Art and culture on the big screen
For the fourth consecutive year, Concordia University is a partner in the International Festival of Films on Art (FIFA). The 31st edition takes place March 14 through 24, 2013. With its renowned Faculty of Fine Arts and Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema, the university’s well-established association with arts and culture is upheld by its association with FIFA.
The collaboration between Concordia and FIFA reflects a common desire to open doors to the world. The intention is to appeal to Montreal’s various cultural groups and engage the interest and enthusiasm of the university community in works featuring art and artists from Montreal and elsewhere.
Nearly 250 films from more than 30 countries are on the festival program this year. A varied selection of films from the rich programming will be shown at venues across the city including Concordia’s J.A. DeSève Cinema.
A highlight of the programming is the screening of the documentary Portrait of Wally, a joint Concordia-FIFA event. Painted by Egon Schiele and inspired by his love for his mistress Walburga (“Wally”) Neuzil, the painting by the same name was stolen in 1939 by the Nazis. The documentary recounts the 13-year dispute between the various stakeholders who claimed to own the work.
David D’Arcy, the film’s producer and screenwriter, will attend the screening to explore the complex and problematic aspects of restitution. The issue is of major importance to Concordia, a champion of the Max Stern Art Restitution Project. The project’s director, Clarence Epstein, will speak about the project’s latest international findings in the context of the film.
What: Screening of the documentary Portrait of Wally (in English only)
When: Wednesday, March 20 at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Maxwell Cummings Auditorium, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (1379 Sherbrooke St. W.)
Another must-see film is From Montréal, a documentary exploring Montreal’s indie music scene. Anglophone and francophone musicians come together and speak the only language that matters: music.
Does this partnership between musicians represent Montreal’s future? Journalists Alexandre Vigneault, Brendan Kelly, Yuani Fragata and Lorraine Carpenter compare their perspectives on the relationship between French and English in Montreal. The discussion of the film will be moderated by columnist Olivier Robillard-Laveaux.
What: Screening of From Montréal (in English and French)
When: Friday, March 15 at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Cinquième Salle, Place des Arts (175 Ste-Catherine St. W.)
Also on the program is the premiere screening of Fallingwater: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Masterwork, about Fallingwater, the Pennsylvania residence designed in 1935 by the legendary architect.
What: Premiere screening of Fallingwater: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Masterwork (in English only)
When: Friday, March 8 at 6 p.m.
Where: J.A. DeSève Cinema, J.W. McConnell Library Building (1400 De Maisonneuve Blvd. W.), Sir George Williams Campus
Related links:
• International Festival of Films on Art
• Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema
• Faculty of Fine Arts
• March 8 - Screening of Fallingwater: Frank Lloyd Wright's Masterwork
• Max Stern Art Restitution Project