Nicolas Girard Deltruc / Executive Director
With the development of new technologies and the evolution of new broadcasting platforms, we’re surrounded by moving images (kinema). Anyone can make, broadcast and watch a film. This flood of audiovisual content, available on a variety of platforms (Internet, TV, mobile devices), is bringing about a dramatic change in how we look at the world around us ? and ourselves. In a sense, this is what (new) cinema is all about: films without boundaries or limits whose content, regardless of the medium, offers viewers a multitude of new perspectives.
Helping to navigate this sea of images, film festivals are a place to see, discover and share a hand-picked selection of works. Some festivals focus on the classics ? film in its traditional, familiar form. Others, far less conventional, keep pace with the times and are sometimes even a step ahead. Embracing the evolution of new technologies, they offer a bold new vision that fearlessly smashes conventions. Their goal is to offer viewers unrestricted access to a selection of thought-provoking images. Film festivals like the FNC, of which there are still very few throughout the world, are exceptional places of free expression that help our society move forward.
This year, Montreal’s Festival du nouveau cinéma is celebrating its 40th anniversary ? 40 years devoted to film and all its emerging forms. Over the years, the FNC has helped to build a community of film buffs, not only by screening standout works and bringing their creators into the spotlight, but also by asking questions about its future. The Festival’s lasting success lies in its immense capacity for adaption and self-reflection. Like the films it presents, the FNC is constantly evolving.
I extend my heartfelt thanks to the entire FNC team, to its volunteers and to all of its partners, longstanding and new. This 40th edition would not have been possible without you.