Hey folks! If you are visiting Montreal this week, that is between March 18 and March 28, I’m gonna need you to open your ears carefully. Or, for this matter, your eyes.
Montreal is home to the biggest film festival dedicated to art, in.the.world. That’s right. 230 films from 23 different countries. Each year, FIFA, as we Montrealers call it, presents the most prestigious films dedicated to art. That may be architecture, design, photography, painting, music, literature, dance, fashion or even films exploring the world of comics and more underground art forms.
With so many films (presented in different languages) it might be quite a task to sift through the impressive programming on top of planning the details of your trip. So I asked Michael-Olivier Harding, a publicist working with FIFA, to guide me through it all.
Here are 7 not-to-be-missed screenings for an English-speaking audience:
In Greece, Monastiraki is a funky flea market neighbourhood in the old town of Athens filled with crazy little shops and amazing people watching opportunities. Think of jugglers, rastas, tourists, skaters, cool kids, traders and other miscellaneous folk all gathered on one big ant hill and you’ve got Monastiraki.
In Montreal, Monastiraki is the shop of Billy Mavreas and Emile O’Brien, two multi-talented Montreal artists. Among other things, Billy is a cartoonist and illustrator while Emilie is a poet and sculptor. The boutique abounds with hundreds of magical curiosities, from art to ephemera, creation and other awesome and “uncategorizable” things. … More 

People flock to St-Laurent, aka The Main, because it’s non-stop nightlife. But there are times that even the most committed party people need to take a quick detour to recalibrate their evening. Reservoir is the perfect place for that… … More 

In a city like Montreal that gives residents and visitors alike more nightlife options than there are darkly lit hours in the day, it often takes a unique idea to grab people’s attention. The MACM’s “Vendredi Nocturne” is managing to
do exactly that… … More 

Last Sunday, in the middle of being hit by a bus of awkward during Music by Prudence’s Oscar acceptance speech , I realized….I have never talked to you about cinema theatres in Montreal!
I have never mentioned film in this blog. *gasp*
I wish I could tell you I’m pulling an Oprah and giving you all free ticks to see Alice in Wonderland to forgive me, but that’s not happening. For now.
What I can do however, is provide you with a very useful list of places where you can watch a movie in Montreal. Aaaaaand, I’m also adding a bunch of personal suggestions of things to do near every cinema, so you can have the perfect movie date in Montreal! … More 
A trilogy of awesomeness will be rockin’ The Main on the last weekend of March.
March 26: Strip Spelling Bee
March 27: Slow Dance Night
March 28: Crowd Karaoke
These parties are part of the quickly evolving “Quirk Scene” in Montreal. But what in tarnation are these events? And how can you participate? … More 
If you are anything like me, the thought of shopping for new blue jeans is about appealing as licking a flagpole in the Montréal winter.
This retail resistance changed last week when I had a soul-shaking-denim-fashion-epiphany at a Blue Jean shop in my neighborhood.
Here’s how you can have your own transcendental experience… … More 
“Happiness? A good cigar, a good meal and a good woman – or a bad woman; it depends on how much happiness you can handle.”
- George Burns
Despite the shift towards “healthier living,” Montréal has retained its affection for smoking. It is not uncommon for a local to have a brisk afternoon jog on Mount Royal, and then, come evening, light up a cigarette on a breezy summer terrace. It’s all part of our joie de vivre.
A cigar can make you feel like a million bucks – a fella can quickly appear to be a stoic political hero, while a woman takes on the essence of a gold medal champ. So it’s only natural to kick up your heels when you are on a getaway, and savor the sweet taste of leisure and success.
Here are four options where you can light up a stogie in Montréal… … More 

In life, there are two types of nuit blanche:
1) The ones spent at McGill University, playing the “how much last-minute information can I cram in my brain” game – scarcely fun.
2) The ones spent gallivanting between countless exhibitions, parties, shows and free bus rides during Montreal’s now famous High Lights Festival – abundantly fun.
Now technically, I could think of a third type of all-nighter, but a girl tries to keep her amazing job when she’s got one. All you need remembering is that in terms of awesome, nuit blanche #2 is comparable to nuit blanche #3.
Last week I was wandering the streets of Montréal and my eyes fell upon the poster for “The Mid-Life Crisis of Dionysus.” As you can see, the graphic for this unique theatrical experience features a bunch of nude hotties touching each other. Naturally, my interest peeked.
Check out how you can get some of this smorgasborgiastic extraspectaculaganza theater action while you are in Montréal…