The first festival took place in 1977 and was opened by Ingrid Bergman . It has been held annually since then and is the only competitive film festival in North America that is accredited by the international film producers association FIAPF . The center of the festival has been the Center Cinéma Impérial since 1995, which was built as a theater in 1913 and has been used as a cinema since 1934.
In 2005 there were conflicts with Spectra, a new international film festival in Montréal, as well as controversies over the film Karla , which portrays Karla Homolka, who was involved in serial murders and which was finally withdrawn from the program after pressure from sponsors.
Sections
The World Film Festival has the following sections:
international competition (main prize: Grand Prix of the Americas)
international competition for first films (main prize: Golden Zenith)
"Hors Concours" (outside the competition)
World cinema (all continents)
international documentaries
Tributes
"Cinema Under the Stars"
Canadian Student Film Festival
In addition, the festival is accompanied by symposia and has a large film market.
Grand Prix of the Americas
The Grand Prix of the Americas (French Grand Prix des Amériques ) is the main prize of the international competition. It has been awarded since 1978.
