the WFF launched. Novek did his best to cheerlead and urge reporters to cover the films and not the brouhaha, but to little avail. Journalists couldn’t help but at very least cite the report, which was on the minds of everyone in Quebec’s film community.

At least part of Novek’s PR strategy was to keep the famously hot-headed Losique away from the media. It was largely considered a minor miracle that during the fest’s mid-August press conference, Losique didn’t lose his cool despite a steady stream of angry questions in both official languages.

As for the WFF’s much-maligned market, its director, Gilles Beriault, insists there was ‘a great deal of interest’ in many of the titles up for grabs at this year’s event, and that the revamped format (‘No booths, but a nice meeting place’) gave the event a new atmosphere.

As of press time, Beriault could not cite any specific closed deals, but reported that there were many bidders and much interest in films such as The Syrian Bride and Quebec author Dany Laferriere’s directorial debut, Comment conquerir l’Amerique en une nuit (How to Conquer America in One Night), which picked up the Bronze Zenith prize for best first fiction feature. ‘The market felt more lively this year,’ Beriault said, as the event drew to a close. ‘There was a lot of talking going on, a lot of good exchanges.’

The Canadian standouts, typically, were a mix of documentary, animation and no-budget fictional entries. Montreal-based NFB animator Paul Morstad managed a double coup with his Walking Catfish Blues and Moon Man (the latter inspired by and based on the classic Stompin’ Tom Connors ditty). In 100% Woman, Vancouver-based director Karen Duthie profiles Michel Dumaresq, a male-to-female transsexual who competes on the mountain bike racing circuit, despite the controversies surrounding her sex change.

The NFB’s Women on Patrol delivers a powerful effect by showing us the day-to-day struggles faced by two female Canadian cops as they serve in an international UN peacekeeping force in East Timor.

And Montrealer Christos Sourligas drew a great deal of attention for his debut feature effort, the two-handed romantic comedy Elephant Shoes. Married-in-real-life couple Greg Shamie and Stacie Morgain Lewis exude a great deal of charm in the lead roles.

Amid all the winners, a couple of mysteries emerged. How a film like Tying the Knot could win an Honourable Mention Zenith for best first fiction feature when it’s a documentary seemed odd. As well, the American entry Around the Bend managed to cull two awards, despite being dismissed by some critics as a maudlin and overwrought entry.

But perhaps these conundrums are perfectly fitting, given the overall aura of mystery that hangs over Montreal’s biggest cinematic event, the World Film Festival. As of press time, Novek said that Losique would finally be issuing a response to the Telefilm/SODEC report, and that it would be released by the third week of September.

A full list of winners can be found at the WFF’s website.

-www.ffm-montreal.org