“The New Montreal FilmFest was touted as a glitzy new film showcase designed to make everyone forget the past few years of controversy that have dogged the rival World Film Festival. But half-way through the inaugural edition of the city’s newest film fest, there are far more glitches than glitz. The event, backed by $2 million in government funding, just lost its highest-profile film, many movies are screening to near-empty theatres, and the fest’s star program director is telling anyone who’ll listen how much he dislikes L’Equipe Spectra, the Montreal company running the festival. In short, it’s hard to imagine how things could be going any worse at the festival.”