The 28th edition of Image+Nation kicked off Friday evening with their big event at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. This year’s lineup proves to hold some true cinematic gems, so here are our top 5 must-see films during the Image+Nation festival.
Out to Win – Canada, Monday November 30th 7pm
Malcolm Ingram 2015 Canada | 100min | English
Toronto-based filmmaker Malcolm Ingram presents a documentary on gay athletes, highlighting the struggles LGBTQ people face in the sports world. Ingram delivers a “rousing and poignant look at the history of queer athletes and their struggles to accept themselves and come out in a profession still often soaked in homophobia. Out to Win will leave you hopefully but melancholic, a fascinating look at a complex, often-ignored bit of sports history.” – Matthew Hays
Ville Marie – Canada, Sunday November 29th 7pm
Guy Édoin 2015 Canada | 99min | french s.-t.a._en
Monica Bellucci stars in Ville Marie, a highly acclaimed film shot in Montreal, a true gem to this year’s Image+Nation lineup. This drama focuses on relationship struggles between Sophie Bernard (Bellucci) and her son, paramedic Pierre who is struggling with PTSD and ER nurse Marie (Pascale Bussières). On one dark Montréal night, their lives will all intersect in a fateful occurrence at Ville-Marie. With its multifaceted narrative and complex script propelled by a quartet of captivating performances, Ville-Marie is a captivating viewing experience and a definite must-see.
A Sinner in Mecca
Parvez Sharma 2015 United States 82min hindi arab oudou english s.-t.a._en Saturday December 5th 3pm
Examines the every day realities and risks of being muslim and homosexual. “Homosexuality in Saudi Arabia is punishable by death, and filming at the holy sites is forbidden. Undertaking these risks, the director brings us inside a world that is closed to non-Muslims, and explores his faith in the quest to find a place within Islam.” (Image+Nation website)
All About E
Louise Wadley 2015 | New Zealand | 95min v.o.a. Saturday December 5th 715pm
This film has everything one could hope for in an action-packed lesbian drama on a Saturday night at the movies. E, a DJ and Lebanese immigrant who is incapable of maintaining a monogamous relationship (…), and finds herself in heaps of trouble after she and a friend mistakenly leave the club with a duffel bag worth of mob money. Yikes! While they are both aware that nothing good can come from keeping their findings, they take the road less travelled and set off on an adventure (see also: try to stay alive).
Matthew Hays calls it “a breath of cinematic fresh air in the form of an oddball road movie from Down Under. Feisty performances and a genre-busting screenplay make All About E a welcome bit of escapism—fun, exuberant, zany, erotic and perfectly paced, it’s one of the fest standouts for 2015.”
Liz in September
Fina Torres 2014 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic 100min Spanish s.-t.a.en Saturday Nov 28th 7pm
On route to an unnamed destination Eva, is forced to take refuge at a coastal resort after her car breaks down. There she encounters Liz, on vacation with her group of lesbian friends. Quickly a bet is made among friends over whether Liz can bed the supposedly heterosexual Eva within three days. What starts off as passing attraction between the two becomes something deeper as the two characters individually come to grips with very personal traumas affecting their lives. (courtesy of Image Nation online)
Image Nation 28 Tickets and Admission
Multi-film passes: 120$@10
Individual tickets: 12.75$ / 9.50$ student/senior
Become a Friend of the Festival and reap the benefits of membership while supporting an important local film festival:
Image Nation Venues
Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (1379a Sherbrooke W.)
UQAM Pavilion Judith-Jasmin Annexe / old NFB (1564 St. Denis)
Never Apart (7409 St. Urbain)
L’un et L’autre (1641 Amherst)
Concordia University Cinema Alexandre de Seve (1400 de Maisonneuve W.)
Laika (4040 St. Laurent Blvd)
Visit Image Nation online to view their full schedule and lineup for the festival.
