Competing festivals to confuse Montreal’s film scene

Montreal is known to outsiders for many things (and notorious for a few): great nightlife, a thriving artistic community, beautiful women, incredible restaurants tucked away in every corner, and, of course, the cultural scene.

Of the festivals we hold here in Montreal, the most well-known ones internationally are the Jazz Festival, the Just for Laughs comedy festival and the film festival. It seems that the latter is now in a state of chaos, due of course to politics within the organizing bodies.

Like another important money-making event that we almost lost due to the perpetual lack of “common-effin’-sense” which the government seems to perpetuate, the quagmire surrounding the 2005 film festivals threatens us and our city’s reputation.

In other news, I’ve started to develop a strong appreciation for graffiti and urban art – it’s the only pleasant part of note in the snapshot below, taken yesterday on the Montreal plateau (near St-Laurent):