The 2021 edition of the Festival du nouveau cinéma, the 50th edition in the event's history, took place from October 6 to 17, 2021 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.Marc Cassivi, "Contre vents et marées". La Presse, October 1, 2021. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec, it was staged as a hybrid event, with a mixture of in-person and online screenings; although the festival officially concluded on October 17, the online platform remained open until October 31."Le 50e Festival du nouveau cinéma dévoile son palmarès et se poursuit en ligne jusqu’au 31 octobre 2021". CTVM, October 18, 2021.
The festival opened with the film Bootlegger by Caroline Monnet, and closed with Félix Dufour-Laperrière's film Archipelago (Archipel).Léa Carrier, "Bootlegger et Archipel en ouverture et clôture". La Presse, August 23, 2021. Marking the 50th anniversary of the festival, Bootlegger was also paired with 50 temps, a short documentary film about the festival by Luc Bourdon.Gabriel Sigler, "FNC 2021 lineup: The Power of the Dog, Freakscene – The Story of Dinosaur Jr., Red Rocket, Night Raiders". Bad Feeling, September 28, 2021.
Awards Award winners were announced on October 18 at the conclusion of the festival.
Award Film Filmmaker National Competition, Grand Prize Night Raiders Danis Goulet National Competition, Prix de la diffusion Québécor The Noise of Engines (Le Bruit des moteurs) Philippe Grégoire National Competition, Prix de la diffusion Québécor Honorable Mention The White Fortress (Tabija) Igor Drljaca International Competition, Grand Prize Great Freedom (Große Freiheit) International Competition, Prix de l’innovation Daniel Langlois (La Traversée) Florence Miailhe International Competition, Prix de l’innovation Daniel Langlois Honorable Mention Taste (Vi) Lê Bào International Competition, Best Acting Performance Moon, 66 Questions (Selini, 66 erotiseis) Sofia Kokkali FIPRESCI International Critics Prize Damascus Dreams Émilie Serri Eurimages Audentia Award (La Traversée) Florence Miailhe New Alchemists Prize Esqui Manque La Banca New Alchemists Prize Honorable Mention The Child of Plomo (El Niño del Plomo) Daniel Dávila Panorama Prize Gallant Indies (Les Indes Galantes) Philippe Béziat Temps 0 Public Prize Some Like It Rare (Barbaque) Fabrice Éboué Vortex Gaspar Noé P'tits Loups Dans la nature Marcel Barelli FNC Explore Panorama Prize In the Mist Chou Tung-Yen FNC Explore Horizon Prize Marco and Polo Go Round Benjamin Steiger Levine FNC Explore Horizon Prize Honorable Mention Goliath: Playing with Reality Barry Gene Murphy, May Abdalla National Competition, Short Film In the Jam Jar Colin Nixon National Competition, Short Film Public Prize International Competition, Short Film A Present Light (Luz de Presença) Diogo Costa Amarante International Competition, Short Film Honorable Mention My Uncle Tudor (Nanu Tudor) Olga Lucovnicova New Alchemists, Animated Short Film Love, Dad (Mily tati) Diana Cam Van Nguyen New Alchemists, National Dada Prize Boobs (Lolos) Marie Valade New Alchemists, International Dada Prize Happy Valley Simon Liu RPCÉ Grand Prize Roots Home Audrey Rainville RCPÉ Honorable Mentions Project Human Revival Yuqian Zhang Université de Sisyphe Étienne Pouy Pitch Première Oeuvre Adieu Minette Sarra El Abed Pitch Première Oeuvre Special Mention Home of the Flying Moons Victoria Catherine Chan Nouveau Marché Bells of Kabul Chabname Zariab Nouveau Marché Special Mentions Mexico 1986 César Diaz Motherhood Meryam Joobeur Jury Prize, Virtual Reality Fight Back VR Céline Tricart Future Rites Sandra Rodriguez, Alexander Whitley
Official selections International Competition English title Original title Director(s) Production country La Traversée Florence Miailhe France, Germany, Czech Republic District Terminal Bardia Yadegari, Ehsan Mirhosseini Iran, Germany Great Freedom Große Freiheit Austria, Germany In the Mirror Spogulī Laila Pakalnina Latvia, Lithuania Miguel's War Eliane Raheb Germany, Lebanon, Spain Moon, 66 Questions Selini, 66 erotiseis Jacqueline Lentzou France, Greece Passion Maja Borg Sweden, Spain The Pink Cloud A Nuvem Rosa Iuli Gerbase Brazil Taste VỊ Lê Bảo Vietnam, Singapore, France, Thailand, Germany, Taiwan What Do We See When We Look at the Sky? Alexandre Koberidze Germany, Georgia
National Competition English title Original title Director(s) Production country La Contemplation du mystère Albéric Aurtenèche Canada Damascus Dreams Émilie Serri Darkroom Lukas Maier Night Raiders Danis Goulet The Noise of Engines La Bruit des moteurs Philippe Grégoire Nouveau Québec Sarah Fortin Ste. Anne Rhayne Vermette The White Fortress Tabija Igor Drljaca Wildhood Bretten Hannam
International Panorama English title Original title Director(s) Production country 1970 Tomasz Wolski Poland Bliss Glück Henrika Kull Germany Celts Kelti Milica Tomović Serbia Compartment No. 6 Hytti nro 6 Juho Kuosmanen Finland, Estonia, Germany, Russia The Fam La Mif Fred Baillif Switzerland Faya Dayi Jessica Beshir United States, Ethiopia, Qatar Gagarine Gagarin Fanny Liatard, Jérémy Trouilh France Gallant Indies Les Indes Galantes Philippe Béziat France The Girl and the Spider Das Mädchen und die Spinne Ramon Zürcher, Silvan Zürcher Switzerland Hit the Road Jadde Khaki Panah Panahi Iran Mr. Bachmann and His Class Herr Bachmann und Seine Classe Maria Speth Germany Unclenching the Fists Razzhimaya kulaki Kira Kovalenko Russia The Velvet Queen La Panthère des neiges Marie Amiguet, Vincent Munier France Venus by Water Shui Bian Wei Na Si Lin Wang China Wood and Water Jonas Bak Germany, France
The New Alchemists (Les Nouveaux alchimistes) English title Original title Director(s) Production country The Child of Plomo El Niño del Plomo Daniel Dávila Chile Come Here Anocha Suwichakornpong Thailand The Edge of Daybreak Phayasohk phiyohkyam Taiki Sakpisit Thailand, Australia The Fisherman's Daughter Tzarevna Scaling Uldus Bakhtiozina Russia Letters to a Young Traveller Lettres à un jeune voyageur Federico Hidalgo Canada The Penultimate Den Næstsidste Jonas Kærup Hjort Denmark Ski Esquí Manque La Banca Argentina, Brazil Ste. Anne Rhayne Vermette Canada Virgin Blue Bu yao zai jian a, Yu hua tang Niu Xiaoyu China
The Essentials (Les Incontournables) English title Original title Director(s) Production country Ahed's Knee Haberek Nadav Lapid Israel, France, Germany Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn Babardeală cu bucluc sau porno balamuc Radu Jude Romania Days Rìzi Tsai Ming-Liang Taiwan Dune Denis Villeneuve United States Earwig Lucile Hadžihalilović United Kingdom, Belgium, France The Hand of God È stata la mano di Dio Paolo Sorrentino Italy A Hero Qahremaan Asghar Farhadi Iran, France In Front of Your Face dangsin eolgul ap-eseo Hong Sang-soo South Korea Introduction Inteurodeoksyeon Hong Sang-soo South Korea Memoria Apichatpong Weerasethakul Thailand Parallel Mothers Madres paralelas Pedro Almodóvar Spain Paris, 13th District Les Olympiades Jacques Audiard France The Power of the Dog Jane Campion New Zealand, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia Red Rocket Sean Baker United States Reflection Vidblysk Valentyn Vasyanovych Ukraine The Star Nadav Lapid Israel, United States Tralala Arnaud Larrieu, Jean-Marie Larrieu France Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy Gūzen to Sōzō Ryusuke Hamaguchi Japan The Worst Person in the World Verdens verste menneske Joachim Trier Norway, France, Denmark, Sweden
Temps 0
English title Original title Director(s) Production country After Blue Paradis sale Bertrand Mandico France The Amusement Park George A. Romero United States Asmodeus Éric Falardeau Canada Bloody Oranges Oranges sanguines Jean-Christophe Meurisse France Bound Jean-Armand Bougrelle Japan Dead Flash Bertrand Mandico France Extraneous Matter Kenichi Ugana Japan For a Fistful of Fries Poulet frites Yves Hinant, Jean Libon France, Belgium Fou de Bassan Yann Gonzalez France Freakscene: The Story of Dinosaur Jr. Philipp Reichenheim Germany, United States Hiruko the Goblin Yōkai Hantā: Hiruko Shinya Tsukamoto Japan Irréversible Gaspar Noé France The Last Temptation of the Belgians La Dernière tentation des Belges Jan Bucquoy Belgium Lux Æterna Gaspar Noé France Music Hole David Mutzenmacher, Gaetan Liekens Belgium North Shinjuku 2055 Daisuke Miyazaki Japan Saloum Jean Luc Herbulot Senegal, France Some Like It Rare Barbaque Fabrice Éboué France Taxidermize Me Taxidermisez-moi Marie Losier France Those Who Care Debout les femmes ! François Ruffin, Gilles Perret France Vortex Gaspar Noé France Zeria Harry Cleven Belgium
Special Presentations English title Original title Director(s) Production country Angakusajaujuq: The Shaman's Apprentice Zacharias Kunuk Canada Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner ᐊᑕᓈᕐᔪᐊᑦ Zacharias Kunuk Canada Dream Life La vie rêvée Mireille Dansereau Canada Drunken Birds Les Oiseaux ivres Ivan Grbovic Canada The Left-Hand Side of the Fridge La moitié gauche du frigo Philippe Falardeau Canada Mulholland Drive David Lynch United States Possession Andrzej Żuławski France, Germany Ville Neuve Félix Dufour-Laperrière Canada West of Pluto À l'ouest de Pluton Myriam Verreault, Henry Bernadet Canada
International Competition for Short Films English title Original title Director(s) Production country After a Room Naomi Pacifique United Kingdom, Netherlands, Switzerland Atér Marie Fages France Dihya Lucia Martinez Garcia Switzerland Fata Morgana Nitzan Rozen Israel Hotel Royal Salomé Lamas Portugal How to Die Young in Manila Petersen Vargas Philippines Inherent Nicolai G.H. Johansen France Jesus Egon Christus Saša Vajda, David Vajda Germany Lemongrass Girl Pom Bunsermvicha Thailand Let's Do This Again Sometime Petrus van Staden South Africa, Spain The Men Who Wait Les Attendants Truong Minh Quý France, Singapore Motorcyclist’s Happiness Won’t Fit Into His Suit Al motociclista no le cabe la felicidad en el traje Gabriel Herrera Mexico My Uncle Tudor Nanu Tudor Olga Lucovnicova Belgium, Hungary, Portugal, Moldova Neon Phantom Fantasma Neon Leonardo Martinelli Brazil New Abnormal Pid Pokati Mai Sorayos Prapapan Thailand, South Korea, Singapore On Solid Ground Über Wasser Jela Hasler Switzerland The Parents' Room Diego Marcon Italy Potted Palm Trees Topfpalmen Rosa Friedrich Germany A Present Light Luz de Presença Diogo Costa Amarante Portugal Sandstorm Mulaqat Seemab Gul Pakistan, United Kingdom Sunrise in My Mind Tngaireah knong chet Danech San Cambodia Sycorax Lois Patiño, Matías Piñeiro Spain, Portugal Techno, Mama Saulius Baradinskas Lithuania Widow & Orphan Hurenkind und Schusterjunge Niklas Pollmann Austria
National Competition for Short Films English title Original title Director(s) Province Abuela Rebeca Ortiz Ontario BàBà Dorothy Sing Zhang Ontario Between Realities Along the Edge of Time Jessica Huras Ontario Big Brother Grand frère Rémi St-Michel Quebec Bump Maziyar Khatam Ontario Celle qui reste Alex B. Martin Quebec Defund Khadijah Roberts-Abdullah, Araya Mengesha Ontario Dear Mr. Dudley Morgan Tams British Columbia Deep Blue Fond bleu Franie-Éléonore Bernier Quebec Fanmi Sandrine Brodeur-Desrosiers, Carmine Pierre-Dufour Quebec Fuckin' Coffin Cercueil, tabarnak! Loïc Darses Quebec The Horses Liz Cairns British Columbia In the Jam Jar Colin Nixon Quebec Joutel Alexa-Jeanne Dubé Quebec Louise from 9 to 5 Louise de 9 à 5 Julien G. Marcotte Quebec Nalujuk Night Jennie Williams Newfoundland and Labrador OK Virginie Nolin Quebec Ousmane Jorge Camarotti Quebec Perfecting the Art of Longing Kitra Cahana Quebec Personals Sasha Argirov British Columbia Resonance Résonance Maxime-Claude L'Écuyer Quebec River Boy Blues Jerome Yoo British Columbia See You Garbage! Au plaisir les ordures! Romain Dumont Quebec Tibbits Hill Édith Jorisch Quebec Tigress Maya Bastian Ontario Together Albert Shin Ontario Twelve Hours Paul Shkordoff Ontario A Void Dominique van Olm Ontario
Special Presentations Short Films