Anne Michaud

After the late-night horror of Fantasia, Montrealers will gladly find a more mainstream selection of movies at the 31st World Film Festival of Montreal.

From its inception, this internationally recognized festival has opted for a more commercial approach, honouring actors and filmmakers in mainstream films—take, for example, Sandra Bullock’s controversial win of the Excellence Award in 1998. This year’s Grand Prix Spécial des Amériques will be given to John Voight for his exceptional career on the big screen.

Many films critics criticized the festival’s commercial approach, and after a highly publicized battle with the media, Spectra’s Montreal Film Festival appeared in 2006. Plagued by low attendance and celebrity snubs, the short-lived festival’s demise now shines the spotlight twice as brightly on the WWF.