August 21, 2023 – Montreal – National Film Board of Canada (NFB)

The National Film Board of Canada returns to the Quebec City Film Festival this year with the award-winning short doc Fire-Jo-Ball, by Lévis-born filmmaker Audrey Nantel-Gagnon, which will be screened as part of the official selection with the director in attendance. In addition, several titles from the NFB collection—including a lineup of films inspired by jazz, and the documentary Le soleil a pas d’chance (1975) by Robert Favreau—will be screened outdoors free of charge in Place d’Youville. The festival will run from September 13 to 17, 2023.

Quick Facts

Official Selection

Fire-Jo-Ball by Audrey Nantel-Gagnon (16 min 54 s)
Produced by Nathalie Cloutier for the NFB’s Quebec, Canadian Francophonie & Acadian Documentary Studio
Press kit: mediaspace.nfb.ca/epk/fire-jo-ball

• Jo-Ann, a 57-year-old bartender, dreams of becoming a singer and actress. Oscillating between spectacular and intimate, between extra and ordinary, Jo-Ann infuses her daily life (and the film) with true main-character energy. At the crossroads of genres, Fire-Jo-Ball paints a portrait of a woman who loves all things rosy, even if her life isn’t always so. This short doc had its world premiere at the REGARD festival and its Montreal premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival, where it won the SLA Location Coup de cœur
• Audrey Nantel-Gagnon’s first film, Shirley Temple (UQAM, 2018), was screened around the world and won several significant awards. Moving between documentary and fiction, the filmmaker places her characters at the centre of her work. Her approach revolves around intimate moments and human relationships, resulting in a filmmaking style that’s both accessible and dynamic. Fire-Jo-Ball is the product of a close collaboration between the director and the protagonist, who allowed themselves to dream together.

Free outdoor screenings in Place d’Youville

• Séance jazz – hosted by Université Laval Ph.D. student John Harbour
  Wednesday, September 13, 2 p.m.

  This selection comprises four animated shorts—Âme noire (Black Soul) by Martine Chartrand (2000), Caprice en couleurs (Begone Dull Care) by Norman McLaren and Evelyn Lambart (1949), Canada vignettes: le drapeau (Canada Vignettes: The Maple Leaf) by Paul Bochner (1979) and Catuor by Judith Klein (1970)—as well as the documentary The Road Taken (original English version, with English subtitles) by Selwyn Jacob (1996), which all feature jazz on their soundtracks.

• Le soleil a pas d’chance by Robert Favreau (162 min, 1975) – with the director in attendance
  Saturday, September 16, 5 p.m.

  A feature-length documentary about the 1975 edition of the Quebec City Winter Carnival’s famous beauty pageant, where every year, a queen and six duchesses are carefully chosen. It’s a dream that many a young woman has cherished and experienced—but that has been an ordeal for others.

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French version here | Version française ici.