MONTREAL – Videotron and Toyota will be the co-presenters of the revamped, New Montreal Filmfest, it was announced today.
All Videotron services – cable television, video on demand, Internet, cable telephone and Canal VOX – will help showcase the Filmfest (September 19 to 25) by promoting its program and spotlighting its people.
"Our partnership with the New Montreal Filmfest is in keeping with our mission of giving customers the best possible user experience, since it will help bring premieres and exclusive content to the public." said Robert Depatie, president and CEO of Videotron at the press conference announcing the sponsors.
Details of Videotron’s special activities in connection with the Filmfest will be announced shortly. "Private screenings, exclusive chat rooms on the High Speed Zone, red carpet coverage and retrospectives of the work of major directors and actors are only a few of the exciting events that movie-lovers will be able to enjoy, no matter where they may be, thanks to Videotron and the FIFM," said Mr. Depatie.
The auditorium of the historic building on St-Denis Street south of Ontario Street that housed the Bibliotheque nationale will be transformed into a movie theatre in the evening, the "Salle Videotron," for the duration of the Filmfest. During the day, It will also be the site of FIFM press conferences and of certain industry related activities
Cinephiles who want to make sure they don’t miss anything at the first edition of this major new festival will be able to get full information about the Filmfest through the Info-Film Videotron service, which will have the answers to all their questions in one place. The information will be readily accessible through the Info-Film Videotron hot line (Montreal area: (514) 288-6730; toll free from the rest of Canada and the U.S.: 1 866 901-FIFM (3436)) and the montrealfilmfest.com Web site. Visitors to the site will be able to download and print out the full schedule.
Videotron will also sponsor of the Univers Latin and two major awards, the Videotron public’s prize for the best Canadian film and best short film director. Audience Awards for Best Canadian Film and Best Director of a Short Film
Videotron will also present the Filmfest closing ceremony, in conjunction with Quebecor Media, on September 25, 2005.
The New Montreal FilmFest, is a competitive event open at once to films by acclaimed directors and first works by young newcomers, to producers of all stripes, to independent distributors as well as to major studios. The new Festival, supported by the major government film institutions, was launched with the goal of becoming Montreal’s must-attend cinematic rendezvous, a showcase for new domestic and international fiction, shorts and documentaries. A long-awaited unifying event, the new Festival will bring together cinema professionals from across Canada and around the world in a convivial spirit for which Quebec is famous
