Félix Brassard’s film L’écrivain (The Writer) follows Pierre (Josian Neveu), a TV writer with an unusual, secretive nightly routine. Each evening, he locks himself in a room—and no one knows why. Not even his boss Gilbert (Marco Giguère), who’s recently started dropping by more often to figure out why Pierre is frequently slow to deliver.
I won’t spoil the outcome—mainly because the film is so simple that even a small reveal might give too much away. The poster even says too much. When the dynamic is clear, it’s easy to know how this tale will end. Here, Pierre is our reclusive protagonist, and Gilbert is the pushy antagonist. Watching Neveu and Giguère interact feels like fire meeting water. The twist isn’t exactly shocking, but that’s not the point. This short feels like a proof of concept—a sketch hinting at something bigger. I wouldn’t be surprised if Brassard is laying the groundwork for a feature. It reads as a personal take on genre cinema.
That makes sense if you’re familiar with Brassard’s 2019 documentary L’inquiétante Absence, which explores Quebec’s underappreciated genre film scene. Though I haven’t seen it yet, it reportedly delves into the cultural and institutional barriers that keep horror, sci-fi, and fantasy films from truly thriving in the province—despite a passionate fan base and abundant talent. Featuring big names like David Cronenberg, Robin Aubert, and Fantasia Festival organizers, Brassard clearly knows this terrain.
With the complete list of films and shorts fully announced, the 2025 edition of 
It’s Easter in Bushwick, Brooklyn, and a different resurrection is at hand. Dre (LOVE LIES BLEEDING breakout Katy O’Brian) is putting on a warehouse drag show, trying to deal with her lead performer’s last-minute cancellation, among other problems. One that she never could have imagined is a zombie apocalypse breaking out in her neighbourhood, which besieges her and her team while her wife Lizzy (Riki Lindhome, THE WOLF OF SNOW HOLLOW), a nurse at a local hospital, tries to dodge the flesh-eating hordes and get across town to Dre. As the trapped party crew deal with various interpersonal issues—most notably the sudden return of Sam, a.k.a. Samoncé (Jaquel Spivey, MEAN GIRLS), some time after abandoning Dre and her show at a crucial moment—they’re forced to resolve their differences and band together and survive.
Montreal City’s 
Sun July 28, 2024
Playing at select cinemas.
By Ed Sum 
By Ed Sum