Interview with Philippe Falardeau (French only)
with a screening of My Salinger Year
Wednesday, March 18 / 6:30 pm / Ottawa Art Gallery
Screening 7:45 pm
Photo by Mathilde Audoire.
The International Film Festival of Ottawa (IFFO) is proud to welcome award-winning filmmaker Philippe Falardeau as its 2026 Canadian Masters guest. A visionary French-Canadian writer and director, Falardeau has built an extraordinary career defined by his sharp insight, humanistic storytelling, and international acclaim. On March 18, 2026, at the Ottawa Art Gallery, Falardeau will participate in a one-on-one conversation with CBC Radio’s Vladimir Jean-Gilles about his career, influences, and lasting impact on Canadian cinema.
The interview will be followed by a screening of My Salinger Year with French subtitles. This will be the first time in the history of the screening series that the interview will be conducted entirely in French.
“We are honoured to have Philippe Falardeau as our 2026 Canadian Masters guest artist. A leading figure in his generation of film auteurs from Quebec, Falardeau’s talent and versatility are evident not only in his Quebec-based films, but also, like his contemporary Denis Villeneuve, in his distinguished work in Hollywood,” says IFFO Executive Director, Tom McSorley.
An annual celebration of excellence in Canadian filmmaking, Canadian Masters features extensive onstage interviews and special screenings with some of the greatest names in Canadian filmmaking. Falardeau joins the growing list of artists, including recent guests Clement Virgo (2025), Deepa Mehta (2024), Mina Shum (2023), Denis Coté (2022), and Patricia Rozema (2021).
Hailing from Hull, Quebec, Fardeau first gained attention through the television series La Course destination monde, which launched his journey as a global storyteller. His debut feature, La Moitié gauche du frigo (The Left-Hand Side of the Fridge), earned national praise and international recognition, while Monsieur Lazhar cemented his reputation as one of Canada’s most compelling voices. The film premiered at Locarno, winning major audience awards and earning an Academy Award nomination.
Following this success, Falardeau directed The Good Lie starring Reese Witherspoon, Chuck with Liev Schreiber and Naomi Watts, and My Salinger Year featuring Margaret Qualley and Sigourney Weaver. He is currently developing his next feature, Soccer War.
Tickets for the Canadian Masters interview and screening will be available for $20 through the festival’s box office starting February 12, 2026.
Feature presentation \ My Salinger year
My Salinger year
2020 / 1h 41m minutes / Canada
Director: Philippe Falardeau
Writer: Philippe Falardeau, Joanna Smith Rakoff, Catherine Kidd
Language: English w French Subtitles
In New York City in the late ‘90s, Joanna (Margaret Qualley) is a young aspiring writer who lands a day job at J.D. Salinger’s literary agency. While her eccentric, old-fashioned boss Margaret (Sigourney Weaver) assigns her to answer Salinger’s voluminous fan mail, Joanna struggles to find her own voice.
★★★★ “A PAIR OF KNOCKOUT PERFORMANCES”
-The Times UK
★★★★ "FULL OF CHARM AND INTELLIGENCE"
-The Arts Desk
Festivals
Official selection Berlin International Film Festival
Official selection Vancouver International Film Festival