12 FREE OUTDOOR SCREENINGS
MONTREAL WORLD FILM FESTIVAL
August 22 - September 2, 1997

MONTREAL, July 28, 1997 -- Faithful to tradition and an integral part of the Festival's annual celebration of the cinema, the Montreal World Film Festival will once again present free outdoor screenings. This year, 12 feature films will be presented (two more than last year) free of charge on a giant screen at the Esplanade of Place des Arts. St. Catherine Street, between Jeanne-Mance and St-Urbain, will be closed to traffic. All screenings will begin at around 9:00 p.m. The public is invited to arrive early to pick a good spot. About 100 benches will be available but the Festival suggests people bring their own folding chair or blanket. A sound system will be set up but moviegoers may also bring a Walkman as sound will be broadcast on 95,1 FM radio band. Each screening will be preceded by a concert of movie soundtracks. In case of rain, screenings will take place at the Imperial Cinema the same evening.

Twelve great movies have been selected and are presented by Gaz M�tropolitain and Evian in collaboration with La Presse, MusiquePlus, Mix 96, CJAD, CKAC, CKMF, CIT� Rock D�tente and T�l�cit�.

Friday, August 22 - LE PATIENT ANGLAIS, French version of "The English Patient" (courtesy of Alliance), written and directed by Anthony Minghella, based on Michael Ondaatje's novel, and starring Ralph Fiennes, Kristin Scott Thomas, Juliette Binoche, Naveen Andrews, Willem Dafoe, Colin Firth, Jurgen Prochnow.

A spellbinding story, intelligent, splendidly-photographed romance about two people thrown together by fate and eventually torn apart. Won a spate of Oscars, including Best Film earlier this year.

Saturday, August 23 - PRISCILLA, FOLLE DU D�SERT, French version of "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" (courtesy of Cin�plex-Od�on), written and directed by Stephan Elliott, and starring Terence Stamp, Hugo Weaving, Guy Pearce, Bill Hunter, Sarah Chadwick, Mark Holmes.

Cheerfully outrageous comedy about two drag queens and a transsexual who haul their tacky stage show across the Australian outback in a converted schoolbus. Plenty of ABBA tunes.

Sunday, August 24 - INDOCHINE (courtesy of CFP), directed by R�gis Wargnier, and starring Catherine Deneuve, Vincent Perez, Linh Dan Pham, Jean Yanne, Dominique Blanc.

Winner of Best Foreign Film Oscar. Set in French Indochina in the '30s, a wealthy French landowner (Deneuve) who has raised an orphaned Vietnamese girl, begins to realize that her daughter has become a woman and that she is hostile to French colonial rule. Mother and daughter also compete for the love of a French naval officer.

Monday, August 25 - EDOUARD AUX MAINS D'ARGENT, French version of "Edward Scissorhands" (courtesy of 20th Century Fox), directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, Dianne Wiest, Vincent Price.

A satirical fable for all ages told with trademark Tim Burton pictorial flair. A man-made boy whose creator died before attaching human hands to his body, is adopted by an exuberant Avon lady and brought to live with her family in a goofy sitcomic neighbourhood.

Tuesday, August 26 - J'EN SUIS (courtesy of Malofilm), written and directed by Claude Fournier and starring Roy Dupuis, Patrick Huard, Charlotte Laurier.

Qu�b�cois box office smash. A lighthearted comedy of contemporary sexual manners. When their architectural firm shuts down, Pierre and Dominique are forced to put their talents back on the market. Pierre succeeds, but Dominique, who finds a job in the antique business, is obliged to review his sexual allegiances.

Wednesday, August 27 - CARMEN (courtesy of Action Film), directed by Francesco Rosi and starring Julia Migenes-Johnson, Placido Domingo, Ruggero Raimondi, Faith Esham, Jean-Philippe Lafont.

Splendidly filmed production of Bizet's opera. Migenes-Johnson and Domingo are outstanding, the Spanish sets glorious, the costumes magnificent, the photography superb ... and the music ... divine.

Thursday, August 28 - MADAME DOUBTFIRE, French version of "Mrs. Doubtfire" (courtesy of 20th Century Fox), directed by Chris Columbus and starring Robin Williams, Sally Field, Pierce Brosnan, Polly Holliday.

Delightful comedy about a divorced father who misses his children so desperately that he disguises himself as a dowdy British nanny in order to be near them. Robin Williams is in marvellous form in the title role, delivering a best actor-actress performance.

Friday, August 29 - UN AIR DE FAMILLE (Courtesy of France Film), directed by C�dric Klapisch and starring Jean-Pierre Bacri, Agn�s Jaoui, Jean-Pierre Darroussin.

Very popular at last year's Festival and winner of several prizes, this French parody went on to perform very well at the box office. The M�nard family weekly reunion is disrupted by a series of incidents that upset their immutable routine and family harmony, precarious at the best of times.

Saturday, August 30 - LA LE�ON DE PIANO, French version of "The Piano" (courtesy of CFP), written and directed by Jane Campion and starring Holly Hunter, Harvey Keitel, Sam Neill, Anna Paquin.

In the late 19th century, a Scottish woman, her illegitimate daughter and her cherished piano arrive in New Zealand for an arranged marriage. Holly Hunter won the Best Actress Oscar for her role in this haunting drama.

Sunday, August 31 - BEAUMARCHAIS L'INSOLENT - (courtesy of Alliance), directed by �douard Molinaro and starring Fabrice Luchini, Manuel Blanc, Sandrine Kiberlain, Michel Piccoli, Michel Serrault, Murray Head.

Adapted from an unpublished play by Sacha Guitry, the film is a splendid portrait of one of the most extraordinary players on the stage of 18th century French arts, politics and society - Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais, author of "The Barber of Seville" and "The Marriage of Figaro".

Monday, September 1 - WILLIE NELSON & THE OUTLAWS (courtesy of Transcontinental Films & Television, Inc.).

Documentary on country music icon Willie Nelson who is in excellent form in this concert/film/portrait. A glimpse at the man behind the legend.

Tuesday, September 2 - ROM�O & JULIETTE DE WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, French version of "William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet" (courtesy of 20th Century Fox), directed by Baz Luhrmann and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes.

The classic romantic tragedy retold for the Nineties, set in the surreal Fair Verona Beach, populated by punks and war gangs. Great soundtrack. On its way to becoming a cult film.

N.B. : Excerpts from the films on 3/4 inch cassette available by calling
Suzanne Villeneuve Associates Inc.
(514) 393-8835