PASSEPORT ILLIMITÉ/UNLIMITED PASSPORT FESTIVAL DU FILM DE KNOWLTON
du 18 au 26 août / August 18 to 26, 2023

Knowlton Film Festival

Passport giving access to the entire program (including films screened at the Thirsty Boot), to the opening night and to the networking cocktail with the finalists of the short film competition and members of the jury.

LE COYOTE
de/by KATHERINE JERKOVIC

Friday August 25, 2023 at 17:30

Knowlton Film Festival

Canada (2022). 89 min.
Followed by a Q&A with actor Jorge Martinez Colorado.

A chef in his heyday, Camilo is now a worn-out 50-year-old working for a cleaning company. The past of this solitary immigrant to Montreal reveals a personal failure. But Camilo wants to get back on his feet, and the opportunity to rediscover his culinary passion finally presents itself: a former colleague gives him a chance at a cozy restaurant in Baie-Comeau. Everything is in place for this new beginning when Camilo receives a visit from his daughter Tania, with whom he had cut ties due to his drug addiction. Tania informs him that he is a grandfather, and asks him to take the child into his care while she undergoes yet another detox. The arrival of this grandson upsets Camilo's plans: there will be a new beginning for him, but not the one he imagined.

Bruno Coppens
Loverbooké

Friday October 13, 2023 at 20:00

Regular programming

A little over 20 years after his first successful appearance at the Rideau event and his show Ma déclaration d'humour - which toured Quebec and delighted thousands of spectators here - Belgian comedian Bruno Coppens returns with his latest one-man show: Loverbooké, in which he gives his body to the audience to re-enchant the world!

The story of a man who sacrifices his life for the love of his neighbor... and the next one!
Shaken up by his planet in a shabby earth phase, our juggler of words comes to the bedside of an audience to be consoled without moderation to give him the viral impulse: our failures are successes that ignore themselves!
As man does not descend from the wise man, he will go back in time to find the flaw, that moment in history when everything went wrong!

Created in Brussels and at the Avignon Festival, Loverbooké has already played more than 150 dates in Belgium, France and Switzerland and is now coming to Quebec! A crazy show that uses irony, verbal and visual fantasy, absurdity and bad faith!

LOUIS RIEL: A Comic-Strip Stage Play

Saturday October 14, 2023 at 19:00

Regular programming

Adapted and directed by Zach Fraser

Infinithéâtre brings audiences a live-action puppet version of Chester Brown's seminal work, Louis Riel : A Comic-Strip Biography. A salute to Brown's artistry, the puppets are right off the page – eerily naïve but remarkably evocative. This epic tale steams through early Canadian history, revealing a rugged and treacherous landscape both in life and politics. In this intrepid and irreverent look at some of our nation's founders, Louis Riel : A Comic-Strip Stage Play is part adventure story, part history lesson, and a completely fascinating theatrical event.

UMBERTO ECO: LA BIBLIOTECA DEL MONDO
de/by Davide Ferrario

Wednesday October 18, 2023 at 19:00

Regular programming

Italy, 2022. 80 min.
by Davide Ferrario

A documentary immersion into all things Eco, Davide Ferrario's film takes us on a tour of Umberto Eco's private library, guided by the author himself. Combining new footage with material he shot with Eco in 2015 for a video installation for the Venice Biennale, Ferrario documents this incredible collection and the man who amassed it. As Eco leads us among the more than 50,000 volumes, we also gain insight into the library of the mind of this vastly prolific and original thinker.

Harry Manx

Thursday October 19, 2023 at 20:00

Regular programming

Internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter Harry Manx blends classical Indian music with southern American Blues. In the mid-1980s, captivated by Indian music, he began a five-year apprenticeship with Rajasthani master Vishwa Mohan Bhatt. He learned to play the famous Mohan Veena, a guitar/sitar, which became his favourite instrument. The artist is thus described as the “essential link” between Eastern and Western music, creating musical stories that combine the blues tradition with the depth of classical Indian raga under the name “Mysticssippi.” With a rich discography, Harry Manx has toured extensively throughout the world. His reputation on stage opens the doors of prestigious international festivals and blues clubs among the most famous across the planet. A versatile instrumentalist who handles sitar, banjo and harmonica, and lap steel guitar with infectious joy, he transports his audience to the heart of the “Harry Zone.”

HABANA CAFÉ
MI CAMINO

Friday October 27, 2023 at 20:00

Regular programming

Habana Café is an original Cuban music group. Habana Café is the marriage between Cuba and Quebec, traditional and modern, French and Spanish. Juliàn Gutierrez and the musicians from Cuba, the Eastern Townships, Montreal, Quebec City and the Bois-Francs invite you to an evening that will vibrate to the hot rhythms of Havana, but also to modern music. Habana Café is undoubtedly the salsa group of the hour in Quebec. Mi Camino, their second album after Vengo de mi Cuba is a show without borders with high caliber musicians. For an exceptional show and a festive evening, meet the musicians of Habana Café!

MARIO JEAN
RODAGE

Saturday October 28, 2023 at 20:00

Regular programming

7th show in fall 2023

With more than 6 shows to his credit, 1,600 performances delivered in front of more than a million spectators, important roles on television as well as in theater (Je vous écoute, Le Grand Virage, Léo, Les Pays d'en haut, District 31, 30 vies) ... Mario Jean never stops working.

He will be back in better shape than ever to charm his vast audience in fall 2023 with his 7th show, always with the unique and unifying style that we know him for!

MORAN CHANTE FERRÉ

Saturday November 4, 2023 at 20:00

Regular programming

The life of an artist

On July 14, 1993, Léo Ferré passed away. 30 years later, Jeff Moran and Martin Lizotte, in collaboration with Mathieu Ferré, pay tribute to him with great humility, affection and admiration. Five musicians and a singer revisit some of his greatest masterpieces. His legacy is immense. Rarely has the duty to remember been so rich and essential. When nostalgia meets immortality. There is Léo Ferré. Then, there is us to not forget. A refined decor, virtuoso musicians, anecdotes from Mathieu, his son, and a Quebec poet/singer to put the words of the great Léo into your literary minds, heart and soul.

To be discovered or rediscovered!

Vicki Tansey
SYNCOPATION

Friday November 10, 2023 at 20:00

Regular programming

An Evening of Improvisations - a celebration of entering her 80th year with dancer/artist Vicki Tansey, musicians Michael Hynes, Andre Lafleur & invited guests

GOWAN
Ominous Spiritus

Thursday November 16, 2023 at 20:00

Regular programming

Legendary songwriter and pianist Gowan will return to Quebec in the fall of 2023 as part of the Quebec portion of his Ominous Spiritus tour. Surrounded by his exceptional four-piece band for the first time since 2019, he will present a show that includes classics such as A Criminal Mind, (You're a) Strange Animal, Cosmetics, All The Lovers In The World, Dancing On My Own Ground and Moonlight Desires as well as selections from his six albums.

Gowan made a major breakthrough in Quebec in 1997 with his version of Harmonium's immortal Pour un instant, which appeared on his album Live au Québec, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2022. A new limited edition of the vinyl is available at the shows.

Born in Glasgow, Scotland and raised in Toronto, Lawrence Gowan had a successful solo career before joining the legendary band Styx in 1999 as keyboardist and one of three lead singers with whom he has recorded five studio albums, three DVD/Blu-Rays and played over 3000 shows. Styx's most recent album Crash Of The Crown, reached #1 on Billboard's Rock chart after its release.

BREL & BARBARA – HÉROS FRAGILES

Saturday November 18, 2023 at 20:00

Regular programming

A sensitive and respectful interpretation of Brel and Barbara

In this unique singing tour, where memories and theatrical scenes are mixed together, Julie Daoust and Renaud Paradis -whom the general public knew from the TV series L'Auberge du chien noir- introduce us through songs to the special relationship that existed between Brel and Barbara. Their sensitive and respectful interpretation pays tribute to their repertoire. A moving evening, full of humor and tenderness, with the great Philippe Noireaut at the piano. This show sheds new light on the little-known friendship between these two giants of French song.

TIRE LE COYOTE
FORMULE INTIME

Thursday December 7, 2023 at 20:00

Regular programming

For a few concerts only, Tire le coyote will be performing with pianist and multi-instrumentalist Jérôme Beaulieu. A rare opportunity to be at the heart of the most beautiful songs of the singer-songwriter.

This duet meeting will give way to Tire le coyote's unique voice, carried by Beaulieu's great talent as an exceptional musician.

JOE BOCAN
JOE BOCAN CHANTE NOËL

Saturday December 16, 2023 at 20:00

Regular programming

Christmas with Joe Bocan

Enchanted by her participation in the show NOËL UNE TRADITION EN CHANSON last December, where she shined and won warm applause from the audience, Joe Bocan proposes an intimate show accompanied by her two musicians for the 2023 holiday season, which she directs herself. Knowing her artistic bent, there's no doubt that this show, with its colorful and playful repertoire, will be original, festive and astonishing, and an opportunity to gather around the Christmas values so cherished by Joe Bocan.

LUCE DUFAULT
Dire combien je t'aime

Saturday February 17, 2024 at 20:00

Regular programming

In the wake of the release of her new album Dire combien je t'aime, Luce Dufault offers a highly-anticipated new show in an intimate setting, showcasing the richness of her talent.

Accompanied by three musicians, her unique voice shines through the highlights of her vast repertoire, as well as songs from her new album.

Luce Dufault is an exceptional artist, and it has been said that she belongs to the major female singers, singers who last, singers on whom musicians and poets can count to see their works transcend.

Luce Dufault on stage: the great rendezvous with the voice of the most beautiful emotions!

CATHERINE MAJOR
CARTE MÈRE

Saturday February 24, 2024 at 20:00

Regular programming

Catherine Major explores new musical territories.

Trading the keys of her piano for those of a computer keyboard, she signs the music, the programming, the arrangements and the production of Carte mère, a patiently elaborated electro-orchestral opus that reveals unsuspected facets of her talent. Catherine Major and her multi-instrumentalist partner Maxime Audet-Halde recreate on stage, in the enveloping luminous space of lighting designer Stéphane Caissy, the entire album Carte mère. A mixture of technical prowess and pure emotion, to be savored with tears in our eyes and with a certain urge to melt into the pieces that lift us up. Through the video, two superb dancers accompany them throughout this show, expect to live a real electro-heart!

LE NOEUD
une pièce de Johnna Adams

Saturday April 6, 2024 at 20:00

Regular programming

With Édith Paquet and Sandra Dumaresq

A new collaboration begins between Productions Martin Leclerc and Écoumène, with a first theatrical production entitled Le Noeud. The play was sold out at Théâtre La Licorne and will be back on the road in spring 2024.

One of the reasons for the play's success is its sensitive, realistic treatment of real issues shaking society today. It illustrates the encounter between the mother of an 11-year-old boy and his teacher. The atmosphere is tense; the former wants to know what drove her son to take his own life, while the latter, shaken and confused, is slow to enlighten her. Despite clashing visions and gnawing guilt, the two women work together to retrace the events and try to understand. What was the source of this child's distress? Was he a victim or an executioner? Their verbal jousting, raw and cruel, is both epic and surprising.

In this closed-door play, playwright Johnna Adams questions the boundaries of freedom of expression. The playwright also examines the delicate relationship between parents and teachers. Translated from the American by Maryse Warda and directed by Guillermina Kerwin.

EMILIE CLEPPER

Thursday May 30, 2024 at 20:00

Regular programming

Emilie Clepper will release in September an album composed entirely by her father, Russell Clepper, who passed on his passion for music. As a child, Emilie had the privilege of falling asleep to his songs and by the age of 11, she began playing guitar and singing. She has been dreaming of paying tribute to her greatest musical influence ever since.

In this show, the Texas rhythms will enchant the two-step and country dance enthusiasts. An evening of Americana music that will make Quebecers rediscover the genre through its authenticity and roots.

Bruno Coppens
Loverbooké

Friday October 13, 2023 at 20:00

Regular programming

A little over 20 years after his first successful appearance at the Rideau event and his show Ma déclaration d'humour - which toured Quebec and delighted thousands of spectators here - Belgian comedian Bruno Coppens returns with his latest one-man show: Loverbooké, in which he gives his body to the audience to re-enchant the world!

The story of a man who sacrifices his life for the love of his neighbor... and the next one!
Shaken up by his planet in a shabby earth phase, our juggler of words comes to the bedside of an audience to be consoled without moderation to give him the viral impulse: our failures are successes that ignore themselves!
As man does not descend from the wise man, he will go back in time to find the flaw, that moment in history when everything went wrong!

Created in Brussels and at the Avignon Festival, Loverbooké has already played more than 150 dates in Belgium, France and Switzerland and is now coming to Quebec! A crazy show that uses irony, verbal and visual fantasy, absurdity and bad faith!

LOUIS RIEL: A Comic-Strip Stage Play

Saturday October 14, 2023 at 19:00

Regular programming

Adapted and directed by Zach Fraser

Infinithéâtre brings audiences a live-action puppet version of Chester Brown's seminal work, Louis Riel : A Comic-Strip Biography. A salute to Brown's artistry, the puppets are right off the page – eerily naïve but remarkably evocative. This epic tale steams through early Canadian history, revealing a rugged and treacherous landscape both in life and politics. In this intrepid and irreverent look at some of our nation's founders, Louis Riel : A Comic-Strip Stage Play is part adventure story, part history lesson, and a completely fascinating theatrical event.

UMBERTO ECO: LA BIBLIOTECA DEL MONDO
de/by Davide Ferrario

Wednesday October 18, 2023 at 19:00

Regular programming

Italy, 2022. 80 min.
by Davide Ferrario

A documentary immersion into all things Eco, Davide Ferrario's film takes us on a tour of Umberto Eco's private library, guided by the author himself. Combining new footage with material he shot with Eco in 2015 for a video installation for the Venice Biennale, Ferrario documents this incredible collection and the man who amassed it. As Eco leads us among the more than 50,000 volumes, we also gain insight into the library of the mind of this vastly prolific and original thinker.

Harry Manx

Thursday October 19, 2023 at 20:00

Regular programming

Internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter Harry Manx blends classical Indian music with southern American Blues. In the mid-1980s, captivated by Indian music, he began a five-year apprenticeship with Rajasthani master Vishwa Mohan Bhatt. He learned to play the famous Mohan Veena, a guitar/sitar, which became his favourite instrument. The artist is thus described as the “essential link” between Eastern and Western music, creating musical stories that combine the blues tradition with the depth of classical Indian raga under the name “Mysticssippi.” With a rich discography, Harry Manx has toured extensively throughout the world. His reputation on stage opens the doors of prestigious international festivals and blues clubs among the most famous across the planet. A versatile instrumentalist who handles sitar, banjo and harmonica, and lap steel guitar with infectious joy, he transports his audience to the heart of the “Harry Zone.”

HABANA CAFÉ
MI CAMINO

Friday October 27, 2023 at 20:00

Regular programming

Habana Café is an original Cuban music group. Habana Café is the marriage between Cuba and Quebec, traditional and modern, French and Spanish. Juliàn Gutierrez and the musicians from Cuba, the Eastern Townships, Montreal, Quebec City and the Bois-Francs invite you to an evening that will vibrate to the hot rhythms of Havana, but also to modern music. Habana Café is undoubtedly the salsa group of the hour in Quebec. Mi Camino, their second album after Vengo de mi Cuba is a show without borders with high caliber musicians. For an exceptional show and a festive evening, meet the musicians of Habana Café!

MARIO JEAN
RODAGE

Saturday October 28, 2023 at 20:00

Regular programming

7th show in fall 2023

With more than 6 shows to his credit, 1,600 performances delivered in front of more than a million spectators, important roles on television as well as in theater (Je vous écoute, Le Grand Virage, Léo, Les Pays d'en haut, District 31, 30 vies) ... Mario Jean never stops working.

He will be back in better shape than ever to charm his vast audience in fall 2023 with his 7th show, always with the unique and unifying style that we know him for!

MORAN CHANTE FERRÉ

Saturday November 4, 2023 at 20:00

Regular programming

The life of an artist

On July 14, 1993, Léo Ferré passed away. 30 years later, Jeff Moran and Martin Lizotte, in collaboration with Mathieu Ferré, pay tribute to him with great humility, affection and admiration. Five musicians and a singer revisit some of his greatest masterpieces. His legacy is immense. Rarely has the duty to remember been so rich and essential. When nostalgia meets immortality. There is Léo Ferré. Then, there is us to not forget. A refined decor, virtuoso musicians, anecdotes from Mathieu, his son, and a Quebec poet/singer to put the words of the great Léo into your literary minds, heart and soul.

To be discovered or rediscovered!

Vicki Tansey
SYNCOPATION

Friday November 10, 2023 at 20:00

Regular programming

An Evening of Improvisations - a celebration of entering her 80th year with dancer/artist Vicki Tansey, musicians Michael Hynes, Andre Lafleur & invited guests

GOWAN
Ominous Spiritus

Thursday November 16, 2023 at 20:00

Regular programming

Legendary songwriter and pianist Gowan will return to Quebec in the fall of 2023 as part of the Quebec portion of his Ominous Spiritus tour. Surrounded by his exceptional four-piece band for the first time since 2019, he will present a show that includes classics such as A Criminal Mind, (You're a) Strange Animal, Cosmetics, All The Lovers In The World, Dancing On My Own Ground and Moonlight Desires as well as selections from his six albums.

Gowan made a major breakthrough in Quebec in 1997 with his version of Harmonium's immortal Pour un instant, which appeared on his album Live au Québec, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2022. A new limited edition of the vinyl is available at the shows.

Born in Glasgow, Scotland and raised in Toronto, Lawrence Gowan had a successful solo career before joining the legendary band Styx in 1999 as keyboardist and one of three lead singers with whom he has recorded five studio albums, three DVD/Blu-Rays and played over 3000 shows. Styx's most recent album Crash Of The Crown, reached #1 on Billboard's Rock chart after its release.

BREL & BARBARA – HÉROS FRAGILES

Saturday November 18, 2023 at 20:00

Regular programming

A sensitive and respectful interpretation of Brel and Barbara

In this unique singing tour, where memories and theatrical scenes are mixed together, Julie Daoust and Renaud Paradis -whom the general public knew from the TV series L'Auberge du chien noir- introduce us through songs to the special relationship that existed between Brel and Barbara. Their sensitive and respectful interpretation pays tribute to their repertoire. A moving evening, full of humor and tenderness, with the great Philippe Noireaut at the piano. This show sheds new light on the little-known friendship between these two giants of French song.

TIRE LE COYOTE
FORMULE INTIME

Thursday December 7, 2023 at 20:00

Regular programming

For a few concerts only, Tire le coyote will be performing with pianist and multi-instrumentalist Jérôme Beaulieu. A rare opportunity to be at the heart of the most beautiful songs of the singer-songwriter.

This duet meeting will give way to Tire le coyote's unique voice, carried by Beaulieu's great talent as an exceptional musician.

JOE BOCAN
JOE BOCAN CHANTE NOËL

Saturday December 16, 2023 at 20:00

Regular programming

Christmas with Joe Bocan

Enchanted by her participation in the show NOËL UNE TRADITION EN CHANSON last December, where she shined and won warm applause from the audience, Joe Bocan proposes an intimate show accompanied by her two musicians for the 2023 holiday season, which she directs herself. Knowing her artistic bent, there's no doubt that this show, with its colorful and playful repertoire, will be original, festive and astonishing, and an opportunity to gather around the Christmas values so cherished by Joe Bocan.

LUCE DUFAULT
Dire combien je t'aime

Saturday February 17, 2024 at 20:00

Regular programming

In the wake of the release of her new album Dire combien je t'aime, Luce Dufault offers a highly-anticipated new show in an intimate setting, showcasing the richness of her talent.

Accompanied by three musicians, her unique voice shines through the highlights of her vast repertoire, as well as songs from her new album.

Luce Dufault is an exceptional artist, and it has been said that she belongs to the major female singers, singers who last, singers on whom musicians and poets can count to see their works transcend.

Luce Dufault on stage: the great rendezvous with the voice of the most beautiful emotions!

CATHERINE MAJOR
CARTE MÈRE

Saturday February 24, 2024 at 20:00

Regular programming

Catherine Major explores new musical territories.

Trading the keys of her piano for those of a computer keyboard, she signs the music, the programming, the arrangements and the production of Carte mère, a patiently elaborated electro-orchestral opus that reveals unsuspected facets of her talent. Catherine Major and her multi-instrumentalist partner Maxime Audet-Halde recreate on stage, in the enveloping luminous space of lighting designer Stéphane Caissy, the entire album Carte mère. A mixture of technical prowess and pure emotion, to be savored with tears in our eyes and with a certain urge to melt into the pieces that lift us up. Through the video, two superb dancers accompany them throughout this show, expect to live a real electro-heart!

LE NOEUD
une pièce de Johnna Adams

Saturday April 6, 2024 at 20:00

Regular programming

With Édith Paquet and Sandra Dumaresq

A new collaboration begins between Productions Martin Leclerc and Écoumène, with a first theatrical production entitled Le Noeud. The play was sold out at Théâtre La Licorne and will be back on the road in spring 2024.

One of the reasons for the play's success is its sensitive, realistic treatment of real issues shaking society today. It illustrates the encounter between the mother of an 11-year-old boy and his teacher. The atmosphere is tense; the former wants to know what drove her son to take his own life, while the latter, shaken and confused, is slow to enlighten her. Despite clashing visions and gnawing guilt, the two women work together to retrace the events and try to understand. What was the source of this child's distress? Was he a victim or an executioner? Their verbal jousting, raw and cruel, is both epic and surprising.

In this closed-door play, playwright Johnna Adams questions the boundaries of freedom of expression. The playwright also examines the delicate relationship between parents and teachers. Translated from the American by Maryse Warda and directed by Guillermina Kerwin.

EMILIE CLEPPER

Thursday May 30, 2024 at 20:00

Regular programming

Emilie Clepper will release in September an album composed entirely by her father, Russell Clepper, who passed on his passion for music. As a child, Emilie had the privilege of falling asleep to his songs and by the age of 11, she began playing guitar and singing. She has been dreaming of paying tribute to her greatest musical influence ever since.

In this show, the Texas rhythms will enchant the two-step and country dance enthusiasts. An evening of Americana music that will make Quebecers rediscover the genre through its authenticity and roots.

PASSEPORT ILLIMITÉ/UNLIMITED PASSPORT FESTIVAL DU FILM DE KNOWLTON
du 18 au 26 août / August 18 to 26, 2023

Knowlton Film Festival

Passport giving access to the entire program (including films screened at the Thirsty Boot), to the opening night and to the networking cocktail with the finalists of the short film competition and members of the jury.

LE COYOTE
de/by KATHERINE JERKOVIC

Friday August 25, 2023 at 17:30

Knowlton Film Festival

Canada (2022). 89 min.
Followed by a Q&A with actor Jorge Martinez Colorado.

A chef in his heyday, Camilo is now a worn-out 50-year-old working for a cleaning company. The past of this solitary immigrant to Montreal reveals a personal failure. But Camilo wants to get back on his feet, and the opportunity to rediscover his culinary passion finally presents itself: a former colleague gives him a chance at a cozy restaurant in Baie-Comeau. Everything is in place for this new beginning when Camilo receives a visit from his daughter Tania, with whom he had cut ties due to his drug addiction. Tania informs him that he is a grandfather, and asks him to take the child into his care while she undergoes yet another detox. The arrival of this grandson upsets Camilo's plans: there will be a new beginning for him, but not the one he imagined.