October 29, 2025 – Montreal – National Film Board of Canada (NFB)

The National Film Board of Canada will have two feature films in competition at the 28th Montreal International Documentary Festival (RIDM), which runs from November 20 to 30, 2025. The directors will be in attendance for the screenings. 

• J’ai perdu de vue le paysage (I Lost Sight of the Landscape), by Montreal director Sophie Bédard Marcotte, has been selected for the National Feature Competition and will be making its North American premiere. The documentary skillfully blurs the boundaries between art and life. A special event inspired by the film will also be held. 

• Siksikakowan: The Blackfoot Man (Siksikakowan: l’homme pied-noir), by Blackfoot filmmaker Sinakson Trevor Solway from the Siksika community, will have its Quebec premiere in the Magnus Isacsson Competition. With tenderness and grace, the film offers an intimate exploration of Indigenous masculinity rarely seen on screen.

The NFB will also take part in various activities at the festival’s Forum RIDM for industry professionals.

National Feature Competition

J’ai perdu de vue le paysage (I Lost Sight of the Landscape) by Sophie Bédard Marcotte (85 min) – North American premiere
Produced at the NFB by Pierre-Mathieu Fortin
Press kit: mediaspace.nfb.ca/epk/i-lost-sight-of-the-landscape

Screenings with the director in attendance: Monday, November 24, at 3 p.m. at the Cinémathèque Québécoise and Friday, November 28, at 8 p.m. at the Cineplex Odeon Quartier Latin.

• Intrigued by a theatre artist’s creative process, a filmmaker tries—over 16 attempts—to make the film she wants. As the years go by, the work emerges when we expect it least. From Montreal to the far reaches of the Canadian Shield, from the mountains of Iceland to the depths of the Earth, I Lost Sight of the Landscapeis an improbable comedy that reveals the uncontrollable nature of life, with honesty—and a good dose of humour. 

• A special event entitled “Brume et tarot” will be held on Friday, November 28, at 9:30 p.m. in the Norman McLaren Theatre at the Cinémathèque Québécoise. The film’s crew and protagonists, including tarot card readers, will be on hand for the themed event, which will feature a misty, Nordic atmosphere. A fantastic, futuristic remix of the film’s soundtrack will also enhance the evening.

• The film had its world premiere at the prestigious Visions du Réel festival in Nyon, Switzerland, and received a special mention at FIDADOC in Agadir, Morocco.

• Montreal-based director Sophie Bédard Marcotte creates intimate, tender films. Her second feature film, L.A. Tea Time (2019), humorously tells the story of her trip across America to meet Miranda July; it was selected by nearly two dozen international festivals, including Visions du Réel, Hot Docs and IDFA.

Magnus Isacsson Competition 

Siksikakowan: The Blackfoot Man (Siksikakowan: l’homme pied-noir) by Sinakson Trevor Solway (77 min) – Quebec premiere
Produced at the NFB by Coty Savard
Press kit: mediaspace.nfb.ca/epk/siksikakowan-the-blackfoot-man

Screenings with the director in attendance: Saturday, November 22, at 4 p.m. at the Cinémathèque Québécoise and Monday, November 24, at 5 p.m. at Cinéma du Parc.

• The film intimately portrays the lives of Blackfoot men as they navigate identity, kinship and the complex expectations of manhood. Through unfiltered moments and revealing conversations set against the breathtaking landscape of the Prairies, the film reimagines what it means to be a Native man. Siksikakowan: The Blackfoot Manis a profound ode to strength, vulnerability and love across generations.

• The documentary had its world premiere at the Hot Docs Festival in Toronto and received awards at imagineNATIVE, in Calgary and Gimli.

• Sinakson Trevor Solwayis a Blackfoot filmmaker from Siksika Nation. His breakthrough film, Indian Giver, is available on Prime Video, and his award-winning documentary Kaatohkitopii: The Horse He Never Rode was shown at imagineNATIVE and DOXA. The writer/director/showrunner of anthology series Tales from the Rez, Trevor is also the founder and leader of grassroots filmmaking society The Napi Collective. 

Participation in the Forum RIDM 

The NFB will once again take part in Forum RIDM activities this year:

• Nathalie Cloutier, Executive Producer, and Johanna Lessard, Director of Marketing, will participate in Expert Round Tables on November 25.

• Mélanie Brière, producer with the French Documentary Unit, and Robert Vroom, producer with the Eastern Documentary Unit, will take part in the One-on-One Pitches on November 26, where they will meet with French- and English-speaking creators and producers.

• On November 22 and 23, the Forum RIDM’s Doc Lab will take place at the NFB. The NFB will award $5,000 in development support to one national project selected during the final pitch sessions. 

• The NFB will open its doors on Thursday, November 27, 11 a.m. at the NFB Space. Filmmakers, creators and NFB staff will welcome RIDM-accredited guests and industry professionals to discuss projects presented during the festival and potential collaborations.

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Version française ici.