Montreal, Tuesday, October 13, 2026 - The Montreal International Documentary Festival (RIDM) is pleased to present a retrospective dedicated to the filmmaking of Bani Khoshnoudi, a major section of the lineup for its 29th edition. This unique program, spanning the entirety of her career, offers a deeper look into the work of one of the most relevant contemporary documentarians of her generation.
Alongside this announcement, the festival is launching the presale of early-bird passports for its new edition, which will run from November 19 to 29, 2026.
Bani Khoshnoudi: Territories of Memory
Filmmaker, visual artist and archivist Bani Khoshnoudi has been directing documentaries, fiction films and experimental short films for over twenty years, as well as creating installations and performing. Widely recognized on the international scene, her work has been presented at Visions du Réel, Cinéma du réel and the Viennale, as well as Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Serralves Foundation in Porto and the Museo Universitario Arte Contemporáneo in Mexico City. It explores several topics that are significant to our present day, such as exile, displacement, memory, violence, solidarity and the fight for freedom. Her documentaries cover the social and political events of the past two decades in Iran. They paint a sensitive portrait of Iranian society, revealing the tension between the aspirations of a people looking for change and the rigid framework of a regime that imposes restrictions and repression. Partially shot in both France and Mexico, where she lives in exile, her films have a resolutely political bent and evolve through the constant exploration of cinema’s narrative and aesthetic possibilities, all while maintaining a remarkable artistic coherence.
The retrospective will unfold around the feature-length documentaries A People in the Shadows, The Silent Majority Speaks and The Vanishing Point, as well as her feature-length fiction film Luciérnagas. It will also include a short film program including CEM, Sap, El Chinero, un cerro fantasma and Elegy for the Forgotten, on an Endless War. In addition, Bani Khoshnoudi will propose the installation Scaffold, and what time has taught us, present a conference on her cinematic process, and take part in discussions after each screening of her films.
Bani Khoshnoudi will also participate in the Regards croisés project—driven by Cinéma du Musée with the support of the Conseil des arts de Montréal—in which she will engage in a dialogue with filmmaker Miryam Charles and her work.
The retrospective Bani Khoshnoudi: Territories of Memory is made possible with the support of the Consulat général de France à Québec, which is facilitating the presence of the filmmaker in Montreal during the festival.
Presale of RIDM passports
The RIDM early-bird passport, which grants access to all festival screenings, is now available for presale at the special rate of $120, taxes included. For those who also wish to take part in Forum RIDM activities, the RIDM + Forum early-bird passport is available for $270, taxes included. Moreover, it is possible to purchase the RIDM + Forum + Face-à-Face early-bird passport for $460, taxes included.
These offers are available until October 27, inclusive. Afterwards, the price of a regular passport will be $150, or $125, taxes included for both students and people 65 years and older. As for the RIDM + Forum passport, it will be sold at the regular price of $300, while the RIDM + Forum + Face-à-Face pass will be offered at $490, taxes included.
Thecomplete RIDM lineup will be unveiled at an early-evening event at the Cinémathèque québécoise on Wednesday, October 28, and announced online that same day.
About RIDM
Striving to showcase the most stimulating and diverse visions of documentary cinema, the Montreal International Documentary Festival (RIDM) offers audiences a unique program that brings together the works of established filmmakers and promising new talents, while focusing on creating encounters between artists and audiences.
The 29th annual RIDM will take place from November 19 to 29, 2026.
Information:ridm.ca / info@ridm.ca
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Caroline Rompré | pixelleX communications | 514-778-9294 | caroline@pixellex.ca