A still from the film "Montreal, My Beautiful," directed by Montreal-based filmmaker Xiaodan He, is seen in this undated handout image. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout - Windsor International Film Festival (Mandatory Credit)
October 26, 2025 - 10:25 AM
WINDSOR — "Montreal, My Beautiful" has grabbed the Windsor International Film Festival's prize in Canadian Film.
The film directed by Montreal-based filmmaker Xiaodan He was among 10 Canadian films vying for WIFF's top award.
The film stars Joan Chen as a 53-year-old Chinese immigrant and devoted mother living in Montreal who embarks on an affair with a Quebec woman, played by Charlotte Aubin, confronting questions about self-discovery, identity and the cost of liberation.
The southwestern Ontario film festival says in a statement the winner was selected by a jury of industry experts who found the film told "a love story that feels both timeless and new — one that resists familiar tropes in its portrayals of race, gender, and the immigrant experience."
The drama was announced as the winner of the coveted prize at a private reception on Sunday and He will receive a $25,000 cash prize.
The festival runs from Oct. 23 to Nov. 2.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 26, 2025.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2025