(film fest fun) The final weekend of the Festival du Nouveau Cinema has arrived, but there are still plenty of all-new feature films, shorts and documentaries to see, from closing film Camille Redouble by Noémie Lvovsky to an autobiography of Monty Python’s Graham Chapman to concert films about Peaches and The Chemical Brothers, plus a multimedia, multi-DJ “Suicide Hotel” party on Friday night and closing party on Saturday night with DJ Thomas von PARTY, at Quartier Général. Meanwhile, the 4th edition of the Montreal Stop Motion Film Festival, October 19-21, screens over 70 new stop-motion animation films from Montreal and around the world.

(intrigue on stage) Explore the Plateau and Mile End neighbourhoods via a true Montreal creation: The Phénomena Festival, to October 26. The festival of music, performance and art, is a reinvention of the 10-year-old Festival Voix d’Amériques, dedicated to showcasing the beautiful, strange and poetic artistic voices in this city and further afield. see artist and musician Genisis P-Orridge on stage with spoken-word group Thee Majesty on October 20 at Cabaret du Mile End, in film The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye at Excentris, and with art showing at La Centrale; as well, see Kobol’s marionette show Voodoo at Usine C, Kabin tells 15 stories via 15 small booths on October 20, duo 2boys.tv span the history of their performance career in Generation on October 21, plus free music and performances every evening at 5 p.m. at Divan Orange, featuring Teen Sleuth, Free Opera Ensemble, Jef Barbara and many more, as well as free open mic nights at 11 p.m. at Casa del Popolo.

(frightful & delightful) Halloween starts early this year in Montreal. If you’re downtown at Place des Arts in the Quartier des Spectacles on Saturday around noon, don’t panic: the zombie apocalypse is not upon us, it’s just people dressed up for the Montreal Zombie Walk – join in if you’re zombie-inclined. Freaks of a different sort sing and dance for our pleasure in The Rocky Horror Show, garnering some great  reviews at Mainline Theatre, to October 20. And there’s also something a little freaky – in the most awesome sense – about DJ Food’s The Search Engine, an all-encompassing audio-visual experience like no other, screening in the dome of the surround-sound Satosphere at the SAT, to October 26.

(sports fans) A pro first for Montreal this week: the NBA Canada series pits the New York Knicks against the Toronto Raptors, October 19 at the Bell Centre. And while the NHL season is sadly on hold due to labour talks among hockey players and the league, the spirit of hockey is still strong in Montreal with national women’s hockey champions The Stars, featuring Olympic national team players Kim St-Pierre, Meghan Agosta, Caroline Ouellette and more. The Stars play Boston on October 20 at 5 p.m. and October 21 at 1 p.m. at Étienne Desmarteau Arena.
(tragedy & comedy) An epic 10th-century Japanese folk tale comes to life in choreographer Jiří Kylián’s Kaguyahime, The Moon, produced beautifully by Les Grands Ballet Canadiens, October 11-27. Quebecois playwright Suzie Bastien probes the human psyche in the dramatic The Medea Effect, at Theatre La Chapelle, to October 20. Old Montreal’s Centaur Theatre features Scapegoat Theatre’s take on Euripedes’ tragedy The Bacchae, to October 20, as well as Quebecois playwright Jean Marc Dalpé’s family drama August, An Afternoon in the Country. Meanwhile, the Segal Centre lightens the mood with Broadway musical Guys and Dolls to October 31, and well-known and even well-loved Montreal comedian and Just For Laughs festival veteran Joey Elias brings his One Man Show at Club Soda on October 21.

(urban art) The Montréal/Brooklyn collaborative contemporary art project makes its mark on the city’s gallery scene this weekend, highlighting the artistic similarities and differences between the two urban centres. On Friday and Saturday, new shows open at Centre Clark and artist-run centre articule, as well at galleries in the Belgo building – Galerie SAS, Optica, Galerie Division and Les Territoires – and down the street at Galerie de l’UQAM, featuring multi-artist Vidéozones exhibition (above), and the Musée d’art contemporain, featuring work by Janet Biggs and Aude Moreau.

(live music) Friday night is indie-rock alright with Cat Power playing tunes from her new album Sun at Metropolis, The Sea & Cake at Il Motore, Dragonette at the Corona Theatre, and Brooklyn electro duo Blondes at Le Belmont. Pittsburg rapper Wiz Khalifa, rolls into town with Juicy J, Chevy Woods and many others at Uniprix Stadium on October 20. Monday night goes punk with Off!, The Spits and Double Negative at Foufounes Electriques. On October 23, Dan Mangan brings his folk-rock sensibility to Theatre Corona, San Francisco’s Sic Alps play Divan Orange. The Jezabels rock Cabaret Mile End and Social Distortion shake up Metropolis. Montreal’s Papagroove release their newest album on October 24 at Theatre Plaza – free! Akousma 9, a festival of digital music, brings its immersive audio-visual wonders to Usine C, October 24-27. And the ‘80s are back with Air Supply in an “intimate evening” on October 25 at Metropolis.

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(movie magic) Montreal’s Festival du Nouveau Cinéma, October 10-21, rolls out the red carpet for new feature films, shorts and experimental media from around the world. See Ang Lee’s Life of Pi, based on Montreal author Yann Martel’s novel, Simon Galiero’s La Mise à l’aveugle, Martin Villeneuve’s sci-fi Mars et Avril, screenings of work by French singer Albin de la Simone, Sarah Polley’s new doc Stories We Tell, plus kid-friendly fare in the Little wolves (Les P’tits loups) section, experimental media art in the FNC Lab and a “waterfalls” exhibition at Place des Spectacles, free music shows (like The Hallicrafters and Ben Shemie on October 13 at Agora Hydro-Quebec), parties, and much more.

(high art renewed) Ballet isn’t what it used to be in choreographer Jiří Kylián’s Kaguyahime, The Moon, based on a culturally influential 10th-century Japanese folk tale of beauty, violence and worlds colliding, performed by dancers of Les Grands Ballet Canadiens, October 11-27. The Orchestre Métropolitain adds volume to great moments in cinematic history, from Psycho to Star Wars, playing works by several film composers, conducted by Simon Leclerc, on October 18 at the Maison symphonique de Montréal. Meanwhile, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra welcomes mezzo-soprano Susan Graham to sing Ernest Chausson’s Poème de l’amour et de la mer, on October 16 and 17.

(theatre scene) The play’s the thing this fall as Montreal theatres open the season with as much drama as fun. Old Montreal’s Centaur Theatre features two shows this month: Scapegoat Theatre’s version of Euripedes’ psycho-sexual, metaphysical tragedy The Bacchae, to October 20, and Quebecois playwright Jean Marc Dalpé’s family drama August, An Afternoon in the Country. Another Quebecois playwright Suzie Bastien dives deep with The Medea Effect, exploring universal fears and existential questions about the archetypal – and personal – role of the mother, at Theatre La Chapelle,  October 11-20. Meanwhile, it’s all song and dance with Broadway musical Guys and Dolls at the Segal Centre, to October 31, and, not quite theatre, but comedian Russell Peters is at the Bell Centre on October 15.

(art and history) The beauty and the history of art come together at the MMFA this fall in their exhibition A History of Impressionism: Great French Paintings from the Clark, featuring Impressionist masterpieces by Renoir, Bonnard, Corot, Cassatt, Degas, Gauguin, Manet, Millet, Monet, Morisot, Pissarro, Sisley and Toulouse-Lautrec. Down the street at the McCord Museum, see the city of Montreal and other cities around the world through the eyes of Italian photographer Mimmo Jodice, in his solo exhibition Sublime Cities. And the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal recently opened an amazing retrospective of the work of Montreal painter Pierre Dorion, along with high-Arctic video work by Brooklyn-based artist Janet Biggs.

(ska-tastic sounds) The Montreal Ska Fest packs a lot of punch into its fourth year, with horn-blowing, toe-tapping, body-skanking shows October 11-14, including a massive “All-Skanadian” (get it?) show at Club Soda on Saturday, October 13 with The Planet Smashers, The Johnstones, Illscarlett and more. On Friday night, it’s the New York City Showcase, with Victor Rice vs The M7, The Forthrights and more at Petit Campus, while Sunday morning closes the festival with a good greasy breakfast of eggs, toast, coffee and ska with Mitch Girio, at Ye Olde Orchard.

(more music) The OFF Jazz Festival comes to a close Friday, October 12 with bassist-composer William Parker conducting Fragrances of Compassion for Lawrence D. Butch Morris, a piece for 15 musicians, at La Sala Rossa. Also on Friday, LA-based electronic music producer Flying Lotus gets our bodies moving at SAT. On Saturday night, enjoy the sweet singer-songwriter sounds of Montreal talents Mark Berube and Katie Moore at Cabaret du Mile End, while blues-rock rocks on with Colin James at Metropolis. Monday night is one big party with rumba-rooted Congolese band Staff Benda Bilili at the Rialto Theatre. On October 16, none other than Barbra Streisand is at the Bell Centre, or if Babs isn’t your thing, maybe Alanis Morissette is – she’s at Metropolis, or get down and dance at OohLaLA! Festival, at the SAT. Public Image Limited rocks the Corona Theatre on October 17 and The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion follows  the next night. Also on October 18, the three great men of might Rush bring their Clockwork Angels Tour to the Bell Centre.

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There are a lot of reasons to love the 41^st annual FNC and its mascot, the she-wolf. For one thing, this is a festival with a truly vanguard programme – lots of things to see and do, every day, that you can’t see and do anywhere else. Which brings us to #1 on a list (not comprehensive, by any means) of things not to miss at the FNC.

1) Movies: On October 20, the FNC will sponsor a special advance screening of Ang Lee’s adaptation of Life of Pi, the Booker Prize-winning book by Montrealer Yann Martel. This is an eagerly awaited premiere of a story they said couldn’t be made for the screen, so we can’t wait to see it! Best of all, the film will be presented in 3D with special guest Yann Martel.

Other premieres include A Liar’s Autobiography-The Untrue Story of Monty Python’s Graham Chapman, and movies by international art-cinema stars Alain Resnais, Mike Hoolboom, Cristian Mungiu, Olivier Assayas, Thomas Vinterberg, and many many others. Of course, you’ll also be able to preview some of the holiday-season movies that everyone will be talking about and the FNC has a high-profile competition, the Louve d’Or, for which 18 films will compete. The competition is for films from first, second and third features by directors from around the world. Trailer here.

2) Retrospectives: An homage to Nikkatsu: The famed Japanese production company turns 100 this year, hence a prestigious retrospective co-produced by Fantasia and the Cinémathèque québécoise. This is a big deal for amateurs of Asian film, as explained in this video of the press conference announcement. Also retrospectives honouring dearly departed filmmakers Chris Marker, Carole Roussopoulos, William Klein and Stephen Dwoskin.

3) Temps 0: My personal favourite programme at the festival is the edgy movies in this section, which always defy description or comparison. This year: Vincent Gallo plays two roles opposite flying saucers in The Legend of Kaspar Hauser, with soundtrack by techno giant Vitalic. Six Irish teenagers have a housewrecking party in SXSW favourite Dollhouse. Adam Smith’s doc The Chemical Brothers: Don’t Think. Tons more.

4) Little wolves (Les P’tits loups): Wolf children, little vampires, sea turtles, foxes, moonmen and many more populate this section, the best childrens’ programming at any film festival in Montreal, making this festival a must-see for kids as well as grown-ups.

5) FNC Lab: From experimental art, web projects, conferences, interactive installations, and don’t forget ten days of nonstop parties: There’s more to the FNC than movies. A salute to Carolee Schneemann and the erotic art of the 1960s is one attraction, Glenn Gould in The Idea of North is another. And check the site for what’s on, every day. There are art parties every night at both Centre PHI and festival headquarters.

THE DETAILS

Festival du Nouveau Cinéma, October 10-21, 2012

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(fabulous food) Thanksgiving wouldn’t be complete without a proper feast or three, so if on October 5 you’re  in the area of Olympic Park, wandering through the Botanical Gardens or visiting the Biodome at the Space for Life, stop in at the stadium’s outdoor grounds where their First Fridays event features gourmet food from some of Montreal’s fanciest food trucks: tacos at Grumman 78, burgers at Winneburger, sandwiches, poutine and more from Lucky’s Truck and La Mangeoire, ice cream and sundaes at Monsieur Crémeux, coffee at Café Dispatch, and more, starting at 4 p.m. On October 11, caterer and food enthusiast Nicolina Servello pairs cook books with delicious rustic food in an afternoon event at Indigo Place Montréal Trust, noon to 2 p.m.

(fall film) New feature films, fantastic shorts and experimental video work from around the world all come out to play at Montreal’s Festival du Nouveau Cinéma, October 10-21. Along with plenty of international fare, the fest features some of the best sort of Canadian content in Ang Lee’s Life of Pi, based on Montreal author Yann Martel’s novel, opening films Simon Galiero’s La Mise à l’aveugle and Martin Villeneuve’s Mars et Avril, screenings of work by French singer Albin de la Simone, Sarah Polley’s new film Stories We Tell, Albert Nerenberg’s witty doc Boredom, and many more. As well, the popular Temps Ø program continues this year with off-the-beaten-track features, shorts and documentaries.

(dance party) The Black and Blue Festival is all about making this weekend into a three-day LBGT-and-friends party, culminating in a massive all-night, all-morning, three-room dance party a Palais des Congrès on October 7, with DJs Gareth Emery, Sander van Doorn, David Morales and more. On Saturday afternoon and evening at Palais  des Congrès, get lost in free live music and entertainment event, De-Light, with entertainment from Debbie Tebbs, The Easton Ellises, Donzelle and other great Montreal performers. Of course, there’s also the night-time party rituals of Leather Ball on October 5 and the HardBall on October 6 at Club Soda.

(world-class performance) Les Grands Ballet Canadiens pulls out all the stops October 11-27 with choreographer Jiří Kylián’s Kaguyahime, The Moon, a ballet based on a culturally influential 10th-century Japanese folk tale of beauty, violence and worlds colliding. On a different note, The Segal Centre presents big-time Tony-award winning musical Guys and Dolls, to October 28. At the Centaur Theatre, see family drama August, An Afternoon in the Country by award winning playwright Jean Marc Dalpé. And French circus troupe Akoreacro positively delights with their acrobatic, musical circus Pfffffff, while Montreal-based circus Cirque Éloize blends circus arts with hip hop and breakdance in all-ages show iD, featuring 14 high-energy performers, both at Montreal circus centre La Tohu to October 6.

(art & architecture) Two new exhibitions at the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal are both real eye-openers: an amazing retrospective of the work of Montreal painter Pierre Dorion, and intriguing videos focused on far-off places and people by Brooklyn-based artist Janet Biggs – the MACM also holds its monthly Nocturnes music series on October 5, featuring Tanuki, 7 p.m. The Canadian Centre for Architecture opens its exhibition First, the Forests, looking at the relationship between forestry, planning and design. And definitely go to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts to see their outstanding Tom Wesselmann retrospective show, which closes this Sunday, as well as their expanded permanent collection. See the Montreal Buzz Fall Arts Guide for more ideas.

(comedy & cabaret) On the stranger side of entertainment – and Montreal’s got a lot of that – comedy show Let’s Do This!, a night of comedy and drinking games, headlined by DeAnne Smith, on October 11 at Mainline Theatre, 9 p.m. On Saturday, October 6, Quality Theatre hosts not only a sing-along to The Rocky Horror Picture Show, but a full-on band, comedians and a bevy of sexy burlesque performers, also at Mainline Theatre, 8 p.m.

(jazz off) The Montreal International Jazz Festival may get most of the summer jazz hype in this town, but all that jazz and more goes on throughout the year: check out The OFF Jazz Festival, October 4-12, with shows (some of them free!) at several venues around town, featuring traditional and experimental jazz from local and out-of-town musicians and bands, including pianist Baptiste Trotignon, saxophonist Anna Webber, Ironico Orkestra, Jean Derome and many, many more.

(more music) A busy Friday night begins the music week with Swedish folk-pop musician Jens Lekman at Le National, while DJ Shadow plays what’s sure to be a sweet DJ set at SAT, arts and activism group Howl presents eclectic Montreal rock-tinged ensembles Léopard et Moi and Avec le Soleil Sortant de sa Bouche, at Sala Rossa, and How to Dress Well gets Club Lambi electro-hopping. Also on Friday, Montreal Symphony Orchestra conductor Kent Nagano teams up with DJ Champion, while on Sunday he conducts the orchestra through The Rites of Spring. More big tours make Montreal stops at rock venue Metropolis this week: on Saturday, October 6, see Irish indie-rockers Two Door Cinema Club, on October 7 it’s electronic party makers Crystal Castles with openers Health and more, followed on October 9 by ever-popular singer-songwriter Regina Spektor and captivating British singer Joss Stone on October 10, while French trip-hop DJ Wax Tailor (http://waxtailor.com/) spins cinematic electronic grooves at L’Astral that night.

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