Every year when spring arrives, the seaside resort of Dieppe welcomes Europe’s largest Canadian Film Festival. Now in its 14th year, the event has established itself as the leading festival for Canadian film enthusiasts and industry professionals alike.
Oh, Canada!
Normandy is home to many famous film festivals, including Deauville’s American Film Festival and Cabourg’s Romantic Film Festival. On the shores of the Alabaster Coast, another event is gaining momentum. Now in its 13th year, Dieppe‘s unique Canadian Film Festival has grown to become the largest event in Europe showcasing short and long features from all of the Canadian provinces. Every year during four days, the event welcomes thousands of spectators and tens of industry professionals who come to enjoy world premieres and a rich programme of events.
The sreenings and masterclasses all take place at the Megarama theatre. Located in the heart of town, a stone’s throw from the train station, this brand-new cinema complex is housed in a beautifully renovated former tobacco factory. An industrial spirit and a lot of modernity truly make it one of the most beautiful cinemas in France.
Around 50 screenings take place every year, complete with masterclasses, meetings and concerts. Seven prizes are awarded by a professional jury and by the public.
Dieppe and Canada
It’s no surprise that the Canadian Film Festival takes place in Dieppe, as the port-town shares very strong links with Canada. These can be traced back to the early 16th century, and culminate with the ill-fated Dieppe Raid on 19 August 1942 and the liberation of the town by Canadian troops on 1st September 1944. Numerous memorials and statues commemorating these events stand on Dieppe’s seafront.
In New Brunswick, there is another town called Dieppe, which received its present name in 1946, in honour of the commemoration of the 913 Canadian soldiers killed in the Dieppe Raid. The majority of its inhabitants are of Acadian descent. Dieppe’s Canadian Film Festival is twinned with the FICFA Film Festival which takes place every November in Dieppe (New Brunswick).
