 "Maelström" premiered at the Montreal World Film Festival on 29 August 2000, before opening the Perspective Canada section in the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2000.The film had its U.S. debut at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2001, where it received a positive audience response.In early 1999, Alliance Atlantis chose to distribute the film in Quebec and internationally, while Odeon Films would release the film in the rest of Canada.