In its 52nd year, the Festival du Nouveau Cinéma is still finding new ways to push boundaries and make people think, says Temps 0 programmer Julien Fonfrède.

The Montreal film festival has long sought out the rising stars of independent film. Back when they were getting started, directors like Jim Jarmusch, Wim Wenders, and Werner Herzog held some of their first North American screenings at the festival, Fonfrède says.

It's this indie spirit that brings directors like Bertrand Bonello and Catherine Breillat, who have made a career out of audacious independent filmmaking. This year, Bonello is getting a career retrospective showcase, and both directors will be teaching filmmaking masterclasses.

It's also what attracts audiences, who are introduced to films they might not otherwise get to see — especially the kinds of titles Fonfrède chooses for Temps 0, a showcase of genre films.

"Sometimes, it's films that you've never heard about. But as soon as they start being shown, people talk about them."

Outside of Temps 0, he's excited about films like Le Règne animal, a kind of "eco-conscious ... X-men" that will close out the festival. "It's a beautiful film," but one that also addresses big issues, like our relationship to the natural world, he says.

"That's the purpose of cinema these days... For me, the great question is what kind of film can you do in 2023? What's the purpose of cinema? You know, the world is what it is."

"I'm very happy to see cinema definitely up to the task to change people's minds."

The Festival du Nouveau Cinéma runs from Oct. 4-15.

Listen to the interview below: