“The upcoming 27th annual instalment of Montreal’s World Film Festival could be its most interesting yet — but less for what’s on its screens than the circumstances under which it will be occurring. For the first time in its tumultuous history, the festival will be unspooling without its A-list or “category one” status as North America’s only “non-specialized competitive festival.” Moreover, the festival admitted recently that it has yet to pay out $50,000 in prize money to the directors of two films honoured at last year’s festival.”