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The NFB at the 40th RVQC: 11 productions and co-productions in the lineup. Works that explore today’s issues, telling stories both personal and universal.

PRESS RELEASE
30/03/2022

March 30, 2022 – Montreal – National Film Board of Canada (NFB)

The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) will be at the 40th annual Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma (RVQC) with 11 productions and co-productions, two of which will be premieres: the North American premiere of Hélène Magny’s Je pleure dans ma tête (Unspoken Tears) and the festival premiere of Mathieu Fournier’s Dans l’ombre du Star Wars Kid (Star Wars Kid: The Rise of the Digital Shadows). Both are feature-length documentaries.

The 11 NFB works selected to screen at the RVQC—four feature-length documentaries, three short documentaries, three animated shorts and one animated web series—span an array of topics and creative approaches. Together, they offer up unique perspectives on today’s world, ranging from the deeply personal to the universal. The RVQC is also an opportunity to discover or revisit films that made their mark on the festival circuit. Other NFB productions will also be featured at two special events: the festival’s 40th-anniversary screening and a tribute to filmmaker Danic Champoux, who passed away earlier this year. This edition of the RVQC, an annual retrospective of Quebec cinema, will take place from April 20 to 30, 2022, online throughout Canada and in theatres in Montreal.

Quick facts

  • Je pleure dans ma tête (Unspoken Tears) by Hélène Magny (NFB) – NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
    Press kit: mediaspace.nfb.ca/epk/unspoken-tearsHow can refugee children integrate into Quebec’s school system, given the unspeakable violence they’ve experienced? This luminous and powerful film follows a psychologist specializing in conflict-related trauma and pays tribute to the admirable resilience and survival strategies of these “small adults,” whose spirit the bombs and camps have not completely crushed, at a time when it is vital to raise awareness in Western societies of migration-related issues and children’s rights. The film had its world premiere at the One World International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival in Prague.
  • Dans l’ombre du Star Wars Kid (Star Wars Kid: The Rise of the Digital Shadows) by Mathieu Fournier (URBANIA/NFB) – FESTIVAL PREMIERE
    Press kit: mediaspace.nfb.ca/epk/star-wars-kid-the-rise-of-the-digital-shadowsIn this documentary on the first viral phenomenon of the digital age, Ghyslain Raza (the “Star Wars Kid”) breaks his silence and reflects on his story for the first time, meeting with renowned figures along the way. In doing so, he also explores our collective experience living in an online world in which we have to make peace with our digital shadows.

Feature-length documentaries

Whether viewed online or at a festival, these films have touched audiences everywhere.

Short documentaries

These three films, some of which have won awards, continue to screen in Quebec, Canada and beyond.

Animated shorts

These films have been acclaimed at many festivals in Canada and abroad.

Animated web series

This playful, offbeat series will be presented online only.

Special screening to highlight the RVQC’s 40th anniversary

Included in the RVQC lineup will be Pierre Perrault’s feature-length documentary La bête lumineuse (The Shimmering Beast), first released 40 years ago.

Tribute to Danic Champoux

This special event will include the late filmmaker’s first documentary short, Mon père (My Father, NFB, 2000), which won him the Prix Pierre et Yolande Perrault at the RVQC.

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Associated Links

Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma
URBANIA
Cineflix Media
Unité centrale
La Pastèque
Télé-Québec
Shaw Rocket Fund

Media Relations

Judith Dubeau
Ixion communications, for the NFB
C. : 514-495-8176
judith.dubeau@ixioncommunications.com

For Star Wars Kid: The Rise of the Digital Shadows
Myriam Valcin
MVRP, for the NFB
C. : 514-574-6224 | myriamvalcin@gmail.com

For Dear Audrey
Nadine Viau
NFB Publicist
C. : 514-458-9745 | n.viau@nfb.ca

Lily Robert
Director, Communications and Public Affairs, NFB
C.: 514-296-8261
l.robert@nfb.ca

French version here | Version française ici.

  • About the NFB

    Founded in 1939, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) is a one-of-a-kind producer, co-producer and distributor of distinctive, engaging, relevant and innovative documentary and animated films. As a talent incubator, it is one of the world’s leading creative centres. The NFB has enabled Canadians to tell and hear each other’s stories for over eight decades, and its films are a reliable and accessible educational resource. The NFB is also recognized around the world for its expertise in preservation and conservation, and for its rich and vibrant collection of works, which form a pillar of Canada’s cultural heritage. To date, the NFB has produced more than 14,000 works, 6,500 of which can be streamed free of charge at nfb.ca. The NFB and its productions and co-productions have earned over 7,000 awards, including 11 Oscars and an Honorary Academy Award for overall excellence in cinema.