Guest artists and professionals
2026 Juries
2026 JURY - FICTION
A major filmmaker in the Quebec film landscape, Francis Leclerc has directed six feature films, including Mémoires affectives, Pieds nus dans l’aube, and Le Plongeur. His work is distinguished by evocative direction and a profound sense of storytelling.
President of La Nouvelle Dimension in Florac, Pascale Parouty works at the crossroads of cinema, visual education, and local territories. She notably supports screenings, artist residencies, and the VUES du Québec festival.
A filmmaker attentive to people and everyday life, François Péloquin crafts powerful images imbued with truth. His journey across cinema, music videos, and theatre fuels a sensitive and moving approach to storytelling.
A founding figure of independent Quebec cinema, Claude Chamberlan co-founded the Festival du nouveau cinéma and contributed to the rise of iconic venues. For nearly sixty years, he has championed bold, world‑minded filmmaking.
Directrice des Correspondances d’Eastman, Elyzabeth Walling œuvre depuis plus de vingt ans au rayonnement de la littérature et du cinéma. Comédienne, productrice et stratège, elle porte sur les œuvres un regard sensible et profondément humain.
2026 JURY - DOCUMENTARY
Diane Magnoux is the Programming Director of the CINEMANIA Festival in Montréal. With experience at Cannes, Wild Bunch, UGC, and Pathé Gaumont, she joined CINEMANIA in 2021.
Sylvie Van Brabant has been running Productions du Rapide-Blanc since 1984, where she produces and directs socially and environmentally engaged documentaries. A filmmaker for 30 years (Planetary Visionaries, 2009), she is also an active advocate for auteur documentary filmmaking in Québec.
Steve Patry is a documentary filmmaker who gives a voice to the marginalized, with films such as De prisons en prisons, Waseskun, and Des chats sauvages, recipients of several nominations at Quebec and Canadian film awards.
Thomas Corriveau is a visual artist and filmmaker with over 40 years of experience in drawing, painting, and animation, exhibited in Canada and abroad. An independent director since 2010, his animated films have been showcased at numerous international festivals.
Nicole Giguère is a Quebecois director, co-founder of Vidéo Femmes, known for her documentaries on women's issues and social concerns. Winner of the Gémeaux Award for Best Documentary (1996) and the Gémeaux Artisans Award (2025).
2026 JURY - SHORT FILM
Christine Doyon is a content producer, screenwriter, and director. After several years working in documentary film, she is now developing fiction and children’s film projects. She co-wrote the feature film *My Stepmother Is a Witch* and directed the short films […]
Rachel Graton, a graduate of the National Theater School of Canada, is an actress, writer, and director known for the breadth and diversity of her projects. Since 2020, she has starred in the crime series *Portrait-robot*, and has captivated audiences […]
Rémi Fréchette is a director and screenwriter who specializes in genre films. A graduate of Concordia University, he developed his career in part through the Kino movement. His most notable projects include *Les Jaunes* (2013), *Montréal Dead End* (2018), *Première […]
VTIFF Executive Director since June 2023. Steve was Executive Artistic Director of Circus Smirkus, out of Greensboro, VT. Before this, he served for a decade as the Artistic Director of both the Flynn Center and the Burlington Discover Jazz Festival […]
Étienne Galloy is one of the youngest recipients of Telefilm Canada’s “Talents en vue” program. He co-wrote, co-directed, and co-produced his first feature film, *La Marina*, in 2019, which was distributed by Les Films Opales. Winner of the Borsos Award […]
2026 Guests
- Geneviève Schmidt — Actress (125, rue des Malaises)
- Benoît Gouin — Actor (125, rue des Malaises)
- Rémy Girard — Actor (125, rue des Malaises)
- Louis Bélanger — Director, guest of honor 2026 (125, rue des Malaises)
- Emmanuel Schwartz — Actor (Kaïros)
- Olivia Palacci — Actress (Kaïros)
- Jennifer Alleyn — Director (Kaïros)
- Maxim Gaudette — Actor (La Place)
- Christine Beaulieu — Actress (La Place)
- Louis Godbout — Director (La Place)
- Benoit Gouin — Actor (La Place)
- Vincent Leclerc — Actor (Outstanding)
- Antoine Pilon — Actor (Outstanding)
- Enrico Colantoni — Actor (Outstanding)
- Mélanie Charbonneau — Director (Outstanding)
- Félix Dufour-Laperrière — Director (Death Does Not Exist)
- Ted Tremper — Producer and screenwriter (The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist)
- Jesse Noah Klein — Director (Best Boy)
- Anik Salas — Director (The Scandinavian Method)
- Pascale Ferland — Director (In the Forest)
- Sophie Bédard Marcotte — Director (I lost sight of the landscape)
- Gabriel Charlebois-Plante — Participant in the documentary; actor, director and screenwriter (I lost sight of the landscape)
- Wiebke von Carolsfeld — Director (Someone’s Daughter)
- Alexis Martin — Actor (Weeds)
- Gilles Renaud — Actor (Weeds)
- Guy Dufaux — Director of Photography (Weeds)
- Marilyn Castonguay — Actress (My Stepmother is a Witch)
- Sarah-Jeanne Audet — Actress (Goodbye Pluto)
- Sarianne Cormier — Director and screenwriter (Goodbye Pluto)
- Thomas Morson — Director (The Boreal Effect)
- Étienne Benoit — Director (First traces, Mémoires du Mont Sutton)
- Isabelle Hébert — Screenwriter (Lauzon, Lauzone
- Benjamin McAuley — Director (Cold Trace)
- Thomas Dufour — Actor (Les grandes roues)
- Christophe Levac — Actor and screenwriter (Romeo and his body)
- Ash Latour — Actress (Night Poet)
- Emilie Beaudin — Actress (Night Poet)
- Sofia Marquez Wilson — Actress (Night Poet)
- Michel Courtemanche — Special guest – comedian (Un soir d’Équinoxe)
- Mathis Mac Lellan — Machinist (The Drummer)
- Liam David — Editor, composer and cinematographer (Nocturnal Poet)
- A.P. Bergeron — Director (Superhost)
- Antoine Boulanger — Director (La Pichenotte)
- Félix Brouillet-Desrosiers — Director (Le mystère de l’abbé Metz)
- Fred Gervais — Director (Romeo and his body)
- Guillaume Collin — Director (Les oubliés)
- Guillaume Gagnon Lortie — Director (Élégie)
- Jean-François Leblanc — Director (Une brèche)
- Christine Beaulieu — Actress (Une brèche)
- Jean-Sébastien Hamel — Director (Ce qu’on laisse derrière)
- Kasimir MacDougall — Director (SIGNAUX)
- Mario Janelle — Director (Un soir d’Équinoxe)
- Maxime Le Flaguais — Director (125, rue des Malaises)
- Tiago Gerbasi — Director (Avant l’aurore)
- William Cantin — Director (Le Batteur)
- Alexandra Myotte — Director (Ce qu’on laisse derrière)
- Clara Prévost — Director (Nous sans toi)
- Franie-Éléonore Bernier — Director (Trois mots)
- Rui Ting Ji — Director (Still Moving)
- Sophie Edell — Director (Superhost)
- Elizabeth Hébert — Director and actress (Poète Nocturne)
- Anne Plamondon — Screenwriter (Les mêmes yeux que toi)
- Karim Ghiyati — Director of the Cinema Division, L’Agence Unique, Occitanie Culture
(Eastern Townships / Occitanie partnership; speaker: Territoires de cinéma — The film ecosystem in Occitanie and Regional film offices and shoots; Ciné-Dinner Discussion: Why are regional cinemas still essential?) - Marie-Josée Pilon — Film Commissioner, Film Laurentides
(speaker: Territoires de cinéma — Regional film offices and shoots; Cinema as an economic driver) - Pierre-Philippe Côté (“Pilou”) — Film Estrie
(speaker: Territoires de cinéma — Regional film offices and shoots; Cinema as an economic driver; official launch of Film Estrie and closing remarks) - Marie-Élaine Riou — Coordinator, Film and Cultural Tourism Office, Saguenay
(speaker: Territoires de cinéma — Regional film offices and shoots) - Catherine Légaré-Pelletier — Interregional Film Round Table (TaCIC)
(speaker: Territoires de cinéma — Regional film offices and shoots) - Ariane Dagenais-Plante — Quebec Film and Television Council (QFTC)
(speaker: Territoires de cinéma — Regional film offices and shoots; Cinema as an economic driver) - Stéphane Cardin — President and Chief Executive Officer, Quebec Film and Television Council (QFTC) (speaker: Territoires de cinéma — Regional film offices and shoots; Cinema as an economic driver)
- Pascale Bussières — Actress and spokesperson for the Knowlton Film Festival
(moderator: Territoires de cinéma — Poetry of Place, plenary round table; Q&A moderator) - Léa Pool — Director
(speaker: Territoires de cinéma — Poetry of Place, plenary round table) - Francis Leclerc — Director
(speaker: Territoires de cinéma — Poetry of Place, plenary round table) - Guy Édoin — Director
(speaker: Territoires de cinéma — Poetry of Place, plenary round table) - Richard Cormier — Co-founder, B79 Film Studios, Bromont
(speaker: Territoires de cinéma — Cinema as an economic driver) - Jérémie Santander — Co-founder, B79 Film Studios, Bromont
(speaker: Territoires de cinéma — Cinema as an economic driver) - Daniel Racine — Film critic and programmer
(moderator: Territoires de cinéma; Ciné-Dinner Discussion: Why are regional cinemas still essential?) - Mike Perreault — Film industry professional
(collaboration with the Maine International Film Festival) - Gregory Brophy — Professor of English Literature and Film Studies, Bishop’s University (Film School in collaboration with Bishop’s University)
- P. Bergeron — Composer (Film School in collaboration with Bishop’s University; Q&A moderator)
- Eric Perron — Editor-in-Chief and Publisher, Ciné-Bulles (speaker: Ciné-Dinner Discussion — Why are regional cinemas still essential?)
- Lee Patterson — Mayor of the Town of Brome Lake
(Territoires de cinéma speaker) - Guillaume Sapin — Director of the Cinema Division, L’Agence Unique, Occitanie Culture (Eastern Townships/Occitanie Partnership)
- Louise Harel — Politician – (guest speaker, Q&A session – La méthode scandinave)
- Serge Abiaad — Distributor (Élégie)
- Emmanuel Hessler — Producer (Roméo et son corps)
- Camille Lequenne — Producer (Still Moving)
- Chris Poolman — musician
- Stephan Cocke — DJ
- Hugues Letellier — DJ
- Sylvain Boisclair — Musician
- Jean-Claude Amyot — Musician
- Isabelle Plante — Musician
- Fabienne Stievenart — Musician
Guests 2025
During the 6th edition of the festival, we welcomed 68 guests: screenwriters, filmmakers, actors, musicians, industry professionals, and jury members.
- Catherine Léger (screenwriter)
- Fabrice Yvanof Senat (actor)
- Isabelle Hébert (screenwriter)
- Karine Vanasse (actress)
- Katherine Giguère (producer and director)
- Léa Pool (director)
- Lyne Lapointe (visual artist)
- Marie-Évelyne Lessard (actress)
- Marie-Josée Raymond (screenwriter)
- Maryse Legagneur (director)
- Matthew Rankin (director)
- Maxime Le Flaguais (actor)
- Donald Pilon (actor)
- Nancy Marcotte (director)
- Roy Dupuis (actor)
- Sébastien Ricard (actor)
- Steve Patry (director)
- Sylvie Van Brabant (producer and director)
- Stéphanie Lapointe (screenwriter)
- Antoine Corriveau (screenwriter and musician)
- Francis Leclerc (director)
- Pascale Bussières (director)
- German Gutierrez (director)
- Carmen Garcia (director)
- Alex Isabelle (director)
- Benjamin Tabah (director)
- Halle Brindley (director)
- Marie-Ève St-Louis (director)
- Marie-Lou Béland (director)
- Rachel Samson (director)
- Ben McAuley (director)
- Martin Morisette (director)
- Laurence Ménard (actress)
- Murray Lightburn
- Stéphane Cocke
- Chris Poolman
- Dan Ellison
- Chris Clarke
- Richard Clarke
- Jason Campbell
- Jonathan Cohen
- Mark Gibson
- Josey Feland
- Jeremy Weigens
- John Cameron
- Will Allen
- Nicholas Pynes
- Charles Binamé (director)
- Élise Labbé (Head of Festivals and Audience Development)
- Guillaume Sapin (Director – Festival Vues du Québec à Florac)
- Raymond St-Jean (director)
- Rebecca Jean (singer-musician)
- Anick Salas (director – President, Réalisatrices Équitables)
- Denys Desjardins (director)
- Gregory Brophy (professor, Bishop’s University)
- Isabelle Phaneuf (producer)
- Zoé Constantinides (professor, Champlain College
- Étienne Galloy
- Rachel Graton
- Rémi Fréchette
- Christine J. Doyon
- Steve MacQueen
- Damien Detcheberry (Métropole Films)
- David Santerre (Métropole Films)
- Nicolas Goyette (distributor)
- Daniel Racine (Festival Vues du Québec, Florac)
- Guillaume Sapin (Festival Vues du Québec, Florac)
- Pierre-Philippe Côté (BEAM)
- Guillaume Houle (Conseil de la culture de l’Estrie)
- Jean-François Hamel (Conseil de la culture de l’Estrie)
- Christian Beauchesne (École des arts numériques – Sherbrooke)
- Yvan Pinard (Studio 13)
- Léa Kieken (TAT Production – Toulouse)
- Ariane Bélanger (FNC)
- Ariane Roy-Poirier (Plein(s) Écran(s))
- Arnaud Beaudoux (Vues dans la tête)
- Arnaud Flavier (Festival du Cinéma Francophone de Calgary)
- Gaëlle Duverger (Festival Courts d’un soir)
- Henri Dupuis (Festival Cinémental)
- Jade Jeanne (Festival Cinémania)
- Jarrett Mann (Festival SPAMS)
- Laura Rohard (RVQC)
- Léo Denis Carpentier (Festival de films pour l’environnement)
- Lorraine Fortin (RVCQFV)
- Marcelle Lean (Cinéfranco)
- Marie-Michèle Plante (Festival REGARD)
- Mélanie Clériot (FICFA)
- Natacha Dufaux (Vues dans la tête)
- Sabikou Moumouni (Vues d’Afrique)
- Sian Mac Goris (Festival de Cinéma de la Ville de Québec)
- Sophie Therrien (Téléfilm Canada)
- Tania Morissette (Festival Fantasia)
- Vuk Stojanovic (Festival du Film de Val-Morin)
- Marie-Élaine Rioux (host – Director, Bureau du cinéma de Chicoutimi)
- Ian H. Gailer (host – Artistic Director and Cultural Organization Manager)
- Valentin Verrier (host – Alliance Médias Jeunesse, Director of Events, Communications and Development)
2024
Directors, artisans and actors
David Öllerer, actor (Rickerl)
Lyne Charlebois, director, (Dis-moi pourquoi ces choses sont si belles)
Mylène Mackay, actress (Dis-moi pourquoi ces choses sont si belles)
Ariane Louis-Seize, director (Vampire humaniste cherche suicidaire consentant)
Marie Reid , actress (Sucré Seize)
Iolande Cadrin-Rossignol, director (L’océan vu du cœur)
François Péloquin, director, (La fonte des glaces and short film jury member)
Sarah Lévesque, screenwriter (La fonte des glaces)
Guillaume Cyr (Lucie Grizzly Sophie)
Marcel Sabourin, actor (Au boute du rien pantoute)
Jérôme Sabourin , director, (Au boute du rien pantoute)
Henry Bernadet, director and screenwriter (Les rayons gamma)
Isabelle Brouillette, co-writer (Les rayons gamma and jury member – short film)
Thomas Corriveau, director, teacher and visual artist (Animated film and dance event)
Alexandre Lefebvre, director (finalist – short film competition)
Yann Reynolds, director (finalist – short film competition)
Chadi Bennani, director (finalist – short film competition)
Edith Jorisch, director (finalist – short film competition)
Raquel Sancinetti, director (finalist, short film competition)
Halima Ouardiri, director (finalist, short film competition)
Jean-François Casabonne, actor (short film competition)
Janice Nadeau, director (short film animation session)
Musicians and visual artists – special events
Voodoo Jurgens (opening night)
Matthias Frey, musician (opening night)
Érik West, musician (5 to 9 under the big top)
Olaf Gundel, musician (5 to 9 under the big top)
Nicholas Pynes, pianist and lecturer (ciné-concert – silent films at the United Church)
Louis Vincent Hamel, musician (ciné-concert – silent films at the United Church)
Davis Kovacs, musician (ciné-concert – silent films at the United Church)
Fabienne Lucet, pianist and composer (ciné-concert – silent films at the United Church)
Shelley Lenox, singer (5 à 9 under the big top)
James Gelfand, musician (5 to 9 under the big top)
Marc Gold, musician (5 to 9 under the big top)
Nils Fluck, Dj (closing party)
Julien Bergeron, Dj (BBQ and projection at Caron et Frères)
Marie-Josée Gravel, sculptor (trophy)
Sabina Gibson, artist – sculptor (wool felting and stop-motion animation workshop)
Isabelle Arsenault, visual artist – illustrator (Atelier de laine feutrée et de cinéma d’animation en stop motion)
Eduardo Ruiz-Vergara, dancer (Animated film and dance event)
Ulric Collette, visual artist (poster and exhibition)
Jury members
Feature film – fiction
Claudia Puig, Program Director, Santa Barbara International Film Festival (Chair)
Kevin T. Landry, director
Pier-Philippe Chevigny, director
Charles Parisé, Programmer
Barbara Shrier, Producer
Feature film – documentary
Pierre-Philippe Côté, General Manager BEAM (President)
Éric Michel, Producer
Carrie Haber, Producer
Yves Langlois, Director
Katerine Giguère, director
Short film
Ariane Roy-Poirier, General Manager, Festival Plein écran (President – Short Film Competition Jury)
Joe Cultrera, founder Salem Film Festival (jury member – short film)
Thomas Corriveau, director (jury member – short film)
Isabelle Brouillette, actress, screenwriter and producer (jury member – short film)
Sarah Lévesque, screenwriter (jury member – short film)
Professionals – cinema
Stéphanie Demers, distributor, H264
Samuel Pagé, distributor, Maison 4/tiers
Nicholas Uribe, distributor, Cinéma Politica
Olivier Picard, producer, Parce Que Films
Daniel Racine, programmer and journalist
2023
Marie-Julie Dallaire (Comme une vague)
Micheline Lanctôt, Guy Édoin et Pascale Bussières (Frontières)
Maxime Le Flaguais (Rodéo et Ouroboros)
Sarah Lévesque (Rodéo)
Maxime de Cotret et Stéphane Larue (Le Plongeur)
Sarah-Maude Beauchesnes (Cœur de Slush)
Benoit Brière (Coco Ferme et Mourir en vie)
Raoul Duguay et Yves Langlois (Une année avec mon ami Raoul)
Denys Desjardins et Anik Salas (J’ai placé ma mère)
Marie Vien (Le temps d’un été)
Raymond Saint-Jean et Benoit Gouin (Crépuscule pour un tueur)
Jorge Martinez Colorado et Katherine Jerkovic (Le Coyote)
Karelle Tremblay et Éric Tessier (Tu te souviendras de moi)
Éric Michel (La Poursuite du Bonheur)
Émilie B. Guérette et Peggy Nkunga Ndona (L’audience)
Guylaine Maroist (Je vous salue salope)
Jean-Luc Dupuis et Suzie Gagnon (Les Oies de Riopelle)
Eleanor McGrath (Forgetten)
Brian D. Johnson (The Colour of Ink)
Christine Doyon (La sœur de Margot)
Colin Nixon (In the Jam Jar)
2022
Tracey Deer (Beans)
Laura Rietveld(La famille de la forêt)
Hélène Bélanger-Martin et André
Desjardins (Libre)
Anik Salas (Réalisatrices équitables, conférencière)
Nicole Giguère (Prisons sans barreaux)
Guylaine Maroist, (Jukebox)
Pierre Even (C.R.A.Z.Y.), Monia
Chokri (Babysitter)
Christine Beaulieu (Les Tricheurs) et
Louis Godbout (Coda et Les Tricheurs)
2019
Pierre Even, producteur
Catherine Léger, dramaturge et scénariste
Anne Élisabeth Bossé (La Femme de mon frère)
Brigitte Poupart, cinéaste
Albert Neremberg, cinéaste