Montreal unrolled the red carpet for the film's world premiere

The 32nd edition of the Montreal World Film Festival, opened on August 21 with the world premiere in Official Competition of Christophe Barratier's "PARIS 36". Barratier's last film, the Oscar-nominated hit "LES CHORISTES", closed the Festival in 2004. Written by Barratier from original idea by Frank Thomas, Jean-Michel Derenne and Reinhardt Wagner (who also composed the film's original score), "PARIS 36" stars Gérard Jugnot, Clovis Cornillac, Kad Merad, Nora Arnezeder, Bernard-Pierre Donadieu and Maxence Perrin. The red carpet was unrolled on August 21 at the Place des Arts for stars of the film and opening night festival guests.

In a working class quarter in the north of Paris in 1936, the spring election of the Popular Front government has given rise to all sorts of crazy hopes and inspires a rash of extremism. That's when three unemployed showpeople decide to forcibly occupy the local music hall where they had worked until three months ago. They're determined to stage a hit show. But the place will be the scene of the most ephemeral of enterprises.

Festival president Serge Losique declared that he was "very happy to have the Festival opened by a film of this artistic excellence and great cast. We are sure that Montreal filmgoers will give the film and its brilliant director the warm welcome they deserve."

Distributed in Quebec by Alliance Vivafilm, "PARIS 36" will be released in theatres this fall.

www.faubourg36-lefilm.com
All Photos are property of the Montreal World Film Festival and the photographer credit goes to Sylvain Legaré

FEATURE FILMS

Grand prix des Americas:
OKURIBITO (DEPARTURES) by Yojiro Takita (Japan)

Special Grand Prix of the jury :
THE NECESSITIES OF LIFE (CE QU'IL FAUT POUR VIVRE) by Benoît Pilon (Canada)

Best Director :
THE TOUR (TURNEJA) by Goran Markovic (Serbia/Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Best Actress :
BARBARA SUKOWA for the film THE INVENTION OF THE CURRIED SAUSAGE (DIE ENTDECKUNG DER CURRYWURST) by Ulla Wagner (Germany)

Best Actor :
ERI CAÑETE for the film TEO'S VOYAGE (EL VIAJE DE TEO) by Walter Doehner (Mexico)

Best Screenplay:
WELCOME TO FAREWELL-GUTMANN (BIENVENIDO A FAREWELL-GUTMANN) by Xavi Puebla, screenplay by Xavi Puebla and Jesús Gil (Spain)
NOBODY TO WATCH OVER ME by Riyoichi Kimizuka, screenplay by Riyoichi Kimizuka and Satoshi Suzuki (Japan)

Best Artistic Contribution :
WOLF (VARG) by Daniel Alfredson (Sweden-Norway-Finland)

Innovation Award:
IT ALL BEGINS AT SEA by Eitan Green (Israel)

SHORT FILMS :
1st prize :
THE NECKTIE (LE NŒUD CRAVATE) by Jean-François Lévesque (Canada)

Jury Award:
FAL by Hans Van Nuffel (Belgium)

JURY
President : MARK RYDELL, director (U.S.A.)
EVELYNE BOUIX, actress (France)
JOHANNE DUGAS, representing the general public (Canada)
XIE FEI, director (China)
VOJTECH JASNY, director (Czech Republic)
DANY LAFERRIÈRE, writer and director (Canada)

ZENITHS FOR THE BEST FIRST FICTION FEATURE FILMS 2008

Golden Zenith for the Best First Fiction Feature films :
FOR A MOMENT, FREEDOM (EIN AUGENBLICK, FREIHEIT) by Arash T. Riahi (Austria/France)

Silver Zenith for the First Fiction Feature Film :
WELTSTADT by Christian Klandt (Germany)

Bronze Zenith for the Fisrt Fiction Feature Film :
SUMMER BOOK (TATIL KITABI) by Seyfi Teoman (Turkey)

Members of the jury of the First Fiction Films :
Pierre-Henri Deleau (France)
Denis Héroux (Canada)
Armand Lafond (Canada)

PUBLIC AWARDS

The public was invited to vote for the most popular films among the feature films presented during the 2008 Montreal World Film Festival.

Public Award for the most popular film of the Festival:
THE NECESSITIES OF LIFE (CE QU'IL FAUT POUR VIVRE) by Benoît Pilon (Canada)

Public Award for the most popular Canadian Feature Film :
THE NECESSITIES OF LIFE (CE QU'IL FAUT POUR VIVRE) by Benoît Pilon (Canada)

Glauber Rocha Award for the Best Latin American Film :
DON'T LOOK DOWN (NO MIRES PARA ABAJO) by Eliseo Subiela (Argentina-France)

Award for Best documentary :
CHILDREN OF THE PYRE by Rajesh S. Jala (India)

Award for Best Canadian Short Film :
THE NECKTIE (LE NŒUD CRAVATE) by Jean-François Lévesque (Canada)

FIPRESCI PRIZE (INTERNATIONAL FILM CRITICS)
THE TOUR (TURNEJA) by Goran Markovic (Serbia/Bosnia and Herzegovina)

ECUMENICAL PRIZES
WOLF (VARG) by Daniel Alfredson (Sweden-Norway-Finland)
Special mention of the Ecumenical jury :
TEO'S VOYAGE (EL VIAJE DE TEO) by Walter Doehner (Mexico)

OTHER AWARDS
Special Awards for their exceptional contribution to the cinematographic art :
ALAN LADD JR.
TONY CURTIS
ISABELLE HUPPERT

MEMBERS OF THE JURY:

Montreal, August 27, 2008

Award for the overall winner:
NORMAN MCLAREN AWARD offered by the National Film Board of Canada, a value of $2500 in technical services for the winner's next production.
« This Little Piggy » by Sarah Quinn and Sébastien Rist (Concordia University)

KODAK IMAGING AWARD
For the Best New Canadian Student Director, presented by Kodak Canada Entertainment Imaging. The winner will receive a camera and $4200 of film
« For Wendy » by Jacquelyn Mills (Concordia University)

BEST ANIMATION PRODUCTION:
« C Block » by Vladimir Kooperman (Sheridan College, Oakville, Ontario)

BEST DOCUMENTARY PRODUCTION:
« Forty Men for the Yukon » BY Tony Massil (Simon Fraser University, Vancouver)

BEST EXPERIMENTAL PRODUCTION:
« Presidio Modelo » by Pablo Alvarez (Simon Fraser University, Vancouver)

BEST FICTION PRODUCTION :
« Firebear Called Them Faith Healers » by Kelvin Redvers (Simon Fraser University, Vancouver)

SPECIAL MENTIONS:
« Amma » by Aparna Kapur (Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design, Vancouver)
« 16 ans » by Pierre-Luc Laganière (U.Q.À.M.)

The jury members were :
Francine Brücher, Swiss Films
Ravida Din, Executive Producer at the National Film Board of Canada
Pierre Jutras, Director of conservation and programming of the Cinémathèque.

Academy Award-winning producer Alan Ladd, Jr. (Braveheart), will be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award and four-film retrospect at the Montreal Film Festival, with his award presented at the Festival's opening night ceremony, August 21, it was announced by Festival president Serge Losique.
Festival will feature four Ladd, Jr., films, with a special screening of Young Frankenstein on August 22, followed by a Q&A with the producer. Other Ladd films scheduled for screening during the Festival are The Right Stuff, Chariots of Fire, and Blade Runner.
Alan Ladd, Jr., former president of both 20th Century-Fox and MGM/UA studios, has also headed up the Ladd Company, his highly productive and successful independent motion picture production company. During his illustrious career as an independent producer and studio head his films have garnered more than 150 Academy Award nominations, 50 Academy Awards, and a number of other domestic and international accolades, including numerous Golden Globes and Palme d'Or honors and a array of other kudos.