MONTREAL — The 33rd annual World Film Festival began Thursday with its usual red carpet promenade followed by a Cirque Éloize performance and the world premiere screening of Quebec director Ricardo Trogi’s 1981 at Place des Arts concert hall.

Although there were no international stars among those who braved the slightly chilly walk up the concert hall steps, in their suits and strapless gowns, a few Quebec political and industry vedettes (personalities) were on hand, including Cannes wunderkind director and local media darling Xavier Dolan, actress Louise Marleau (Cruising Bar), producer Roger Frappier, Quebecor head Pierre Karl Péladeau, former Quebec premier Bernard Landry and provincial culture minister Christine Sainte Pierre.

After a lengthy introduction of the festival’s jury, which includes Japanese director Eiji Okuda and is presided over by Iranian director Jafar Panahi (Offside) — all the jury members wore green scarves in solidarity with Panahi, who was recently detained in his country for protesting the June elections — Trogi spoke about his largely autobiographical work.

1981 tells the story of an 11-year-old son of an Italian immigrant and a Quebecoise mother adjusting to moving schools. ‘If there is a woman in the audience who screams. Then someone help her leave the theater, because it’s my mother,’ quipped the award-winning director of Quebec-Montreal and Horloge Biologique.

Earlier, Trogi, who narrates the film himself, explained why he decided to draw on his childhood to make the film. ‘There’s a pleasure in looking back to this period. It’s a time when nothing has really happened yet and you are completely dependent on your parents. All you have is your imagination.’

The film will be released in 41 theaters across Quebec on Sept. 4. Its distributor, Alliance Vivafilm, is hoping for rain explained marketing director Luc Lacoursiere. ‘We hope that the weather doesn’t stay nice,’ said the distributor, referring to the recent stretch of sunny days. ‘In Quebec, people tend to stay out of the theaters when the weather is good, it has an impact on the box office, especially after the bad weather we’ve had this summer.’

The festival, which runs to Sept. 7, features 457 feature, medium and short films. In the World Competition program, films of note include the Italian The Physics of Water by Felice Farina, the American Redland by Asiel Norton as well as Fire-keeper, a film by Mohsen Amiryoussef, and the Canadian Un cargo pour l’Afrique (A Cargo to Africa) by Roger Cantin.

The festival is also screening a number of other Canadian films, including Tusarnituuq! Nagano in the Land of the Inuit, which deals with performances of classical music in the parts of the Arctic. The National Film Board celebrates its 70th birthday at the festival with five premieres and a free program of more than 40 classic animated shorts.

WFF also continues its tradition of free outdoor screenings on a giant screen directly in front of the concert hall as well as showings of Quebec films in Montreal’s Quartier Latin theater district.