Montreal’s Executive Committee announced Monday morning that the city will fund this year’s World Film Festival, slated to kick off later this month, to the tune of $150,000, as well as offer technical support for outdoor screenings in the city’s Quartier de Spectacles.

The money is part of the $140 million budget for the provincial government’s Imagine – Building Montreal 2025 development strategy.

This year’s festival will feature about 400 films from 80 different countries, as well as two new initiatives announced earlier this year.

In May, the festival unveiled China Film Business Week, which aims to open the North American market to Chinese filmmakers and a rapidly growing Chinese market.

The hope is that, through panels and meetings, the door will be open for future co-productions between Canada, China and other countries.

In June, the festival announced that it would be offering a special pass for local cinema school and university students in an attempt to help up-and-coming filmmakers and grow the local industry.

The pass will grant students free access to all festival screenings, except for opening and closing night films.

The festival will also feature the First Films World Competition, as well as a student film festival.

The festival’s 36th edition runs Aug. 23 to Sept. 3.

Million Dollar Crocodile (pictured) from Chinese filmmaker Lisheng Lin will open the festival.