Montreal filmmakers headline list of movies up for the $25,000 WIFF prize

Director Matthew Rankin poses for a photograph in Montreal, ahead of the screening of his latest film, "Ladies and Gentlemen, Brian Mulroney," at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival, on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov)

Montreal-based filmmakers dominate the list of movies nominated for the Windsor International Film Festival’s top prize.

The southwestern Ontario film festival announced 10 nominees for the $25,000 WIFF Prize in Canadian Film on Wednesday.

Six directors who call Montreal home are among the nominees including Geneviève Dulude-De Celles who directed the film “Nina Roza” about a Bulgarian-Canadian art consultant who returns to his homeland to investigate a supposed child prodigy. The movie is Canada’s Oscar submission for best international feature.

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Other Montreal filmmakers include Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette whose biopic “Pauline” is about the late singer-songwriter and activist Pauline Julien; Bachir Bensaddek who directed “You Will Be Free” about a woman dealing with repercussions after escaping an arranged marriage and Rafaël Ouellet, whose film “Haunted” sees a teenager discover her new rural home is haunted by a 19th-century woman.

Also nominated is the surreal documentary “Ladies and Gentlemen, Brian Mulroney” about the rise of the former prime minister from Matthew Rankin, who is from Winnipeg but lives in Montreal and “Ba’s Book” which sees Montreal-based director Ashley Da-Le Duong recreate her father’s memoir in Vietnam in the hybrid documentary.

Two films that highlight transgender experiences are also up for the cash prize. The animated film “Julián” from Irish filmmaker Louise Bagnall is an allegory that follows a young boy who dreams of becoming a mermaid, while “Neverman” directed by Toronto-based Rodrigo Barriuso, is about a transgender activist with Alzheimer’s disease living in a hostile nursing home.

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Two other documentaries made the list including “Run Terry Run,” directed by Hamilton’s Sean Menard, which gives an in-depth look at Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope and Rico King’s exploration of gun violence in Canada, “Nekai Walks.”

WIFF will announce the winner on Nov. 1. The festival runs from Oct. 29 to Nov. 8.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2026.