MONTRÉAL AU PRINTEMPS 2026

M. Eric Myles, chef du sport, Comité olympique canadien, Mme Joëlle Bordeur, présidente-directrice générale du Parc olympique, Mme Chantal Rouleau, ministre responsable de la Solidarité sociale et de l’Action communautaire, ministre responsable de la Métropole et de la région de Montréal, Mme Christine Black, mairesse de Montréal-Nord,  Mme Véronique Doucet, directrice générale de la Société du parc Jean-Drapeau

ENGLISH translation app above

Cinquante ans après les Jeux olympiques de 1976, Montréal s’apprête à célébrer l’un des événements les plus marquants de son histoire avec une programmation ambitieuse, festive et accessible à tous. Dévoilée conjointement par la Ville de Montréal, le Parc olympique, la Société du parc Jean-Drapeau et le Comité olympique canadien, cette série d’activités mettra en valeur l’héritage sportif, culturel et humain laissé par les Jeux qui ont transformé la métropole.

Tout au long de l’été 2026, les Montréalais pourront participer à des expositions, spectacles, événements sportifs et expériences immersives majoritairement gratuites. Parmi les moments phares, le parc Jean-Drapeau ouvrira exceptionnellement le Bassin olympique le 4 juillet pour une journée familiale réunissant initiations sportives, rencontres avec des athlètes olympiques et prestations musicales du Urban Science Brass Band et de Qualité Motel.

Le 1er août, soit exactement 50 ans après la cérémonie de clôture des Jeux, un grand spectacle gratuit prendra place sur l’Esplanade du Parc olympique. Produit par Multicolore, l’événement rendra hommage à l’héritage olympique montréalais avec la participation du rappeur Loud, qui interprétera la chanson officielle des célébrations, réalisée avec le producteur Ruffsound. La légendaire gymnaste roumaine Nadia Comaneci sera également honorée pour son impact historique aux Jeux de Montréal.

Les célébrations incluront aussi des projections de cinéma flottant, des expositions historiques, des parcours interactifs au parc Jean-Drapeau ainsi qu’une exposition permanente dans la Rotonde du Stade olympique. Plusieurs compétitions sportives majeures, dont les Essais canadiens de natation Bell et la Coupe du monde de canoë de vitesse, viendront rappeler l’importance du legs olympique dans le développement du sport canadien.

Au-delà de la nostalgie, cette programmation vise surtout à reconnecter les nouvelles générations avec un héritage longtemps éclipsé par les débats entourant les coûts du Stade olympique. Montréal souhaite désormais réaffirmer son identité de grande ville sportive tournée vers l’avenir.

INFOS : montrealolympique.ca

Dernier hommage a Mme Béatrice Picard, une comédienne bienaimée.

Le 4 mai 2026, la scène du Théâtre Duceppe s’est illuminée d’émotion pour rendre hommage à Madame Béatrice Picard, immense comédienne disparue en décembre 2025 à l’âge de 96 ans. Entourée, dans les souvenirs, de collègues, d’amis et d’admirateurs, elle a été célébrée pour une carrière exceptionnelle qui a profondément marqué le théâtre et la culture québécoise. Animée par David Laurin et Jean‑Simon Traversy, cette soirée a réuni des témoignages touchants de Gilles Duceppe, Simon Boulerice et Marie‑Josée Longchamps, accompagnés au piano par Philippe Prud’homme. Son engagement envers Les Petits Frères demeurera également un précieux héritage de générosité et d’humanité.

Pour en savoir plus sur cette soirée : Théâtre Duceppe.

La distribution complète de l'opéra Carmen ce 5 mai 2026 

À l’Opéra de Montréal, Carmen revient comme reviennent les grands titres capables de remplir les salles et d’assurer l’équilibre financier d’une saison. Mais l’œuvre de Bizet demeure aussi un test : peut-on encore tirer du neuf d’un opéra si souvent joué ?

La mise en scène d’Anna Theodosakis évite les relectures tapageuses et privilégie une clarté dramatique rare. Les décors modulables de Camellia Koo — un immense mur qui devient tour à tour manufacture, cabaret, montagne et arène — servent efficacement le récit. Le dernier acte impressionne particulièrement : tandis qu’Escamillo triomphe dans l’arène, Carmen et Don José s’affrontent dans le callejón, ce corridor étroit où l’intime se fracasse contre le spectacle public. Theodosakis dirige les scènes de foule avec une précision chorégraphique remarquable.

Rihab Chaieb possède toutes les qualités vocales du rôle-titre : une voix chaude, souple et veloutée. Pourtant, son incarnation déconcerte. Sa Carmen, intériorisée et presque ordinaire, refuse la flamboyance habituelle du personnage. Le choix est intéressant, mais prive parfois l’œuvre de son moteur dramatique : pourquoi Don José se perdrait-il pour cette femme ? À cela s’ajoute une diction française parfois floue, qui affaiblit sa présence scénique.

La véritable révélation de la soirée est Arturo Chacón-Cruz. Le ténor mexicain compose un Don José habité, fébrile, déjà brisé avant même sa chute. Si certains aigus manquent de finesse, la voix possède un métal sombre et une intensité dramatique qui captivent. À plusieurs reprises, il vole la vedette à Carmen.

Magali Simard-Galdès apporte à Micaëla une fraîcheur touchante, tandis qu’Ethan Vincent impose un Escamillo solide et charismatique. Dans la fosse, Jean-Marie Zeitouni dirige l’Orchestre Métropolitain avec énergie et rigueur.

Sans révolutionner Carmen, cette production rappelle avec intelligence que l’opéra de Bizet est moins le portrait d’une femme fatale que celui d’un homme incapable de supporter la liberté d’autrui. Hélas, il n'y avait que quelques représentations cette année.

Lors du lancement de l’École de Performance de l'Université Concordia: Les étudiants artistes en présence de (à partir du centre gauche, au dernier rang) Annie Gérin, doyenne de la Faculté des beaux-arts ; Dawn Tyler Watson, invitée d'honneur et artiste ; John Sadoway, pianiste ; Marie-Josée Desrochers, présidente-directrice générale de la Place des Arts ; et Graham Carr, président et vice-chancelier de Concordia., photo gracieuseté de l'Université Concordia

Le 4 mai dernier, l’Université Concordia a franchi une étape marquante de son histoire en inaugurant officiellement sa nouvelle École des arts vivants au Salon urbain de la Place des Arts. Plus qu’un simple lancement institutionnel, cette soirée a incarné une vision ambitieuse de l’avenir de la création artistique : un avenir où les disciplines dialoguent librement, où les frontières s’effacent et où l’innovation naît de la rencontre entre les talents.

Première structure interdisciplinaire du genre au Québec, l’École des arts vivants réunit la danse contemporaine, la musique et le théâtre sous une même bannière. Cette initiative audacieuse confirme le rôle de chef de file de Concordia dans l’enseignement des arts contemporains et dans le développement de la recherche-création. Ancrée au cœur du vibrant écosystème culturel montréalais, l’école se veut un véritable laboratoire d’expérimentation, d’échange et de collaboration.

I shared a moment with
visual artist Eva Trudeau.

L’inauguration a brillamment illustré cette philosophie. Les performances étudiantes, allant du duo chorégraphique Rouelibre aux interprétations jazz de jeunes musiciens talentueux, en passant par un extrait puissant de la pièce Coven: Feminine Empowerment, ont témoigné d’une créativité sans frontières. Chaque prestation révélait une génération d’artistes prête à réinventer les langages de la scène et à explorer de nouvelles formes d’expression.

La présence de Dawn Tyler Watson, diplômée de Concordia et lauréate d’un prix Juno, a également donné une dimension inspirante à l’événement. Son parcours international rappelle que la formation artistique peut devenir un puissant tremplin vers une carrière influente et engagée.

Avec cette nouvelle école, Concordia affirme une conviction essentielle : les arts vivants sont des moteurs de transformation sociale, culturelle et humaine. En misant sur la collaboration, l’audace et l’ouverture, l’Université contribue à façonner un paysage artistique montréalais plus dynamique, inclusif et résolument tourné vers l’avenir.

INFOS: École des arts vivants

Normand D’Amour en Quichotte

Au TNM, Quichotte débarque comme un grand coup de vent théâtral : flamboyant, musical et complètement démesuré. Rébecca Déraspe et Frédéric Bélanger revisitent le classique de Cervantès en l’installant dans un cabaret berlinois de la fin des années 1930, en pleine guerre civile espagnole. Le résultat ? Un spectacle visuellement éblouissant, entre Broadway, cirque et théâtre politique.

Dès l’ouverture, on est happé par les lumières somptueuses, les costumes extravagants et une mise en scène qui ne manque jamais d’audace. Ça chante, ça danse, ça déborde d’énergie. Mais derrière le spectacle, le propos sur la littérature, les rêves et la résistance reste parfois un peu flou. La guerre gronde en arrière-plan sans jamais vraiment prendre toute sa place.

Heureusement, la distribution tient solidement la baraque. Normand D’Amour livre un Quichotte émouvant, habité, profondément humain. Benoit McGinnis, en Sancho, apporte humour et tendresse avec un charme irrésistible. Et Debbie Lynch-White électrise la scène dès qu’elle apparaît.

Ce n’est pas une adaptation sage ni classique. C’est un Quichotte éclaté, baroque, parfois inégal — mais porté par une vraie fougue. Et le public du TNM lui a réservé une ovation bien sentie. Jusqu'au 6 juin 2026.

INFOS: TNM

La distribution de Quichotte

À VENIR...

DELEAU: LE CINÉMA EN LIBERTÉ

Avec Deleau : le cinéma en liberté, Michel La Veaux livre bien davantage qu’un portrait biographique : il signe une élégie lumineuse à une certaine idée du cinéma, libre, audacieuse et profondément humaine. À travers ce documentaire foisonnant d’archives rares, de témoignages vibrants et de fragments d’histoire cinéphile, le réalisateur québécois retrace le parcours de Pierre-Henri Deleau, figure mythique de la Quinzaine des réalisateurs de Cannes, dont l’influence discrète mais décisive a contribué à façonner le cinéma d’auteur contemporain.

Le film avance comme une conversation intime avec la mémoire du septième art. Entre les images d’époque où apparaît une toute jeune Geneviève Bujold et les interventions de cinéastes majeurs comme Michael Haneke, Ken Loach, Denys Arcand et Atom Egoyan, La Veaux fait émerger le portrait d’un passeur passionné, animé par une foi inébranlable envers les cinémas marginaux, novateurs et résistants aux conventions.

Directeur de la photographie parmi les plus respectés au Québec, Michel La Veaux confirme ici son regard de cinéaste après Hôtel La Louisiane et Labrecque, une caméra pour la mémoire. Son approche, à la fois élégante et sensible, refuse l’hagiographie pour privilégier l’émotion, la transmission et la puissance des images. Chaque extrait d’archive devient alors le témoin d’une époque où découvrir un film relevait encore de l’aventure.

Produit par ITEM 7 et distribué par SPHÈRE Films, Deleau : le cinéma en liberté prendra l’affiche au Canada le 22 mai. Présenté en sélection officielle au CINEMANIA 2025, ce documentaire de 99 minutes s’impose comme un hommage vibrant à ceux qui ont défendu le cinéma comme un territoire de liberté. Une discussion avec Michel La Veaux suivra la projection du 23 mai à la Cinémathèque québécoise.

LENA GHIO   

Photos © Lena Ghio, 2026

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What the Angels and the Canadiens Taught Me—and What It Means for You

I called the “forces” that gave me chills—and the unshakable faith that in 1993 we were going to win the Stanley Cup in Montreal—the Little Angels. I sensed them as a childlike energy that loved the game and played along with us to help our team win. (This image above was created by META following my prompts about how I felt the Little Angels.)

FRANÇAIS app de traduction en haut

I had understood that my role was going to be to go look at the ice when I arrived to work at the Forum and say: “Angel Powers Activate!” To me this meant my covenant with the Little Angels was now an awakened force. At one point I had found Angel oil, the Angel Ariel, my Guardian Angel. I would put a drop of this oil under the nose of anyone who expressed doubt to me that we would finish the year in victory.

The atmosphere of warring champions supported by the times was fueled by other people who also felt these “forces.” A rare unity grew in our city, and it was magical.

Not all the games were won, since the Stanley Cup was won in overtime, at the very last minute. An unshakable faith accompanied us all the way to the final triumph.

But how can we perceive the difference between wishful thinking and a connection with the "force"?

From Wishful Thinking to Unconquerable Faith 

There is a subtle but decisive difference between unconquerable faith in something and projecting desire onto it. Both can look similar from the outside—both involve hope, anticipation, emotional investment—but internally they arise from entirely different architectures of consciousness. One is rooted in grasping; the other in alignment. One fractures under pressure; the other becomes more coherent the more intense the pressure becomes. 

This distinction becomes especially visible in high-stakes environments where uncertainty is not abstract but visceral: a city on edge during a playoff run, a team entering sudden-death overtime, a crowd suspended between hope and dread. In such moments, belief reveals its true nature—not as an idea, but as a force that either stabilizes or destabilizes the human mind. 

Across spiritual traditions, psychological frameworks, and even the cultural memory of sport, we can observe a consistent pattern: what we call “faith” is only meaningful when it produces transformation under pressure. Otherwise, it collapses into wishful thinking—emotionally charged projection mistaken for spiritual alignment.

What follows is a framework for distinguishing the two, and for understanding how “unconquerable faith” is not passive belief in outcomes, but a disciplined way of being that holds steady and leads to the intuited outcomes.

1. The Source of Initiation: Demand vs. Response

Wishful thinking begins with demand. It is future-oriented in a rigid way: reality must conform to a specific outcome for meaning to be preserved. The mind sets conditions—if this happens, I am safe, I am affirmed, I am correct. This creates a fragile architecture of belief, because it depends on external compliance.

In the context of sport, this might look like: the team must win tonight or the emotional investment collapses. The game becomes a referendum on personal validation. Reality is pressured into becoming proof.

Spiritual interaction begins differently. It is not initiated by demand but by response to a tiny flicker of intuition, a communication from an unknown source. Something is felt first—presence, alignment, attentiveness—and only then does interpretation arise. The stance is not “make this happen” but “let me be aligned with what is happening.”

This is why many contemplative traditions converge on a similar posture: surrender not as resignation, but as precision. The phrase “Thy will be done” is not a withdrawal from life but a refusal to distort it through egoic necessity.

In this sense, spiritual engagement is not about controlling the scoreboard. It is about remaining coherent whether the scoreboard confirms or contradicts expectation because the faith called invincible is at work and you are aligned with it.

2. The Internal Climate: Agitation vs. Peace

Wishful thinking is energetically expensive. It requires constant maintenance—rehearsing outcomes, suppressing doubt, filtering reality for signs of confirmation. The emotional baseline is instability disguised as optimism. When the desired result fails to materialize, the structure collapses. The experience is not merely disappointment; it is often experienced as betrayal by reality itself. The mind concludes not just “we lost,” but “meaning was withdrawn.”

By contrast, what is often described as “peace that surpasses understanding” is not emotional numbness. It is stability that does not depend on outcome-consistency but guides towards the objective. It can coexist with uncertainty without becoming disorganized by it because it returns to it's peace.

In the context of high-pressure sport, this becomes visible in moments like overtime—when psychological noise is at its peak and the margin for error is nonexistent. A mind rooted in wishful thinking becomes hyper-reactive. A mind rooted in presence becomes simplified.

This is what athletes often describe, in secular terms, as flow. But across spiritual language, it is something more fundamental: the disappearance of internal contradiction.

3. Pragmatic Transformation: Escapism vs. Activation

A common misunderstanding of spirituality is that it is passive—that it substitutes divine intervention for human responsibility. In its distorted form, this becomes wishful thinking dressed in sacred language: waiting for external rescue without internal change.

But genuine spiritual engagement does the opposite. It increases agency rather than diminishing it.

When aligned correctly, belief becomes catalytic. It does not remove difficulty; it increases capacity to meet difficulty. Courage becomes more accessible. Attention becomes sharper. The body becomes more willing to endure.

In a sporting context, this is not only “miraculous assistance” as in the case of the Little Angels and all the people who performed their own rituals to support the 1993 Habs, but something more structurally interesting: coordinated clarity under pressure. Players do not become exempt from effort; they become more fully available to effort.

A city experiencing collective emotional intensity can mirror this. When belief is shared but not fragile, it becomes coordination rather than escapism. The community does not wait for outcomes—it behaves as though meaning is already present in the act of participation itself.

This is why the healthiest version of faith resembles discipline more than fantasy.

4. The Nature of Signs: Confirmation Bias vs. Meaningful Coherence

Wishful thinking tends to selectively interpret reality. It notices supportive coincidences and discards contradictory evidence or inversely gives up before the first obstacles. The result is a self-sealing narrative that becomes increasingly detached from external truth.

This is confirmation bias functioning under emotional pressure.

Spiritual interpretation, at its healthiest, does not rely on selective perception. Instead, it experiences events as part of a coherent whole—where meaning is not forced onto reality but recognized within it. The 1993 victory of the Montreal Canadians proved the power of Spirit united with the players and each of us who gave our own prayers to the team. We saw it, we lived it, it is on film and you can review it yourself.

The Cultural Case Study: Montreal and the Theology of Resilience

Few sporting cultures illustrate the overlap between civic identity, emotional intensity, and symbolic meaning as vividly as Montreal hockey culture and the legacy of the Montreal Canadiens.

The 1993 playoff run, culminating in a record-setting sequence of overtime victories, has often been remembered not just as athletic achievement but as a cultural memory saturated with meaning. Whether interpreted through statistical improbability or symbolic resonance, it functions as a shared reference point for endurance under pressure.

In Montreal’s historical imagination, the arena often occupies a role analogous to older civic sacred spaces. The language of devotion—“la sainte flanelle”—does not simply romanticize sport; it reveals how collective identity seeks structures for meaning-making under uncertainty.

From a psychological perspective, what stands out in that playoff run is not merely winning, but composure in repeated moments of elimination pressure. Overtime hockey is a distilled form of existential tension: immediate consequence, no margin for delay, total presence required.

In such conditions, what matters most is flow in action with stability of attention.

That is the core of what can be called the theology of resilience: not the expectation that reality will conform to desire, but the cultivation of a state that remains in flow, connected to the force and abandon that molds reality.

Flow, Ritual, and the Ancient Mirror

Long before modern sport, Mesoamerican cultures such as the Maya understood competitive ritual in cosmic terms through games like the ballgame described in the Mesoamerican Ballgame studies tradition and the mythic framework of the Popol Vuh.

In that worldview, the game was not entertainment but revelation—an enactment of cosmic order. The outcome was interpreted as disclosure rather than preference.

What is important here is not to literalize these beliefs, but to notice the shared intuition: that under structured pressure, human performance is participation in something larger than individual will.

Modern sports psychology calls this flow. Ancient cultures called it ritual alignment. Religious language calls it grace. These are different maps describing a similar experiential terrain: heightened coherence under constraint.

Conclusion: Becoming the Center in the Overtime Moment

In overtime—literal or metaphorical—there is no space for emotional excess. There is only what is present, what is trained, and what is coherent enough to remain usable under pressure. Whether one is watching a team like the Montreal Canadiens, navigating personal crisis, or pursuing spiritual development, the same principle applies: Faith is the deep alignment with the force that is carrying you, the inner knowing that you are reaching the goal. It is the capacity to remain intact, focused, while you accomplish what is required.

Unconquerable faith is the stable force inside of you that makes "miracle" happen. 

CONCLUSION:

The Record of "Small Miracles"

The most staggering pragmatic detail of 1993 is the 10 consecutive overtime wins. In a game of inches where a single bounce can end a season, the mathematical probability of winning ten straight sudden-death periods is infinitesimal.

The Reference: After losing their first overtime game against Quebec, the Canadiens won the next 10, finishing the playoffs with a 10-1 record in extra time. This remains an NHL record.

The Spiritual Link: This is the "Perceptive Difference" in action. While a skeptic calls it "luck," the faithful see it as alignment. The team didn't panic; they entered a state of "composure" that allowed them to seize the moment, effectively reading the "intentions of spirit" in the heat of battle.

Todd Denault and Ryan Dixon acknowledged the "miraculous" events in their media work and books of that season but created the "ghosts" because, of course, men had to overtake the narrative.

To read the whole story begin HERE

LENA GHIO   

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13th MONTREAL ASIAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (formerly KOREAN FILM FESTIVAL CANADA)

Tangibility: Soil, Body, Stories 

Arts East-West Celebrates 30 Years with the Launch of MAiFF

Transforming the Korean Film Festival Canada into a New Bold Platform for Asian and Asian-Canadian Cinema 

This year marks 30 years since the Arts East-West journey began, and the first under its new motto, UNBOUND. Celebrating diverse Asian-Canadian voices through this year's theme Tangibility: Soil, Body, Stories, the festival's Opening Ceremony will showcase the best of Asian cinema with screenings of Min Sook Lee's award-winning There Are No Words (including an in-person Q&A with the director), Saekdong / Colour of Korea by Han Okhi, presented as part of a special retrospective honouring the pioneering figure of Asian women’s experimental cinema since the 1970s, and Red Star Alley, a short paper-cut animation by Jenny Yujia Shi.

There Are No Words | Official Trailer

Celebrating its 30th anniversary, Arts East-West proudly presents the 13th edition of the Montreal Asian International Film Festival (MAiFF), running from May 14 to June 13, 2026, across nine venues in Tiohtià:ke/Montréal. This landmark edition marks the official transformation of the Korean Film Festival Canada (KFFC) into MAiFF: a bold new platform launching during Asian Heritage Month, featuring more than 60 Asian arthouse films and events under the 2026–2027 theme Tangibility: Soil, Body, Stories. The festival presents three programming categories — KFFC, AmérAsia, and East Meets West — reflecting the organization’s 30-year commitment to Asian and Asian-Canadian arts. Films from Canada, China, Germany, Hong Kong, Iran, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Australia, the United States, and First Nations communities will be screened across Cinéma du Musée, Cinéma Moderne, Cinéma du Parc, Goethe-Institut Montreal, Ada X, Groupe Intervention Vidéo, Place Ville Marie, Korean Community Association of Montreal, and Providence St-Dominique.

OPENING NIGHT Thursday, May 14 - 5PM @ Cinéma du Musée

The Opening Ceremony will be hosted by singer-songwriter Big Daddy Queen Power and award-winning novelist Jinwoo Park (MAiFF's Director of Communications); it will also feature live performances by Big Daddy Queen Power and jazz pianist Anna Chowattanakul. The Opening Film Program includes three films: There Are No Words (2025), an award-winning documentary by Min Sook Lee, currently touring the international film festival circuit, followed by a Q&A with the director in attendance; Saekdong / Colour of Korea by Han Okhi, presented as part of a special retrospective honouring the pioneering figure of Asian women’s experimental cinema since the 1970s; and Red Star Alley, a short paper-cut animation by Jenny Yujia Shi. “It feels especially meaningful for my film to begin its journey at the 13th Montreal Asian International Film Festival, in a space committed to Asian and Asian-Canadian artists. Festivals like MAiFF create the conditions for our community’s stories to be held collectively, across generations and communities, and to be engaged with in their full complexity. I’m grateful to MAiFF for its long-standing commitment to artists and to building a space where diasporic voices can be seen and heard with care and intention.” – Min Sook Lee, Director of There Are No Words

FILM HIGHLIGHTS

Opening Film: May 14, 2026, 5:00 PM at Cinema du Musee There Are No Words (2025) by Min Sook Lee Quebec Premiere, Director in Attendance   MAiFF 2026’s official Opening Film is a bold and deeply personal documentary in which filmmaker Min Sook Lee searches for the truth behind her mother’s death by suicide, retracing her childhood between Toronto and Hwasun, South Korea. Moving through memory, testimony, and speculation, the film explores grief, trauma, and inherited history — a daughter’s attempt to give form to an enduring absence. Currently touring the international film festival circuit and garnering widespread critical acclaim. Special Congratulatory Film: May 14, 2026, 8:30 PM at Cinema du Musee Mr. Kim Goes to the Cinema (2025) by Kim Dong-ho Canadian Premiere   MAiFF is honoured to present a special screening celebrating Kim Dong-ho, founder of the Busan International Film Festival and a pivotal figure in Asian cinema. This is his third film, following one short drama and two feature documentaries. In this intimate documentary, Kim travels the world to reconnect with old friends, reflect on cinema’s past and future, and bear witness to a landscape in transformation. Featuring a remarkable gathering of the world’s most celebrated filmmakers and actors — Bong Joon-ho, Lee Chang-dong, Park Chan-wook, Hirokazu Kore-eda, Tsai Ming-liang, Johnnie To, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Brillante Mendoza, Garin Nugroho, Eric Khoo, Luc Besson, Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, and actors Tang Wei, Lee Jung-jae, and Jeon Do-yeon — the film is a rare and sweeping portrait of the artists who have shaped Asian and world cinema. Affectionately known in Korean and international cinema circles as 청년감독 (aka: Chungnyeon Gamdok) — the “young director” — Kim embodies a spirit of insightful curiosity and quiet humility that has defined his life in cinema, at 88 years old.   Closing Film: June 13, 2026, 6:00 PM at Cinema Moderne In the Sea of Strange Thoughts (2025) by Choi Jeongdan Canadian Premiere, Director in Attendance A 21-year chronicle of philosopher Kim Uchang examines his reflections on life and death alongside a life lived in strict alignment with his beliefs. As he remains tied to his family home and possessions, the film questions attachment, meaning, and whether he can complete his final book. The film world-premiered at the Busan International Film Festival in 2025, and most recently won two awards at the Moscow International Film Festival in April 2026. As Choi’s debut feature, it also competes in MAiFF’s Dancheong Competition for emerging filmmakers.

PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS

Canadian & Quebec Premieres Dad vs Bees by David Quach (2026, Australia/USA); The Golden Village by Karen Cho (2025, Canada), Broken Dawn by Hae-oh Park (2025, Korea),  Hitting the Noodles by Shelly Seo Bahng (2024, Canada), Only for a Day by Kyungbin Park (2026, Canada), Heading To the East by Lisa Ranran Hu (2025, China), Welcome Home Freckles by Park Huiju (2025, Korea), The Final Semester by LEE Ran-hee (2025, Korea), JET LAG IN SUMMER by YAN Kuao (2025, Hong Kong) and Loney and Havender by Claudia Tuyết Scheffel (2025, Germany-Vietnam).   Han Okhi Retrospective (in partnership with Asia Culture Centre) A rare and celebrated body of experimental work by a radical and pioneering Asian woman filmmaker, Han Okhi. Shot on celluloid in the 1970s, these films resist prevailing social norms around women, the body, and society. Han Okhi’s retrospective is currently touring the world stage — from Harvard University, the Jeonju International Film Festival, and the International Women’s Film Festival in Seoul, to an ongoing exhibition at the Asia Culture Center in Korea, the M+ Asian Avant-Garde Film Collection in Hong Kong, and now MAiFF in Montréal — just one day before its opening at Lincoln Center in New York. Five of Han Okhi’s works, all originally shot in 16mm and digitally archived at the Asia Culture Centre in Korea (ACC), will finally arrive in Montréal. Presented with the support of the ACC and Director Han Okhi.   Korean National Actor Ahn Sung-ki and His Women Actors (in partnership with Korean Film Archive) A tribute to one of Korean cinema’s most beloved actors, Ahn Sung-ki, who recently passed away. In his memory, the Korean Film Archive has made a special selection of films available for free online. This retrospective honours his legacy through the lens of the remarkable women actors he shared the screen with — from the recovery of Korean cinema in the 1980s through the Korean New Wave of the 1990s and into the Korean film renaissance. Spanning 16 representative feature films, it traces the arc of modern Korean cinema through Ahn Sung-ki’s collaborations with the most prominent Korean women actors of each era. In partnership with the Korean Film Archive, this curated programme invites audiences to experience these films through a fresh gaze — centring the women actors who defined each era. The full programme guide will be announced on May 15th. Since 2020, Arts East-West has taken the initiative to thematically reprogram the Korean Film Archive’s free online channel, helping film lovers around the world discover exceptional Korean classics and making this invaluable resource more accessible than ever.   3 Masters, Asian New Wave Cinema: PARK Kwang-su, IWAI Shunji, WONG Kar-wai  The late 1980s and 1990s marked a seismic shift across Asia — Korea moved from authoritarian censorship toward democratization, Hong Kong braced for its 1997 handover to China, and Japan gave rise to bold new cinematic voices. Through the lens of three defining directors, this curatorial programme revisits those sociopolitical upheavals and how they were reflected on screen. MAiFF presents three landmark films: PARK Kwang-su’s Chilsu and Mansu (1988) and To the Starry Island (1993) online, Days of Being Wild (1990) by WONG Kar-wai at Cinema du Parc, and Love Letter (1995) by IWAI Shunji at Cinéma Moderne.   Spotlight on Asian-Canadian Animations (with support of the NFB) MAIFF is presenting a spotlight on animations by Asian-Canadian artists, highlighting unique forms of animation and the stories that can only be told through this medium. Films include Sandra Desmazieres’ Comme un fleuve (Như một dòng sông), Anne Koizumi’s A Prairie Story, Cindy Mochizuki’s Submerge, and more. Presented with the support of the National Film Board of Canada. Intercultural and Intergenerational Dialogues (Montreal Korean Community in NDG and Providence Saint-Dominique) This year, MAiFF’s outreach project focuses on the Seniors Community, with free screenings and activities. Two locations were selected for 2026: the Montreal Korean Community Association’s Senior Group in NDG and Providence Saint-Dominique Residency in Mile-End. Under MAiFF’s mission of fostering diversity and making Asian art accessible for all, the festival expands connections between different cultural and generational groups through this initiative. *** For full program, schedule, and tickets, visit: www.artseastwest.ca/maiff/2026-films

DANCHEONG: COMPETITION

단청 (丹靑) — DANCHEONG is the ancient Korean art of painting wooden temples and palaces with vivid, intricate colours. Like these sacred patterns on ancient buildings, the DANCHEONG Competition honours emerging filmmakers painting bold new narratives in cinema. Dancheong has been Arts East-West’s representative mark for three years, and now takes its place as the name of MAiFF’s official competition. In its fourth consecutive year, MAiFF proudly presents the Grand Prize of Dancheong and seven Silk Thread awards — this edition presents a total of eight awards across short and feature films — recognizing exceptional emerging directors. Each of the eight selected films is already a prize recipient; the jury decides only which award each film will receive. The 8 films selected for the Dancheong Competition will be announced at the Opening Ceremony on May 14th. The winners will be revealed at the Closing Ceremony on June 13th. “In Montreal, a city defined by its diversity and vibrancy, initiatives like MAiFF remind us of the importance of connecting cultures, sharing stories, and embracing multiple viewpoints. Contemporary Asian cinema, with its visual power and sensitivity, allows us to explore the complexity of our society while fostering curiosity and openness to the world.” — Frédéric Loury, Director & Founder of Art Souterrain

WORKSHOPS & ACTIVITIES

Writing Workshop: Intercultural Flavours with Jinwoo Park and Veena Gokhale May 15, 2:00 - 5:00 PM, Ada X In collaboration with HTMLles festival of Ada X, this writing workshop is held for free at Ada X and celebrates multicultural exchange through the language of food. It includes readings from 2 award-winning Montreal-based authors, Jinwoo Park (Oxford Soju Club) and Veena Gokhale (Annapurna’s Bounty).   Media Arts Fee Schedule Workshop: MAiFF x IMAA x GIV May 19, 4:00 - 5:00 PM, GIV In collaboration with the Independent Media Arts Alliance (IMAA) and Groupe Intervention Video (GIV), this workshop is an information session on the 2026 fee schedule for media artists. Open to all artists and arts organizations.   Panel: Interconnecting Dialogues: Navigating Montreal’s Cross-Cultural Landscape June 12, 1:00 - 2:30 PM, Goethe-Institut Montreal A continuation of our first panel discussion series, which brought together Asian artists like Janet Lumb and Cheryl Sim, this panel will be moderated by Guy Rodgers. It will discuss pathways for bridging the gaps between generations and sectors in the arts, and building new bridges between cultural communities.  “What impresses me most about [Arts East-West] is the constant quest to evolve, to make new discoveries, and to include new partners. The focus is resolutely Asian, and the desire to showcase the work of Asian filmmakers is a constant. This vision is coupled with the goal of connecting Asian artists with new audiences, which may be encountering Asian culture for the first time, or in new ways. This ambitious program benefits everyone involved.” — Guy Rodgers, filmmaker, author of What We Choose to Forget

INVITED FILMMAKERS & GUESTS

Filmmakers Showcasing their Films at the 13th MAiFF Min Sook Lee, Toronto-based Director of There Are No Words - Opening Film CHOI Jeongdan, Seoul-based Director of In the Sea of Strange Thoughts- Closing Film Shanghoon, Toronto-based Director of The Master’s Tale: The Perfect Jib Bap Xiaodan He, Montreal-based Director of Montréal, Ma Belle  Karen Cho, Montreal-based Director of The Golden Village Alice Shin, Ontario-based Director of Landscapes of Home Elmira Laki, Montreal-based Director of Washed My Hands of It Writers, Moderators, and Panel Guests  Veena Gokhale - Author of Annapurna’s Bounty, presenting Writing Workshop at Ada X Jinwoo Park - Author of Oxford Soju Club, spokesperson and host for MAiFF Big Daddy Queen Power - Singer-Songwriter, Host and Performer at Opening Ceremony Guy Rodgers - Filmmaker and Writer, Moderator for “Interconnecting Dialogues”  Tatiana Braun - Curator at Goethe-Institut, Panelist for “Interconnecting Dialogues” And more artists to be announced!

VENUES

May 8: (Pre-Festival Event) Spotlight on Asian-Canadian Shorts at Place Ville Marie May 14: Opening Ceremony at Cinéma du Musée May 15, 19: Workshops at Ada X and GIV May 16, 22, 29, 30: Screenings at Cinéma du Parc June 8, 9, 12, 13: Screenings at Cinéma Moderne June 12, 13: Panel Discussion and Screenings at Goethe-Institut Montreal Free community screenings at the Korean Community Association of Montreal and Providence Saint-Dominique For more information visit the MAiFF ticket page