#FIRSTLOOK: “THE FINAL ACT” TO PREMIERE AT 2026 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

MAISON 4:3 and the Association coopérative des productions audio-visuelles (ACPAV) are pleased to announce that THE FINAL ACT, written and directed by Sophie Deraspe (Shepherds, Antigone), will have its world premiere in the TIFF Docs section at the 51st Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). A two-time winner of TIFF’s Best Canadian Feature Film award – for Antigone in 2019 and Shepherds in 2024 – the acclaimed Quebec filmmaker returns to Toronto with a deeply moving documentary about the end of life.

The Final Act gathers the testimony of people consciously preparing for death – their own, a loved one’s, or a patient’s. Through the goodbyes offered by Stéphane’s loved ones, André’s jokes about doing Sudoku at the end of life, and Céline’s embrace to ease her son’s grief, Deraspe enters her subjects’ most intimate moments and captures scenes of remarkable vitality. As the final breath approaches, it is love and life, in all their complexity, that come most powerfully to the fore.

A member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Sophie Deraspe combines social engagement with bold aesthetics in her filmmaking. Her first feature, Missing Victor Pellerin, was released in 2006 to critical acclaim and screened widely around the world. In 2010, she established herself internationally with Vital Signs, which was nominated for a Tiger Award at Rotterdam. She followed with The Wolves (2015), winner of the FIPRESCI Prize in Torino, and the documentary The Amina Profile, selected for the official competition at Sundance that same year. Deraspe is a two-time recipient of TIFF’s Best Canadian Feature Film award, for Antigone in 2019 – also selected as Canada’s submission for the Academy Awards – and Shepherds in 2024. A Canada-France co-production, Shepherds was released on 347 screens across France before beginning its rollout in several countries.

THE FINAL ACT is produced by François Bonneau and Isabelle Couture for ACPAV, with the financial participation of SODEC and TELEFILM CANADA. The film is distributed in Canada by Maison 4:3 and will open in theatres in the winter of 2027.

About Maison 4:3

Founded in 2014, Maison 4:3 is a boutique film distribution company. It puts its expertise at the service of filmmakers and their films, developing release strategies and supporting each work through the various stages of its distribution. Maison 4:3 champions deeply human projects that are both distinctive and resonant.

About ACPAV

Conceived from the outset as a home for creative freedom, ACPAV has supported auteur cinema since the early 1970s, exploring the sociopolitical realities of its time across every genre. Encompassing both fiction and documentary, ACPAV’s productions have distinguished themselves through their political dimensions and their commitment to reflecting every facet of Quebec culture. ACPAV is proud of its past while remaining firmly focused on the future. Although much has changed in filmmaking over the past fifty years, the values that guide its production team remain essentially the same: a desire to speak honestly and sincerely about the here and now, and to do so in a way that reaches audiences. Together, the ACPAV team is committed to advancing its vision of cinema alongside Quebec, Canadian and international partners, nurturing new talent while ensuring continuity. This gives ACPAV a truly singular place in Quebec’s film landscape.