This autumn, when the lure of fresh wind and pumpkin spice latte quickly turns to chaos in the thrifts for a fresh pair of boots with no holes, and all our colleagues are coughing into our hair in the elevator, we’re going to escape.
Autumn is always better at the movies-because everything is always better at the movies-and because it’s also the most romantic season of the year. So, this autumn, we’ll be hanging out in the darkened halls during Montreal’s biggest film festival, the Festival du Nouveau Cinéma. ..
It’s the 54th edition of this Montreal film festival from October 8 to 19, 2025, and we’ve got an agenda made up in advance of everything we’re going to see at the festival this fall.
Festival du Nouveau Cinéma de Montréal: Agenda
The festival’s opening film is SPACE CADET, an animated feature directed by Montreal DJ Kid Koala (Eric San) that premiered at the Berlinale earlier this year. It will be screened on October 8 at the Théâtre Maisonneuve in the presence of the film’s crew.
National Competition
We’re really looking forward to seeing films by established and emerging Canadian filmmakers. 8 films have been selected;
- 1000 Sunset, by Kunsang Kyirong
- Ailleurs la Nuit, by Marianne Métivier
- Barbaracadabra, by Renaud Lessard and Barbara Ulrich
- Blue Heron, by Sophy Romvari
- Dead Lover, by Grace Glowicki
- Mon fils ne revint que sept jours, by Yan Giroux
- Puntos de Fuga, by Lina Rodriguez
- Shifting Baselines, by Julien Elie
We can’t wait to see Blue Heron (screening October 11 and 12) and Dead Lover (screening October 10 and 13) – two films directed by women that explore mental health and the power of memories and emotions, one with a gentle summer feel and the other with a camp retelling of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.
International Competition
There are 10 films in this year’s International Competition;
- A Useful Ghost, by Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke
- Affection Affection, by Maxime Matray and Alexia Walther
- Bedrock, by Kinga Michalska
- Duas Vezes Joao Liberada, by Paula Tomas Marques
- El Diablo Fuma (Y Guarda Las Cabezas De Los Cerillos Quemados En La Misma Caja), by Ernesto Martinez Bucio
- Fiume o Morte, by Igor Bezinovic
- Left-Handed Girl, by Shih-Ching Tsou
- O Riso E A Faca, by Pedro Pinho
- Que Ma Volonté Soit Faite, by Julia Kowalski
- Un Poeta, by Simon Mesa Soto
We can’t wait to see Duas Vezes Joao Liberada (screening October 10 and 13) by Paula Tomas Marques, a film that explores the question of queer historicity and the art of the biopic.
Must-sees – presented by MUBI
The festival will also be playing host to a number of highly-anticipated films that won every award at this year’s top international film festivals (Cannes, Berlin, Venice)…
We can’t wait to see Father Mother Sister Brother by Jim Jarmusch (screening October 11 and 19)-Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, Frankenstein by Guillermo del Toro (screening October 12 and 19) and Wrong Husband by Zacharias Kunuk (screening October 12 and 18)-Best Canadian Film at TIFF.
Practical info
Where? In Montreal (in several cinemas)
When? October 8-19, 2025
How to get in?
single ticket (one screening): $15 ($13 for those 30 and under)
book of 6 tickets: $70
FNC passport (for the entire festival): $200 ($150 for those 30 and under)
Enjoy the Festival!