The New Montreal FilmFest lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in its first run last summer, and with two other major film festivals ongoing in the city, a merger with the smaller Festival du nouveau cinéma has been rumored for months. But with a self-imposed deadline for the New Fest to retain its primary sponsorship looming, there has been no substantive progress in merger talks, and Festival du nouveau cinéma appears to have little interest in rushing towards a partnership merely to rescue a less successful rival.