MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 03/18/15

Quebecor and Elephant: The memory of Quebec cinema are pleased to announce a new event: Elephant ClassiQ, the only festival of its kind in Canada, will screen classic films from around the world on the big screen. Its theme will be les films qui ont fait le cinema (movies that have marked the history of cinema).

The first edition of Elephant ClassiQ was held last year as part of the Montreal Festival du nouveau cinema. This year's edition will be held as a separate event on November 19, 20, 21 and 22, 2015 at three theatres: the Imperial Cinema, Salle Claude-Jutra at the Cinematheque quebecoise and Salle Pierre-Bourgault at UQAM. It will give film buffs an opportunity to experience great films of the past from Quebec and elsewhere.

"Repertory films are a fabulous window on the past," commented Claude Fournier. "They piece together what it means to be human and give us a new take on ourselves. They truly are a kaleidoscope of marvels." Claude Fournier and Marie-Jose Raymond are steering the ambitious event with the help of a dedicated team of film experts.

"Quebecor is proud to help bring our cinema to a wider audience," said Pierre Dion, President and CEO of Quebecor. "For us, Elephant ClassiQ is another way to make restored, digitized films better known and more accessible - not only movies from Quebec's cinematic heritage but classic films from the world over."

The 2015 edition of the festival will feature movies from the French-speaking world. Restored classic films from France, Belgium, Switzerland, Africa and Quebec will be shown with English subtitles. Elephant ClassiQ will also offer master classes and opportunities to meet distinguished film people. The superb films on the program will give young people a chance to discover important works and the not-so-young a chance to relive indelible memories. Elephant ClassiQ is being presented in partnership with Universite du Quebec a Montreal and in cooperation with the Cinematheque quebecoise.

About Elephant: The memory of Quebec cinema

Elephant: The memory of Quebec cinema, launched by Quebecor on November 8, 2008, is a large-scale project dedicated to restoring and digitizing in HD Quebec's heritage of feature films, and making it available as it is digitized. To date, nearly 225 films have been restored and digitized. It is a particular source of pride to Elephant that the films can be viewed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Once they have been restored and digitized, the movies can be accessed via video on demand on Videotron's illico platform, including channel 900, illico mobile and illico.tv. The films are also being gradually added, in the original version with subtitles, to iTunes in Canada, the U.S., France and all other European and African countries where French or English is one of the official languages.

The Elephant website at www.elephant.canoe.ca contains the largest existing database and information bank on Quebec cinema. Also produced under the aegis of Elephant, the book Les images que nous sommes, 60 ans de cinema quebecois by anthropologist Serge Bouchard (Editions de l'Homme) provides an original and incisive history of 60 years of Quebec cinema. It is available in bookstores and in digital format. The digital version, available on iTunes, includes 73 movie excerpts.

Elephant: The memory of Quebec cinema is fully funded by Quebecor. It is a philanthropic enterprise from which Quebecor derives no financial benefit. Aside from a small amount to cover a portion of the platform's operating costs, all revenues from distribution of the movies on illico goes to the rights holders and filmmakers.

Visit our website: www.elephantclassiq.ca

Follow us on Twitter: @elephantcineqc

Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/elephantcineqc

Join the conversation: #elephantclassiq

About Quebecor

Quebecor, a Canadian leader in telecommunications, news media, entertainment and culture, is one of the best-performing integrated communications companies in the industry. Driven by their determination to deliver the best possible customer experience, all of Quebecor's subsidiaries and brands are differentiated by their high-quality, multiplatform, convergent products and services.

Quebecor (TSX:QBR.A)(TSX:QBR.B) is headquartered in Quebec. It holds a 75.36% interest in Quebecor Media, which employs nearly 14,000 people in Canada.

A family business founded in 1950, Quebecor is strongly committed to the community. Every year, it actively supports people working with more than 400 organizations in the vital fields of culture, health, education, the environment and entrepreneurship.

Contacts:
Melanie Mingotaud
Communications MingoTwo
514-582-5272
melanie@mingo2.ca