February 28, 2025 – Montreal – National Film Board of Canada (NFB)

The National Film Board of Canada is celebrating its 20th year of participation in the Rendez-vous de la Francophonie (RVF). For this year’s RVF, whose theme is “Cultivate your roots!,” the NFB is making six documentary and animation programs available free of charge to francophones and francophiles. Screenings will take place across Canada, from March 1 to 31—from the East Coast to the West Coast, and from the Great Lakes to the Arctic. It’s a great opportunity to highlight the creativity of Canada’s large francophone family and to celebrate our roots together!

Programming includes two new documentary releases: the feature film Cohabiter (Living Together) by Montreal director Halima Elkhatabi and Trécarré: à la source du son de la Baie Sainte-Marie (Trécarré: Exploring the Saint Mary’s Bay Sound) by Acadian filmmaker Natalie Robichaud. Following its RVF screenings, Trécarré will be launched online at nfb.ca on March 31. In addition, the RVF will be presenting The Music of Trécarré on Tour, an event that brings together a screening and a concert featuring music from the region spotlighted in the film. Performers include Guyaume Boulianne, this years’ RVF co-spokesperson.

A message from Suzanne Guèvremont, Government Film Commissioner and Chairperson of the NFB

The NFB at the 2025 RVF: six programs in venues or online

You’ll find full details of our six film programs here, but below is a brief overview:

• Program 1 features Natalie Robichaud’s Trécarré: à la source du son de la Baie Sainte-Marie (Trécarré: Exploring the Saint Mary’s Bay Sound). Brimming with energy and lively tunes, the documentary takes us into the heart of an Acadian community where music has been a way of life for generations.
• Program 2 presents Halima Elkhatabi’s feature documentary Cohabiter (Living Together). Against the backdrop of the housing crisis, young people looking for the ideal roommate open up about themselves in this engaging portrait of a generation accustomed to playing all their identity cards.
• Program 3 features six animated short films for mature audiences (16+), demonstrating the power of animation to elicit the strongest and most personal emotions.
• Finally, there are three programs of animated shorts specially created for young people: Program 4 celebrates the great Acadian family, Program 5 features family stories, while Program 6 asks us to think about the situations different families find themselves in—both close to home and elsewhere in the world—and about the question of where our roots lie.

The schedule of screenings in venues and online can be found on the NFB Events page and at RVF.ca in the Calendar section. Search by province or territory to find a screening near you.

Cultivate your roots at nfb.ca!

On the NFB’s Rendez-vous de la Francophonie channel, you’ll find 18 documentary and animated shorts and features, along with two documentary series—celebrating the richness and diversity of francophone roots. Happy viewing!

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French version here | Version française ici.