Montreal August 5, 1997 - Dani�le Cauchard, vice-president, and Serge Losique, president and director general, announced today at a press conference the 134 Canadian productions presented at the Montreal World Film Festival (24 features, 14 medium-length films, 36 shorts, 60 student films).

Canada is well represented in other sections at the Festival: in the Official Competition, LA CONCIERGERIE, by Michel Poulette, and THE SEAT OF THE SOUL, directed by Olivier Asselin; in Cinema of Today: Reflections of Our Time, LOVE AND DEATH ON LONG ISLAND by Richard Kwietniowski, a Great Britain/Canada coproduction, SUSPICIOUS MINDS by Alain Zaloum and Tahani Rached's QUATRE FEMMES D'�GYPTE. Five Canadian films are presented in world premiere in the Films for Television category: MOIRE by Lara Fitzgerald; DUO FOR ONE by Mireille Dansereau; L'�PREUVE DU FEU, by Bernard �mond; AFTER BRENDA, by Donigan Cumming and GERRIE & LOUISE, by Sturla Gunnarsson.

PANORAMA CANADA - 26 medium-length and feature films

Nineteen of the 26 new productions are world premieres and reflect the current preoccupations of young Canadian filmmakers who are showcased in the Panorama Canada Section at the World Film Festival:

P�T� CHINOIS, directed by Philippe Falardeau, is a veteran of "La course destination monde" and co-writer of Jacque Godbout's "Sort de l'Amerique". A rich entrepreneur from Hong Kong must invest millions of dollars to obtain a visa to settle in Canada before July 1, 1997. He retains the services of an industrious young spy to help him find a profitable business.

SOCI�T�S SOUS INFLUENCE, written and directed by German Gutierrez, recounts a series of shocking conversations and damning testimony. The war on drugs is the greatest fraud of the century. A war that was lost even before it began. The film brings together a cast of characters who have little in common such as lawyers, drug dealers, politicians, double agents and assassins. Their views leave us speechless, as they reveal firsthand the methods employed to fight the war on drugs which seem to be totally ineffective.

Founding member of Studio D at the National Film Board of Canada, Margaret Wescott wrote and directed STOLEN MOMENTS, a detailed contemporary exploration of lesbian life. A fascinating portrait of an alternative community, the film looks at several moments in the history of lesbianism, travelling to Paris, Berlin and Amsterdam during the pre-war era to show the lives of lesbian women in Nazi concentration camps. In addition, the film examines the role of the 'butch-woman' in New York in the 50's, and more recent female issues and events -- biker women, lesbian discos, the Michigan Women's Music Festival, women in sports, etc.

Director Peter Svatek presents The Call of the Wild, written by Graham Ludlow, and based on the novel by Jack London. Buck, half Saint-Bernard, half-Labrador, is sharing his destiny with a trapper after several trying experiences in the Arctic. When tragedy occurs, Buck responds to the call of the wild. This film adaptation of the classic differs from other versions because it tells the story from the point of view of the dog.

In GLIMMER OF HOPE, written and directed by Charles Konowai, the Streufert Family hope to come to terms with the rape and murder of their 19-year-old daughter by joining a group founded by the parents of victims of violence. Together, they work to try and ease their pain and sometimes they confront the assailants with the hope of understanding and coming to terms with the on-going tragedy they have experienced.

KATHLEEN SHANNON ON FILM, FEMINISM & OTHER DREAMS, directed by Gerry Rogers, is a journey into the world of an exceptional woman. A pioneer of feminist cinema, she paved the way for a new generation of directors, free to make controversial, current, upsetting, funny or provocative films. The film retraces her career, her years at the Film Board and the founding of the famous Studio D at the NFB.

Brothers Jean Gagn� and Serge Gagn�, the creators of "La folie des crinolines" and "La marche de l'amour" return to the Montreal Festival with their ninth feature, TON P�RE EST UN BUM. The story chronicles the daily life of a man troubled by a world that offers little in the way of comfort. Poet Denis Vanier reads his works, while some are performed by singer Richard Gingras.

FIRST BREAK by directors Adrien Amato and Derek Rogers explores the impact of the first signs of mental illness on three young adults and their families. By examining certain myths and stereotypes, the film challenges our own perception of those afflicted by mental illness.

In My Feminism, directors Laurie Colbert and Dominique Cardona remind us that the feminist revolution is far from over. Women have made incredible progress over the years, contributing to changes in attitudes and lifestyles. The film documents several passionate discussions with feminists who all agree that countless women's issues remain unchallenged. This documentary includes some of the champions of the cause: Mary Becker, Urvashi Butalia, Bell Hooks, Judy Rebick, Gloria Steinem ...

PARTY GIRLS, by Kathy Horner, is a recollection of and a reflection upon the end of an era, the era of ideology, the Cold War. At its inception, after World War II, the Festival of Youth and Students, dedicated to the preservation of peace, was an initiative of the Allied Powers, but as Cold War tensions escalated, the Festival became a Communist-sponsored event. However, it continued to attract socialists, trade unionists and peace activists from all over the world.

Director Kari Skogland leads us into the sinister world of Eddie and Richard. Two troublemakers, humiliated by a gang of drug traffickers, look to avenge themselves with firearms in MEN WITH GUNS. Everything spins out of control when a chain of events lead Eddie and Richard into more than trouble and they are no longer convinced that they will escape with their lives.

John Bradshaw's fifth feature, THE UNDERTAKER'S WEDDING is the tale of the trials and tribulations of one Mario Bellini, an undertaker looking to get married. The burden of three generations of family traditions -- and a nagging mother with a big mouth -- make it very difficult for Mario to find a wife.

In 2103 THE DEADLY WAKE, a Canadian-British-Belgian coproduction, G. Philip Jackson propels us into the 21st century. A ship, hauling toxic waste, is on its way to the Third World .. Mutiny ensues when two officers wrestle to take command of the ship.

In CONFESSIONS OF A RABID DOG, director John L'�cuyer tells his own story. A former heroin addict and prostitute for seven years, John was able to escape the racket. The documentary reveals the underside of a sordid milieu, and explores, through a series of interviews, such issues as family, the "pleasures" of living on the fringe and the emotional and psychological ecstasy of heroine.

THE ASSISTANT, directed by Daniel Petrie, is based on the novel by Bernard Malamud. An impressionable young man becomes an unwilling accomplice to a violent act of anti-Semitism during the Great Depression. In an effort to repent, he works long hours without pay for the man he accosted.

In THE SECRET LIFE OF ALGERON, by Charles Jarrott, Algernon lives an obscure life with a jealous and talkative porcelain cat in his great grandfather's house. One day, a beautiful and intriguing Egyptologist, who is convinced that there is a buried treasure in Al's backyard, enters into his world.

In SILENCE, by Jack Darcus, Johnny lives on a reserve with his wife and daughter. One day, he kills his brother and refuses to say why he committed the crime. Johnny has a very good reason but feels it would dishonor the memory of his brother if he talked. He takes the shameful secret with him to jail. But his wife, who has secrets of her own, decides to come forward -- along with her daughter -- and tell the truth.

Gail Singer wrote and directed YOU CAN'T BEAT A WOMAN!, an often irreverent look at the situation of battered women around the world. Shot in Canada, Russia, South Africa, Israel, Japan and Chili, the film delves into the roles played by certain professionals that are deemed sacred - judges, priests, psychiatrists, police and other "experts" - and to whom battered women turn to for protection.

The documentary LA VOIX DES RIVIERES, written and directed by Rodrigue Jean, offers a vision of contemporary Acadia assembled from testimony by the men and women whose lives have been shaped by the river -- a place that is at once real and symbolic.

In STONE COATS, written and directed by Rolf Schrader, two youths, Puzzle, a regular on the streets and Cass, a prostitute, leave to find their friend, Suzie, who has gone missing. They believe that Riktor, a sadistic and evil gang leader, is responsible for her disappearance, while others speculate that a creature with cannibalistic tendencies might be accountable. As the mystery unfolds, Puzzle and Cass learn that the truth about the disappearance of the children who live on the street is more complicated than they imagined.

Chris Philpoot wrote and directed THE ETERNAL HUSBAND, in which two old friends must settle their differences. In the middle of the night, Alex's everyday life is suddenly interrupted by the arrival of his friend Peter, an old friend who recently lost his life, and wants to hang around with him. Alex had an affair with Peter's late wife, an affair that produced a daughter, and he believes his old friend knows the truth and has returned to avenge himself.

In SCRIPT DOCTOR, written and directed by Nick Curci, the life of a screenwriter begins to resemble her nightmares. She realizes that the script she is working on is starting to reflect her own life. The characters in the story mirror her unstable relationship with her boyfriend.

MY DOG VINCENT, written and directed by Micheal McGowan, tells the story of three friends in their twenties. O'Brien, who lives with his parents and works as a zomboni operator, meets Sue, who is an airbrush painter. Harper, vice-president of the Vincent Price Fan Club, wants to find the coolest way to honor the memory of his favoraite film idol ... as well as find true love. Meanwhile, Wiley, who works as a nurse in a psychiatric hospital, has fallen in love with a recently divorced co-worker.

In LA MORTE AMOUREUSE, by Alain Vezina, starring Luc Pilon, Virginie Dubois, Denis Bouchard, Yvan Roy, Pierre Mailloux and Pierre Ricard, a young priest, who has just taken his holy orders, is attracted to an eternally young vampire.

TWILIGHT OF THE ICE NYMPHS is by Guy Maddin, and stars Pascale Bussieres, Shelley Duvall, Frank Gorshin, Alice Krige and R.H. Thomson. After spending several years incarcerated, a political prisoner returns to his native country, Mandragore, where the sun never sets. On the boat back, he spends a few precious moments in the company of a beautiful young woman with whom he falls hopelessly in love. A cunning doctor hinders their relationship, however.

Director David Winning presents EXCEPTION TO THE RULE, which stars Sean Young, William Devane, Kim Cattrall and Eric McCormack. Timothy and Angela, a young married couple, are fairly happy together. Tim works for Angela's father, who owns a diamond business, and the couple is expecting their first child. Their world falls apart when Tim meets Carla, a beautiful and seductive stranger. Carla begins to pursue Tim after a one-night affair, turning to threats and intimidation to force him into participating in a diamond robbery.

WOUNDED, directed by Richard Martin, and based on a script by Harry Longstreet, stars Madchen Amicks, Graham Green and Adrian Pasdar. Julie and Don are deeply in love and very happy living in the Rockies, far from the city. Both work as wardens in the forest. One day, they discover bears that have been slaughtered. One of the poachers responsible for the massacre is determined to protect his livelihood. He kills Don and the federal agents that are pursuing him. Julie is badly wounded and ends up in hospital where she meets a police officer. The officer promises to protect her from the poacher who continues to threaten her life.