Le FIFA – The world’s largest festival of films on art marks its 43rd year

The International Festival of Films on Art (Le FIFA) is dedicated to the international promotion and distribution of films on art and media arts.

From behind-the-scenes creations to technological advances, from luminous portraits to the social transformations of yesterday and today, to environmental issues, this 43rd edition invites us to explore — a journey through forms, views and resistances. With sensitivity, fragility and passion, it shines the spotlight on an art that uplifts, shakes up and transforms. The International Festival of Films on Art invites you to immerse yourself in the very essence of creation, where artistic genius expresses itself in all its power.

Over the 10 days of the festival, festival-goers will be able to discover no fewer than 182 films from 42 countries, including 39 world premieres and 30 Canadian premieres, in Montreal at Théâtre Outremont, Cinéma du Musée, Concordia University, the Canadian Centre for Architecture, the McCord Stewart Museum and the National Film Board of Canada and more than 100 filmmakers and artists with us.

182 titles / 42 countries / Over 50 Canadian films / 14 screening venues / 29 films in international competition / 16 films in national competition / 8 awards / 39 world premieres / 52 North American premieres / 30 Canadian premieres

Michel Gondry: Do It Yourself

In Quebec City, the 43rd edition of FIFA will be held at the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec (MNBAQ) and the Cinéma Beaumont from March 14 to 23. Programming will also be available online on the ARTS.FILM platform from March 21 to 30 (available across Quebec).

Le FIFA 43 also features free cultural events for all, presented in unique venues such as Isabella Cichero​’s digital fresco in tribute to Gabriela Mistral, a world premiere on the outskirts of the Saint-Laurent metro station in the Quartier des spectacles. Poetess, teacher, diplomat and feminist, Gabriela Mistral (1889−1957) is a key figure in Latin American literature. She was the first author from the region — and the first woman — to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1945.

The 43rd edition of the Festival will open with Michel Gondry: Do It Yourself by François Nemeta (France) in Canadian premiere and International Competition. Screened theatrically on Thursday, March 13 at Théâtre Outremont and Saturday, March 15 at Concordia in Montreal, the film will be preceded by the world premiere of the short film Consentir à by Agathe Feoux (France).

“The present times tempt us to withdraw, to freeze with fear, or to let cynicism take over. But art is, and must always be, a free territory. A space where we can still think. Where we can still dream. Where we can still take action. Faced with simplistic short cuts, art imposes complexity. Faced with immovable discourses, it invents languages. Faced with silence, it responds with the brilliance of sensitivity.

So, yes. The world is ours. Not in the sense of possession, but in a dynamic of reinvention. The world is ours to question. To deconstruct. To reimagine. And, above all, to re-create together.

Through this 43rd edition of the International Festival of Films on Art, we invite you to an exploration – a voyage through forms, gazes, resistances. Works about the present, of course, but also dialogues with history, for conceiving of the future also means understanding the past. From the intimate to the political, from abstraction to engagement, this program is a moving mapping of the issues that face us.” – Philippe U. del Drago, Executive and Artistic Director of Le FIFA.

A national and international competition

No More History Without Us

Among the feature films in competition, don’t miss Johan Grimonprez​’s Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat. Nominated for a Best Documentary Film Oscar, it has been described by the press as an ​“eye-opening, never-going-back, stomach-in-mouth film”. This moving film traces Congo’s independence and the assassination of Patrice Lumumba, while weaving audacious parallels between jazz and decolonization. Il complotto di Tirana by Manfredi Lucibello, a captivating documentary that traces one of the greatest hoaxes in the history of contemporary art, questioning the legitimacy, value and mechanisms of the art market. A rare and extremely interesting subject, it explores notions of truth and manipulation. The director will be present in Montreal to present his film, which plays with the idea of fake documentary, hoax and swindle, with Oliviero Toscani at the center, a famous photographer and art director known for his daring and provocative advertising campaigns (Benetton). David Lynch, une énigme Hollywood by Stéphane Ghez, who introduces us to David Lynch through his films and his unique creative process. Another film icon and visionary artist who revolutionized the world of music videos and cinema is Michel Gondry. His long-time collaborator, François Nemeta, will be present for the screening of his documentary Michel Gondry: Do It Yourself, which opens this year’s festival. No More History Without Us by Priscilla Brasil, a film-manifesto that deconstructs colonial narratives about the Amazon and restores the voice of indigenous peoples, questioning injustices and contemporary ecological issues. Balomanía by Sissel Morell-Dargis, the only woman in an all-male world, takes us to the heart of the Brazilian favelas to discover the underground world of the baloeiros, where the art of hot-air ballooning, criminalized by the authorities, becomes an act of freedom and resistance.

Mobilize

La Nuit de la danse – Friday, March 21, 2025

Year after year, dance takes pride of place at FIFA. That’s why La Nuit de la danse will once again delight the dance community and fans of the body in motion. Today’s greatest talents will be on hand for this 4th edition at Théâtre Outremont: Chélanie Beaudin-Quintin, Chun Liu, Sylvain Émard & Sandrick Mathurin, Suzanne Smith & Sylvia Solf, Valeria Galluccio, Gabriel Dharmoo & Jonathan Goulet and many others will present their latest creations on the (very) big screen.

Indigeneities of the Americas

Launched by FIFA in collaboration with several festivals in the Americas, this flagship festival project opens a window on indigenous cinema across the continent. By providing a platform for exchange and dissemination, it aims to showcase the diversity of indigenous voices and encourage encounters between artists, curators, partner organizations, festivals and audiences. This itinerant program offers evolving programming built with indigenous creators, reinforcing their recognition in the international cultural landscape. This year’s program includes Caroline Monnet’s short film Mobilize.

For more information, visit: www.lefifa.com