Another exciting edition of Zoofest comes to an end!!

A FESTIVAL IN TUNE WITH ITS TIME!

Montreal, August 1, 2011: Summer 2011 has clearly served up a new cultural formula in Montreal – ZOOFEST. This festival has, without a doubt hit the nail on the head in reaching out to a hip, urban audience hooked on quick cultural fixes (60 minute shows).

During the 23 days of festivities, and for the 83 original shows, 365 performances and with over 250 local and international artists, the excitement among festival-goers was palpable. Presented from July 9th until the 31st in 10 venues at the heart of the Quartier des spectacles in collaboration with Télétoon la nuit, Zoofest drew in a crowd of 50,000 this year, a 60% increase when compared to last year’s edition! Zoopass sales more than tripled and ticket sales increased by no less than 78%!

A marked presence on the web The 2011 edition saw the birth of Zoofest.tv: a unique viral promotional platform and a creative haven for Talent. 90 web capsules were broadcasted and viewed more than 100,000 times during the month of July. The organizers of the event are particularly proud of this project, put together in association with participating artists along with 20 UQÀM students, which allowed for the huge buzz on the web during the event. Zoofest.com was also subject to an intense period of activity with close to 275,000 pages viewed and 40,000 unique visitors this summer. Whether it’s on Twitter, Facebook or elsewhere on the Web, artists, fans and media traded opinions, photos and video on a daily basis.

Zoofest media « Coup de cœur »

Composed of award-winning journalists and bloggers, our Jury scoured the venues night after night searching for this edition’s most noteworthy show. Only after an animated debate was the 2011 title handed to François Bellefeuille for his show in the “60 minutes avec….” series. Congratulations François! The Jury also wished to mention Walter : Belge et Méchant et Devenir un gagnant grâce aux clefs du samouraï. Congratulations to the artists for their unforgettable performances, which not only resonnated with Zoofest audiences but also captivated the interest of the media. We thank the members of our jury, who dedicated time and energy to their mission during this intensely busy festival season, for their generosity.

Comedy remains a staple at Zoofest

• The « 60 minutes avec… » series presented by Vidéotron in collaboration with XM Canada under the «Tout Show » banner, has established itself as a pillar of the festival. • In the Télétoon la nuit « Sexy » series, Sèxe Illégal, legendary rock star duo filled their venue all 5 performances in a row with their musical-comedy number. • The Geek show totally struck a chord and attracted a large crowd of “nerds” to the Studio Hydro-Québec du Monument-National.

International artists make their mark

Zoofest confirms its role as a launch platform for international artists who wish to conquer the North American market. • Walter: Belge et Méchant presented within the Télétoon la nuit « International » series hit the mark with its biting humour and elegant delivery. • Such rising stars as Maria Bamford, Ari Shaffir, Russell Howard, Nina Conti, Bill Burr in Cheat Live as well as several graced our venues and sold out their shows.

Theater for a hip, adventurous crowd

Zoofest remains an ideal structure for young playwrights, directors and actors to test out projects of a more experimental nature.

The musical section of the programming was a success

This year Zoofest brought music into the mix, and several bands rocked our venues throughout the festival. In 2011, one could say that Zoofest has found its niche in Montreal’s festival landscape and reached its young, hip and adventurous audience, seeking quick cultural experiences. Zoofest has clearly established itself as a modern festival, turning its youth into an asset, as well as the artists’ accessibility, its affordable prices and extra-ordinary artistic proposals presented in a variety of intimate and friendly venues. As many magical scenic moments that allow us to believe the future holds an even bigger promise for the future of the festival.

Zoofest thanks the government of Quebec and the City of Montreal for their support and trust, essential to the growth of the event, essential to its growth and renewal. The Festival also wishes to take this opportunity to thank Télétoon la nuit for its collaboration, as well as Tourisme Montréal and Festimania for their contribution to the international and local development of our event.