Our Mission
Ethnographic cinema is a well-known discipline within academia, especially among anthropologists… But it is often regarded by outsiders as an obscur, unapproachable and elitist art. For 16 years, we have been driven by one mission: democratising visual anthropology and documentary film through an eclectic, yet accessible selection of films. Part of our mission is also to make most of our screenings entirely free of charge.
We want films to be objects of discussion. As much as possible, we encourage Q&As with filmmakers and social scientists. While our programming is extremely diverse, we are committed to a particular focus on Indigenous, Canadian, Quebecois and non-western productions.
FIFEQ IN 4 KEY DATES
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2003
CREATION OF THE FESTIVAL
It all started in 2003, when a group of students and professors in anthropology decided to create a festival of ethnographic films – the first of its kind in Canada. At first, the Festival is called FFEM: Festival of Film Ethnographic of Montreal.
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2005
THE FESTIVAL BECOMES MORE AND MORE FAMOUS
A few years later, the FFEM spreads to two other universities in Montreal with anthropology departments: McGill University and Concordia University. It becomes the FIFEM: Ethnographic Film Inter-University Festival of Montreal.
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2007
FIFEM BECOMES FIFEQ
Quickly, in Montréal, Québec, and on the international stage, the festival’s popularity increases. The Laval University joins the team, FIFEM becomes FIFEQ!
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2018
FIFEQ MOVES BEYOND THE ACADEMIC WORLD
For the first time in the festival’s life, non-student volunteers join the coordination team. FIFEQ truly moves beyond the academic world to reach the general public. The festival settles in Montreal theatres, galleries, museums and a diversity of sometimes unexpected venues… reaching a more and more diverse audience.
Since 2003
movies
spectators
volunteers
Our Project
Our goal: Becoming Canada’s #1 platform for ethnographic cinema. We encourage bold and unique works, with an emphasis of reflexive approaches: stories questioning themselves and ethnographers / filmmakers questioning their pointof view.
Providing as much space as possible for indigenous stories and productions, in Canada and abroad, we focus on films that go beyond the limits of colonialist and essentialist anthropology. We love films that observe proximate realities, sometimes even mundane ones, allowing to observe and question our own environments.
A TEAM OF COMMITTED VOLUNTEERS
FIFEQ is a completely volunteer-based, horizontal and democratic organization. Our volunteers come from diverse areas, from anthropology and art history to bioinformatics and international development. This diversity of profiles is a key asset to the diversity of our programming and the originality of our festival.
Danielle Kouhio Depri
General coordination and programming
Gaëlle Lechevallier
Programming and Sponsorship
Raphaël Poujol
Copy manager
Lily-Cannelle Mathieu
Programming and communications
Julie Romagon
Funding and communications
We would also like to acknowledge the contributions of Jérémy, Camille, Simon, Solène, Antonia, Daniel, Laeticia, Roxanne, Emmanuel, Hanine, Myriam, Paul et Olivia for the 20/21 edition.
MARCH 29, 2019
Le cinéma ethnographique sort des universités
« Le festival est en transition, explique Asmâa Hadji, coordonnatrice de l’événement. À l’origine dans les universités, on a voulu le sortir du milieu universitaire en organisant des projections à l’extérieur des institutions. »
APRIL 11, 2018
Ethnographic filmmaking shines at FIFEQ
“We’ve always tried to make it accessible to the public,” Seo said. “Our goal is just to share these films, we don’t have a judging panel or awards or prizes, we just want to share.”
MARCH 28, 2018
FIFEQ 2018:
Voix de femmes
Au programme: une série de documentaires dont un volet consacré aux femmes réalisatrices autochtones qui ont choisi le vecteur cinématographique pour exprimer toutes les facettes de leur identité.