For its 19th edition, the Marché du court (short film market) at the REGARD Festival, presented by Telefilm Canada, will host more than ten activities, most of them free and open to everyone, from March 23 to 25 at several venues in Saguenay. Master classes, training sessions, partnerships, networking: there will be numerous opportunities for professionals and the public to build their networks and learn more about the world of film.
Meet the pros
First, cinephiles who love insider anecdotes will have the opportunity to meet director Francis Leclerc (Pied nus dans l’aube, L’arracheuse de temps, Le Trotteur) on Friday, March 24 at 1 p.m. at the Cégep de Chicoutimi library just a month after the release of his latest film, Le Plongeur. The free activity, presented by Inis, will be moderated by the one and only Manon Dumais. Immediately afterwards, at 3:30 p.m. in the same location, the public is invited to a master class with filmmaker Philippe Falardeau (Monsieur Lazhar, My Salinger Year, The Good Lie) and singer-songwriter Martin Léon. The discussion will focus on collaborations, music and cinema.
At 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 25, at the Centre d’Expérimentation Musicale, there will be a one-on-one talk with the spokesperson of the 27th edition of REGARD, Florence Longpré, right after the Steve Laplante retrospective. This activity is presented by Film Laurentides and moderated by Manon Dumais. A festival pass or ticket is required. This will be an opportunity for the public to look back on Longpré’s brilliant career and find out about the actress and writer’s upcoming projects.
Free training, open to all
When the market opens on Thursday, March 23, REGARD will go into learning mode at 1 p.m. with a training session on environmentally responsible film-set operations given by Mylène Corbeil and Mélanie S. Dubois of La Créative Films and MéMO FILMS. The two-hour session will look at environment-friendly tools and measures at every phase of the process, from writing to promotion. The activity will be held in the library at Cégep de Chicoutimi.
At 3:30 p.m. on March 23, INTImédia will host a focus on coordinating intimate scenes in the Salle Polyvalente at Cégep de Jonquière, right before the first cocktail party, which will take place in the same location. INTImédia is an organization that provides support for the filming of intimate scenes – including sex scenes, simulated sex, nudity or scenes that otherwise ask actors and actresses to display their bodies. The market will welcome intimacy coordinator and INTImédia co-founder Roxane Néron, who will go into detail on the programs available and various aspects of her profession, which has become more prominent in the wake of the #MeToo movement. The crew of the film Nu by Olivier Bonté-Lemoyne will also be there to illustrate a complete work sequence with an intimacy coordinator. This activity is a presentation of the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC).
Networking activities
Because it strives to be a place for encounters, sharing of experience and creative inspiration, REGARD also organizes activities exclusively for film industry professionals. This part of the program includes two pro breakfasts presented by the Association des réalisateurs et réalisatrices du Québec and the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. These morning gatherings will take place at 10 a.m. on March 23 and 24 in one of the region’s finest heritage sites, the Pulperie de Chicoutimi. These activities require advance registration and are open only to holders of professional accreditation and to filmmakers with a film in the festival.
An excursion for Quebec producers
In partnership with the Association québécoise de la production médiatique (AQPM), the Bureau du cinéma de Saguenay is offering producers from Quebec a bus tour from Chicoutimi to Sainte-Rose-du-Nord, in the afternoon on Friday, March 24. It will be a perfect chance to get to know what the region has to offer in terms of hospitality and filming locations.
SODEC x REGARD networking
With the next round of SODEC’s (Société de développement des entreprises culturelles) support program for emerging artists coming soon, writers and producers are invited to the Pulperie de Chicoutimi on Saturday, March 25 at 1 p.m. to meet each other in a speed dating-style activity – a long-running tradition at the festival! The same day at 5 p.m., the scriptwriting competition Cours écrire ton court édition 100% région, organized by SODEC in collaboration with several partners, will have an official awards ceremony in cocktail-party format at Café Cambio. This activity is free and open to all.
400 guests expected
For this 2023 edition, nearly 400 guests are expected to visit Saguenay to celebrate short films. While the majority will come from elsewhere in Quebec, the festival will also welcome guests from thousands of kilometres away, including: Mia Falstein-Rush of the Melbourne International Film Festival (Australia); Chloe Roddick of the Morelia Film Festival (Mexico); Enrico Vannucci, director of the Talents and Short Film Market in Turin (Italy); Fredi Klutas of KUKI - Young Short Film Festival Berlin (Germany); Aki Isoyama of the Short Shorts Film Festival (Japan) and many more. Around 20 programmers, buyers and critics from 14 countries will start arriving on March 22.
“Our fervent hope for the Market is to create openings: stimulate meetings between professionals, introduce emerging artists to one another, give cinephiles access to different industry players to give them a sense of the industry’s diversity.” - Mireille Tremblay-Caron, head of the Marché du court
Box office
The public activities of the Market are free and open to all. Industry professionals who wish to participate in the 19th edition of the REGARD Festival’s short film market can obtain a professional pass for $125, available now on the festival’s website. Passholders are able to attend networking activities reserved for industry professionals, are included on guest lists and receive newsletters from the Marché du court.