Affiliated with the Université de Montréal's Département d'histoire de l'art, de cinéma et des médias audiovisuels, the Observatoire du cinéma au Québec encourages dialogue between the worlds of film practice and film study, and promotes interaction between the two. The Observatoire organizes activities for students, enabling them to enjoy experiences that go beyond the usual academic curriculum: screenings, lectures, ciné-club, debates, talks, colloquia, film lessons, the television series Au cœur du cinéma québécois and the development of collaborations with a number of Quebec festivals.
This unique academic crossroads aims to encourage exchanges and partnerships between those involved in the practice of cinema in Quebec and those dedicated to the study of cinema, while fostering the future of the next generation. Like the series Au cœur du cinéma québécois (presented on Savoir Média), hosted by Denis Héroux (seasons 1 to 4) and Isabelle Raynauld (seasons 5 to 11), the Observatoire aims to open up a space for dialogue between artisans and the next generation of filmmakers. Founded in 2007 by André Gaudreault and Denis Héroux, the Observatoire du cinéma au Québec was officially launched in February 2010. The team now consists of André Gaudreault (director), Thomas Carrier-Lafleur (assistant director) and Joël Lehmann (consultant), as well as students working on coordination, recording and editing.
In a few words, the Observatory is :
- a bridge between Quebec's film industry and university film studies;
- a laboratory to reflect on the work of film production and distribution;
- an ideal environment for the study of cinema as an artistic expression of Quebec culture;
- a place dedicated to understanding the changes affecting cinema in the light of new technologies;
- a tool for deepening understanding of the role of cinema in our society;
- a meeting and exchange point for the various Quebec universities offering university programs in cinema.
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“Support for the OCQ Is Support for Quebec Cinema”
Article in UdeM Nouvelles : "Trésors oubliés: redécouvrir la collection de films 16 mm de l'Université de Montréal"
Spotlight on Educational Cinema at the Université de Montréal
Portrait: The cinema of Nour Ouayda, between Dérive and Surgissements
29/03/2023 - Grande conférence du partenariat cinEXmedia (english only) - Vittorio Gallese: "Being Moved. The Embodiment of Moving Images"
Activities description
On fourteen tuesdays a year, staff, doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows from the Université de Montréal's Département d'histoire de l'art, de cinéma et des médias audiovisuels welcome guests from the film world to discuss a work or excerpts of works. These events encourage an exchange between research and creation, bringing together analysis and practice. The three possible formulas for the Mardis de l'OCQ are as follows:
- Movie club: The artist is invited to take a critical look at one or more works (complete or partial) that inspire him or her, and which are not necessarily from his or her portfolio. The artist, presenter and student audience are invited to discuss these works. Recommended types of work: television series, film, multimedia creation, video installation, etc.
- Master class: The artist comes to talk about his craft. He may present extracts from projects he has worked on or that inspire him. In order to distinguish the Master Class session from the Movie club session, and to enable a sustained exchange with the artist, the screening of a feature-length film is not recommended.
- NFB screening: The artist presents a work by the National Film Board in which he played an active role. A discussion follows with students and the animator.
In November 2020, a virtual formula was adopted for each of our activities due to the circumstances of the pandemic. The Mardis de l'OCQ, known as the Classes de maître OCQ sur Zoom, were held online until governmental and institutional health measures made it possible to organize face-to-face events.
Through the Zoom platform, artists are invited to talk about their craft. They can present extracts from projects on which they have worked or which inspire them. An exchange between the public and the artist follows.
In 2020, for the first time since its creation, the OCQ organized meetings with artists from Quebec's audiovisual production community outside the Université de Montréal, to reach CEGEP audiences. These sessions are part of the project Au rythme de nos écrans : études cinématographiques, éducation aux médias et recherches intersectorielles en contexte québécois funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), under the direction of André Gaudreault and Santiago Hidalgo, professors in the Université de Montréal's Département d'histoire de l'art, de cinéma et des médias audiovisuels, and the Université de Montréal's Faculté des arts et des sciences (FAS).
During the hour-and-a-half sessions of this movie club, where films or excerpts are screened, ranging from television programs to immersive experiences, a discussion is opened with the spectators present to analyze these cinematographic works, react to the issues inherent in their intermediality and thus explore the multiple facets of film on art. These sessions can be found on the OCQ's YouTube channel.
Hosting
The Ciné-club des films sur l'art de l'OCQ is hosted by Marie-Odile Demay, PhD in art history and film studies, and international producer and distributor of art films since 2005.
After heading the international distribution division of Équipe Spectra (2005 - 2008), in 2008 she founded MODemay Entertainment, which specializes in the production and distribution of quality television programs and films with an international reach. She also acts as executive producer, overseeing the financial arrangements for a dozen projects with national and international television networks, the latest of which, Dreaming of a Jewish Christmas (2018), was nominated for an International Emmy Award and won a Canadian Screen award. In 2017, she produced and co-directed the documentary La Mission de Kent Nagano for ARTE, Radio-Canada and CBC. In 2017 and 2018, she is in charge of EFFECTS MTL's visual effects and animation conference programming. She sits on art film selection committees (FIFA), boards of directors dedicated to the dissemination of the performing arts (IMZ, Vienna) and juries (Master of Art Festival, Sofia, Bulgaria) dedicated to the dissemination of art and culture around the world. In 2001, Marie-Odile Demay co-founded Trigone Animation, an organization specializing in the creation and implementation of social marketing campaigns, including the provincial awareness campaign Solidaires face à l'itinérance (2003) starring Marc Favreau and his character, Sol.
In 2018, she began a PhD in art history focusing on the art tele-series, a specific mediation of art with a mass audience. Since then, she has been the instigator, programmer and moderator of the OCQ ciné-club des films sur l'art. She writes and edits the encyclopedic TECHNÈS course on opera outside film.
Au cœur du cinéma québécois is a course offered by the Université de Montréal and given by professor, screenwriter and director Isabelle Raynauld. In front of a class of students, she talks to local film-makers. Her teaching is filmed at the Carrefour des arts et des sciences of the Université de Montréal and broadcast on the Savoir Média channel and web platform. This production provides an opportunity to learn more about the artists' backgrounds and their craft, as well as offering some sound advice to those wishing to work in the industry.
Episodes from seasons 10 and 11 are available on the Savoir Média channel website; episodes from previous seasons are available for on-site viewing at the Bibliothèques des lettres et des sciences humaines de l'Université de Montréal.
Camera lucida is the first OCQ podcast hosted by Charlotte Dronier, doctoral student in film studies at Université de Montréal and assistant scientific coordinator for cross-sector projects at Laboratoire CinéMédias. By inviting university researchers and professionals from Quebec's cultural milieu to join her, the aim is to explore together, in thematic episodes, the major issues that run through and shape eclectic conceptions of cinema. This cross-disciplinary approach gives Camera lucida a unifying impetus, combining research and creation. The aim is to bring to light the richness of contemporary Quebec cinema through scientific popularization and theoretical and practical reflection.
Hosting
From 2007 to 2015, Charlotte Dronier worked with cultural institutions, festivals, galleries and artists in France as an editor, mediator and communications officer. A doctoral student at the Université de Montréal since January 2016, she is also assistant scientific coordinator for cross-sector projects at the Laboratoire CinéMédias. At the same time, she taught "Currents in Contemporary Cinema" as a lecturer in the Département d'histoire de l'art, de cinéma et des médias audiovisuels. She currently conceives, produces and hosts the Camera lucida podcast as part of the Observatoire du Cinéma au Québec. Her thesis, funded by the FRQSC and co-directed by André Gaudreault and Richard Bégin, examines the aura and presence effects of a dancing body on screen in the digital age. His chapter "For an Archeology of the Digital: An Interview with the Authors" was published in 2020 as part of the revised and expanded second edition of The Kinematic Turn. Film in the Digital Era and its Ten Problems, co-written by André Gaudreault and Philippe Marion and published by Éditions Caboose (Montreal). His second field of interest is cinema's approach to landscape and ecological issues.
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The Observatoire du cinéma au Québec depends on the generosity of its donors. To support the OCQ, simply visit the 2024-2025 philanthropy campaign web site.
For more informations:
Elodie Marteau
Annual Campaign Manager
Contact
Phone number: 514 343‑7858
Email address: observatoirecinemaquebec@histart.umontreal.ca
Mailing address:
Observatoire du cinéma au Québec
Université de Montréal
Pavillon Lionel-Groulx, Département d’histoire de l’art et d’études cinématographiques
C. P. 6128, succursale Centre-ville
Montréal (Québec) H3C 3J7
CANADA
Civic address:
Observatoire du cinéma au Québec
3150, rue Jean-Brillant
Local C‑2110 (Pavillon Lionel-Groulx)
Université de Montréal
Département d’histoire de l’art et d’études cinématographiques
Université de Montréal