Originally intended as an annual event, the festival became mired in rivalry with two competing festivals—the Montreal World Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival—such that the New Montreal FilmFest was ultimately held only once.
The founding of the FIFM resulted from a yearlong dispute between the funding agencies SODEC and Telefilm Canada and the organizers of the Montreal World Film Festival (WFF)—Festival des Films du Monde - Montréal (FFM)—in 2004.
[4] These two former sponsors of the FFM/WFF called for proposals for a new film festival and ultimately shifted their funding to the New Montreal FilmFest, which was inaugurated in October 2005.
The involvement of Langlois intended to counter prior criticisms of lack of professionalism in the FFM/WFF (run by Serge Losique) and to merge the FCMM (renamed the FNC in 2004) and the New Montreal FilmFest into one new festival.
[8] The advance negative publicity and its timing and selection of films were criticized widely, resulting in poor ticket sales.