At the dawn of its 9th edition, the short film festival Plein(s) Écran(s), which will be launched on Thursday, is in the process of rethinking its formula.
From a first festival to live entirely on Facebook at the beginning, the event has evolved into a formula which is now also deployed with in-person events, in addition to existing on Facebook, Instagram and on its website.
The concept of the festival is simple: every day, four Quebec short films are broadcast online, then they disappear at midnight to make way for new programming the next day.
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The general and artistic director of the Festival Plein(s) Écran(s), Ariane Roy-Poirier, advocates greater accessibility of short films to the general public.
Photo : Pascal Ferraris
Our goal in offering our programming only on Facebookat the beginning, it was to challenge the uninitiated with short films, explains the general and artistic director of the festival Ariane Roy-Poirier. We have had proof, over the past nine years, that these films travel much more among audiences who would never have made the necessary efforts to see them.
With the growing discontent surrounding the use of Meta’s social networks (Facebook and Instagram) and the various calls to desert these platforms, Ariane Roy-Poirier affirms that a reflection has begun. Meta notably ended its diversity, equality and inclusion programs and its fact-checking program in the United States.
I don’t know how we’re going to reach out to people without Facebook because what Plein(s) Écran(s) does best is to make people listen to short films from here who won’t not try to see the short film for themselves. But my dream would be that a new social network completely aligned with our values would see the light of day.
It’s really hard to imagine our future right now.
Fortunately, Full Screen(s) now exists in real life
and even toured across Quebec. We take the time to present the filmmakers to the public, explains the director. We choose few films, but we treat them well and we make them all shine. I remain convinced that what we are doing is relevant and necessary.
A growing success
Ariane Roy-Poirier is not the only one to be passionate about short films. Since its beginnings, the festival has generated more than a million views of local works online. It’s a format that’s perfect for experimentation and exploration, she explains. As these are films that are made more quickly, current subjects are more commonly addressed, issues that resonate with what is happening at the moment.
The four films that are presented each day also allow spectators to experience several distinct emotions in a short time.
It’s an extremely effective and precise type of writing that requires a lot of dexterity to allow people to experience pain or worry in twelve minutes in the same way that a feature film would do in two hours.
This format sometimes leads us to a very in-depth look at a representation, a feeling or a significant state. This is the case this year, according to the director, of the film The little basket on wheels de Laurence Ly. It’s the story of a family of Vietnamese origin who is trying to buy detergent and the family members are stubborn with the cashier because they want to use too many discount coupons, says Ariane Roy-Poirier. It is a film which focuses, in 18 minutes, on a short moment, while highlighting the issues of ethnic minorities, family dynamics and language. It’s a precise moment, but one that makes us understand a lot of things.
For the love of the short
Born in a more modest version, thanks to the director and screenwriter Patrice Laliberté who could no longer bear to see his short films end up on shelves without having been seen, Plein(s) Écran(s) still hangs on today with force to its general public aspect. We want people to fall in love with the court, says Ariane Roy-Poirier. We also have a school component which is very healthy and with which we offer cinema workshops from primary to college.
Driven by a desire for independence from Facebookthe festival team does not give up and continues its mission. We have a solid structure, a young, current and refreshing identity. When Facebook banned the media in Canada, we have already started thinking about what’s next. It is devastating for us to depend on a platform that we do not control and the thinking is advanced.
Suggestions from Ariane Roy-Poirier
Hello Stranger by Amélie Hardy
17 minutes
January 28
It’s a documentary that is an intimate portrait of Cooper talking about his trans identity. Even though it is a documentary, Amélie Hardy uses the codes of fiction really well in this story, which offers an inside view of the subject. The protagonist has a screenwriting credit, because he is very involved. It’s very beautiful, very current and it’s in line with our values of promoting LGBTQ2+ rights.
A hole in the chest by Jean-Sébastien Hamel and Alexandra Myotte
11 minutes
January 23
This is obviously a big requirement since he is on the preliminary list for the Oscars. The film will be broadcast on Thursday, the same day that the nominations for the ceremony will be known. It is believed that the stars are aligned and that this will bring them luck. The film is absolutely magnificent. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a film that uses the medium of animation so well. We dive into the imaginations of two children and the film does not immediately reveal what is inside the characters. It’s really very touching.
Your ears by Alexandre Isabelle
13 minutes
January 24
It’s co-presented by the Quebec City Film Festival because the filmmaker is from there. He made a very personal film in which he uses traditional music to tell the story of a family. We talk about mental health issues while following a musician who is a little dissonant. It’s very chaotic, but it reflects how everyone in the film feels inside. I have never seen this type of writing to give access to the inner life of a character. He won the audience prize at the Quebec Festival.
Wild flowers by Rodolphe Saint-Gelais and Thierry Sirois
5 minutes
January 23
This falls into our category of very short films. It’s a minimalist animation. Basically, we hear a voice message from Christian Bégin which was animated by the filmmakers. They made a character who is a hand. Christian Bégin explains how to mow the lawn at home. The idea is fabulous and it’s really very funny. It’s like a little candy.
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The artifice by Isabelle Grignon-Francke
17 minutes
January 31
In this documentary, Isabelle Grignon-Francke is interested in funfair tours and she follows the guys from Beauce Carnaval. We had never seen this wildlife so closely before and we didn’t know how much we needed to understand and see these people. It’s quite a unique job to assemble and dismantle rides. We see the less festive aspects of this work. It’s lonely, but it’s a clan and a family. It also talks a lot about masculinity, because the protagonists are strong and solid men, but we quickly fall into their vulnerability too and it’s very beautiful to see. It’s tender, intimate and full of delicacy
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The 9th Plein(s) Écran(s) Festival will take place from January 23 to February 1, 2025. A selection of 36 short films will be presented online for free across Canada.
The schedule and details of in-person events are available online (New window).
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