Montreal fall fests find friendly faces frolicking

As the warm season draws to a close, the happiness that comes along with it seems to fade faster than that summer glow you worked so hard to achieve. Living in a colourful and diverse city such as Montreal, there is truly no need to worry as summer is not the only time to enjoy what the urban centre has to offer. These fall festivals prove that when the temperatures begin to drop, the heat radiating from the city doesn’t have to stop.

Press photo by Chloe Laetitia Thomas.

Until Sept. 2, the Montreal World Film Festival will be presenting films from all over the world to foster cultural understanding and promote innovative works. The festival has student films, emerging artists and even a number of categories that attendees can vote for. A great part of the festival is the Movies Under the Stars programming which presents free movies during each night of the festival in the Esplanade de la Place des Arts.

The third edition of OUMF (Festival d’Art Émergant) takes over the streets of the Quartier Latin from Sept. 4 to 7. The festival focuses on design and visual arts, literature, cinema, knowledge and music. These five components will be available to experience both on the street and at various venues. The events range from a dance battle Friday night called “Danse ton age” to a deathcore show at Café Chaos on Friday night whereas Saturday you can check out a DJ show by Radio Radio or play some free board games at Chez Geeks.

Art Tattoo Montreal takes place this year from Sept. 6 to 8. Not only will this festival have beautiful art to admire but tattoo artists from Canada, the United States and Europe will be available for appointments if you reserve your spot early. Whether you are headed to the festival to satisfy your curiosity or you’re craving a new piece for your sleeve, there will be seminars, burlesque dancing, live drawing, vendors and other activities going on throughout the weekend to add to the experience.

Photo by LP Maurice

There’s still time to put together a quick costume for Montreal’s Comic Con which will be bringing panels, workshops, and tons of merchandise to the city from Sept. 13 to 15. The costumes alone are enough reason to want to explore but come ready to get pictures or signatures from one of the many special guests in attendance, such as Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith, Laurie Holden and Michael Rooker as well as some professional wrestlers and Lou Ferrigno.

Another movie-fest to look forward to later in September is the Montreal International Black Film Festival. Starting on Sept. 18, it aims to diversify the types of films shown in Canada, showcase independent films and provide a fresh look at black cinema from around the world. This year, the festival pays tribute to Danny Glover with its Humanitarian Award during the opening night ceremony followed by a screening of Chasing Shakespeare by Norry Niven.

Later in September, POP Montreal will return for its 12th edition. The festival will last five days starting on Sept. 25. It will showcase visual arts, musical performances, fashion shows and, undoubtedly, some great parties. With hundreds of musical guests, there will be something for everybody so get a head start looking around the website to see which shows you need to mark down on your calendar. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Portugal. The Man and Local Natives are just a few of the names that are sure to draw some big crowds.

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