Q&A with World Film Festival founder Serge Losique

It was one of those opportunities you dont often get: an impromptu conversation with an elusive, somewhat temperamental public figure.

But Wednesday afternoon when I saw Montreal World Film Festival founderSerge Losique in conversation with a colleague in an otherwise pretty empty room at the festival headquarters, I decided to chance a request for an interview.

• Is the Montreal World Film Festival doomed?

Ive been looking into how well the festival is managing given the loss of $2 million ofpublic funding and the consensus in the industry that the festival had run its course.

Heres a transcript of part of that conversation with the colourful film buff.

Jeanette Kelly: I want to talk about the festival. How do you think its going?

Serge Losique: Very well. I cannot complain. Alot of people, a lot of stars coming now from all over the world. Now today its the biggest star in Japan coming here with a delegation of 40 people, plus four televisions, plus eight biggest newspapers in Japan. The whole country of Japan is right here arriving today so I cannot be more happy than that.

JK: How do you feel about trying to get the money together to try to finance the festival this year?

SL: Oh, dont talk about financing. I dont want to even talk about that, you know. Its going very well. We find every financing and the festival is booming and we stay forever.

JK: But you didnt get money from Telefilm, from SODEC(Socit de dveloppementdes entreprises culturels) or from the city.

SL: (Interrupting)But F--k, the hell with them! So what! Dont talk to me about that. Do you think we only depend on Telefilm or SODEC? That means nothing for us.

JK: Really? It doesnt make life more difficult for you?

SL: No, but any artistic creation is always difficult. If its not difficult there will be no creation. Its like a beautiful woman is standing on the street nobody is interested [in competing for her attention], but if you are fighting for her, thats whats interesting.

JK:Why do you keep fighting?

SL: Im not fighting nobody, but everybody tried to fight us. Dont forget one thing, when you are famous and you have a great festival on five continents and everybody respects that, its very easy to put yourself in the media when you are shooting at the monument. Everyone wants to get a piece of our famous situation and glory.

The Montreal World Film Festival runs from until Sept. 1.