Maidy Teitelbaum


Maidy Teitelbaum is the president and founder of Cinemania Film Festival.
Passionate about cinema, Maidy Teitelbaum was inspired to launch CINEMANIA after attending the weeklong Sarasota French Film Festival. She created the Cinemania Film Festival in 1995 with support from the private sector. The 1st edition of CINEMANIA consisted of 5 days of screenings at the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts.
In 2006, 11 years after its creation, CINEMANIA had attracted so many loyal followers that the Festival was obliged to change venues to the Imperial Cinema in Montréal’s Quartier des Spectacles.

Cinemania Film Festival

film festival showcases premieres of quality French-language films, offering audiences the opportunity to meet distinguished filmmakers and talented actors.
Today’s dynamic CINEMANIA has broadened in scope to an 11-day Festival presenting nearly 50 film premieres over 70 screenings. In 2017, a record number of 29,000 attendees and around 90 sponsors and collaborators partnered with the Festival. Each new edition provides a fresh perspective, quality films discovered by programmers at the Cannes Film Festival and other prestigious international film fests. CINEMANIA is an important event in Montréal’s cultural calendar, enjoying a great reputation with artists and film industry professionals in Québec as well as being held in high regard in Francophone countries.

Ordre des Arts et des Lettres de la République française

In 2006, Teitelbaum was made a Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres of France in recognition of her contribution to French culture.
In 2017, she was awarded the distinction of Officier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres de la République Française. The ceremony was presided over by Mme Laurence Haguenauer, consule générale de France à Québec, in the presence of many of Montréal’s cultural personalities as well as Festival collaborators and partners.

Médaille Beaumarchais

On June 16, 2008, Teitelbaum received the Médaille Beaumarchais awarded by the SACD of France. This medal is awarded each year to those whose work supports artistic creation and copyright issues.
The filmmaker Bertrand Tavernier, attended Cinemania in 2007. Jacques Fansten, President of the SACD, said: "thanks to Bertrand Tavernier, we know all about the remarkable work you have achieved through the creation of this festival. We also know that you have managed to touch a very wide audience and this is a beautiful gift to our films."