Tuesday, August 27, 2019

COLCOA 2019

23rd Annual COLCOA French Film Festival in Los Angeles
COLCOA 2019 - CITY OF LIGHTS, CITY OF ANGELS




The Franco-American Cultural Fund, a partnership of DGA, MPA, SACEM and WGA West, announced today the program for the 23rd COLCOA FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL that includes World, International, North American, U.S. and Los Angeles premieres.  The festival runs September 23-28 at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles, as part of Awards Season in Hollywood. The festival will open with the U.S. premiere of Ladj Ly’s LES MISÉRABLES on Monday, September 23. COLCOA is delighted to be the inaugural festival event at the newly renovated DGA, as it has been COLCOA’s home for 23 years. This year’s new dates for the festival offer us a unique platform to promote French Films and series in Hollywood at the beginning of Awards Season. COLCOA is considered the largest festival dedicated to French films and series worldwide.  

"This high-profile program includes several films from Cannes and Venice programmed for the first time in the U.S., as well as films presented before their release in France,” stated François Truffart, COLCOA Executive Producer and Artistic Director.  “It shows the faithfulness of distributors, producers and sponsors, who strongly believe that COLCOA has become an established event in Hollywood.”





COLCOA CINEMA
Over 25 films will premiere and compete for the COLCOA Cinema Awards, beginning on Opening Night (Monday, September 23) with Amazon Studios’ LES MISÉRABLES, which won the Jury Prize at the last Cannes Film Festival and the 2019 D’Ornano-Valenti Prize. Victor Hugo’s magnum opus is both lionized and shaken up in Ladj Ly’s sprawling fresco of his native Montfermeil - a collection of housing projects crawling with sleazy cops, small-time hoods, the Muslim Brotherhood, and a ragtag group of kids left to fend for themselves... all jockeying for turf and struggling to forestall the inevitable. Majestic, stirring, gripping and compassionate, with a musical score that is, at once, moving and thrilling, the film follows an upright cop on his first day on the job, as he learns the ropes and struggles to hold onto his principles. It opens with a rousing rendition of La Marseillaise and a joyous eruption of fraternité and concludes with a resounding eleventh-hour alarm and powerful plea to diffuse the tinderbox and somehow resolve all this anger and violence.
The festival showcases both established and exciting new directors. Veteran filmmakers include Academy Award® winner writer/director Costa Gavras’ political thriller, ADULTS IN THE ROOM (North American Premiere); w/d Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne’s drama YOUNG AHMED (North American Premiere); w/d Cédric Klapisch’s new pursuit of love, SOMEONE, SOMEWHERE (North American Premiere); w/d Cédric Kahn’s dysfunctional family portrait, HAPPY BIRTHDAY (North American Premiere), starring Catherine Deneuve; and w/d Nicolas Boukhrief’s thriller based on Pierre Lemaitre’s novel, THREE DAYS AND A LIFE (International Premiere).


Newcomers include w/d Antoine Raimbault’s courtroom drama, CONVICTION (Los Angeles Premiere) and w/d Mikhaël Hers post-traumatic stress disorder drama, AMANDA (Los Angeles Premiere), as well as several films written and directed by women including Andréa Bescond’s autobiographical feature (made with w/d Eric Métayer) about her sexual abuse as a child, LITTLE TICKLES (Los Angeles Premiere); w/d Mounia Meddour’s Algerian civil war drama, PAPICHA (North American Premiere and Algeria’s official entry for the Oscars); w/d Claire Burger’s family drama, REAL LOVE (Los Angeles Premiere), director Fabienne Godet’s powerful drama about recovery, OUR WONDERFUL LIVES (U.S. Premiere); w/d Marie-Sophie Chambon’s debut feature film on  how it feels to be an outsider, STARS BY THE POUND (North American Premiere); and w/d Sarah Suco’s autobiographical film, THE DAZZLED (International Premiere).
In addition to Amazon Studios’ LES MISÉRABLES, COLCOA is working with several U.S. distributors to present films in Hollywood before their U.S. release including Netflix’s anticipated animated film, I LOST MY BODY, by w/d Jérémy Clapin (presented in association with Animation is Film); Strand Releasing’s  ON A MAGICAL NIGHT (North American Premiere) by w/d Christophe Honoré; Roadside Attraction’s CYRANO, MY LOVE (U.S. Premiere), a comedy by w/d Alexis Michalik, based on his hit play, Distrib Films US’s adoption drama IN SAFE HANDS (Los Angeles Premiere) by w/d Jeanne Herry; and Kino Lorber’s THE TROUBLE WITH YOU (Los Angeles Premiere), the new comedy by w/d Pierre Salvadori.
In addition to I LOST MY BODY and five animation shorts, the festival will offer the audience an opportunity to experience the new technology in the DGA’s renovated theater with the Los Angeles Premiere of w/d Hélène Giraud and Thomas Szabo’s animated 3D delight MINUSCULE: MANDIBLES FROM FAR AWAY.


The COLCOA CLASSICS will include an homage to late writer/director Agnès Varda and French composer Michel Legrand with a special presentation of the1962 breakout film, CLEO FROM 5 TO 7 (in association with Rialto Pictures); w/d Jean Renoir’s 1932 digitally-restored drama, TONI (International Premiere), about a real life love triangle that went awry; as well as w/d Jacques Becker’s 1954 digitally-restored mobster film, TOUCHEZ PAS AU GRISBI (Los Angeles Premiere). TONI and TOUCHEZ PAS AU GRISBI are presented in association with Janus Films.
The popular COLCOA High School screening program will run for five days during the festival with the Los Angeles Premiere of the musical coming-of-age tale IN YOUR HANDS w/d by Ludovic Bernard.  More than 3,000 Southern California students and teachers are expected to attend free screenings and conversations, as well as participate in a student film critic contest. This program, celebrating its 12th year, is produced in partnership with ELMA (European Languages and Movies in America), with the support of AATF-SC (American Association of Teachers of French – Southern California). Additionally, master classes will take place at several film schools across the city with the support of the Cultural Services of the French Embassy in the US and ELMA. 
Other exciting programs offered throughout the festival include: After 10 series (September 24 - 28); COLCOA Classics (September 24-27), COLCOA Documentaries (September 24-28); World Cinema Produced by France, French NeWave 2.0, exploring a new generation of filmmakers, and the Happy Hour Talks, a series of panels presented in association with Variety (September 24-28) that are free to the general public.



COLCOA AWARDS
The complete recipient list of the 2019 Awards for the three competitions (Cinema, Television, and Shorts) will be announced on Sunday, September 29 by the Franco-American Cultural Fund. For the twelfth year, LAFCA will partner with COLCOA Cinema for the Critics’ Awards.
For the third year, a student jury made of high school and college students, will vote for the COLCOA AMERICAN STUDENTS’ AWARD.
The COLCOA AWARDS are presented in association with KPCC-89.3, TITRAFILM, TV5 Monde USA, and AIR TAHITI NUI.
The Shorts section is presented with the support of Unifrance. 16 Shorts will be in competition for the COLCOA Short Awards and to be presented every afternoon September 24-27.

ADAM’S SKIRT, BARKING DOGS, BRAZIL, BY A HAIR, DON’T ASK FOR YOUR WAY, FIRE ME IF YOU CAN, I’M GOING OUT FOR CIGARETTES, INVISIBLE HERO, MEMORABLE, MODERN JAZZ, MY BRANCH SO THIN, MY GENERATION, MY LADY OF THE CAMELLIA, ONE AFTER THE OTHER, SPEECHLESS, and WILD LOVE.

The COLCOA Shorts Competition will be available in the U.S. after the festival on the cinema-on-demand program of TV5 Monde, an Official Partner of COLCOA.





COLCOA FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL is presented by the Franco-American Cultural Fund, a unique collaboration between the Directors Guild of America, the Motion Picture Association, the Writers Guild of America West, and France’s Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music (SACEM). COLCOA is also supported by France’s Society of Authors, Directors and Producers (L’ARP) the Film and TV Office of the French Embassy in Los Angeles, TV France International, and Unifrance.

COLCOA FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL is sponsored by Air Tahiti Nui, Bank Of The West/ BNP Paribas, Sling & TV5MONDE, Variety (Official Sponsors); Barnes, Barnstormer, France Télévisions, Los Angeles Times, 89.3 KPCC, Los Angeles Times, The Hollywood Reporter (Premier Sponsors); Brumont, Champagne Didier Chopin, ELMA, Sunset Marquis, Titra Film, West Coast Event Productions, Wine Wine Situation (Major Sponsors); Alliance Française de Los Angeles, Cinando, D’Alessio Law Group, French American Chamber of Commerce, Gaumont, Karine & Jeff, Laemmle, LA Philharmonic, Marché du Film/Festival de Cannes, Miraval/Vineyard Brands/La Vielille Ferme, Paul M. Young Fine Wines, Saint Germain, Vital Proteins (Platinum Sponsors); Avène, Cinelife, France-Amérique, French Morning, Gayot, Gaumont, Klorane, La Chouquette, Lycée International Los Angeles, Le Pain Quotidien, MAC, René Furterer, Rosenthal, RS Eyeshop, Snowdonia, Vizo (Supporting Sponsors), Alan Rosenbach, Black Flour, Brûlée Château de Berne, Holy Quiche, International Services For Artists, La Boulisterie, Mulholland Distilling  (Community Sponsors).

Thursday, August 22, 2019

COLCOA 2019 - DOC SERIES

COLCOA 2019 - DOCUMENTARY SECTION ANNOUNCED


The Documentary Section includes five films competing for the 2019 COLCOA Best Documentary Award.  FORWARD introduces the audience to children from around the globe who will change the world, HOLY TOUR takes us to the Tour de France to meet the fans, OH LES FILLES! showcases France, a land where women rock, and WINE CALLING showcases some of France’s most exciting winemakers and WOMAN, which will have its North American Premiere following its World Premiere at Venice, is a worldwide project giving voice to 2000 women in 50 different countries.


FORWARD


Documentary Competition:

Five documentary films will compete for the Best Documentary Award.

FORWARD (DEMAIN EST À NOUS)

Their names are Micah, Chris, Heena, José Adolfo, Arthur, Khloe, Kevin, Aissatou. They are the voices of their generation in their countries. From Peru to India, from France to Guinea, they fight locally against extreme poverty, social inequalities and climate change. They are the children who will change the world.  Written and directed by Gilles de Maistre (ALAIN DUCASSE, MIA AND THE LION), the film will be presented at COLCOA the same week as its French release. North American Premiere in association with Charades.


HOLY TOUR (LA GRAND-MESSE)

A film about the fans who come to cheer the Tour de France race. A film about modern-day pilgrims. A film about the hairpin bends of the legendary Izoard pass. A film about RVs that stake their spots two weeks ahead of time. A film about the passing of time perched between the road and the cliff. A film about summertime and a new daily routine. A film about our need to belong. Written and directed by Méryl Fortunat-Rossi and Valéry Rosier. Los Angeles Premiere in association with Be for Films.


HOLY TOUR


OH LES FILLES! (HAUT LES FILLES)

What if French Rock were born with Edith Piaf? From sweet sixties pop to today's gender-indifferent anthems, from feminist rebels of the seventies to fashion icons of the social media age, from Françoise Hardy to Christine & The Queens, via Vanessa Paradis, Catherine Ringer, Charlotte Gainsbourg and many more, the film tells the untold story of French female rock stars. Narrated by Elisabeth Quin, this groundbreaking documentary combines interviews and iconic footage to radically reverse perspectives and give the patriarchy a kick. Welcome to France, the land where women rock!  Written and directed by Francois Armanet. North American Premiere in association with Les Films du Losange.


WINE CALLING

Recently the world of wine has been in full effervescence, shaken by a counterculture as strong as the rock scene was in its time. All around the world, joyousrebels have invaded the vineyards to create the wine they love: a natural wine free of codes and norms. While there are more than 3,000 wine growers in France, less than three percent of them are working in bio, biodynamic or natural methods of wine production. For ethical reasons, this relatively small community of wine growers has chosen environmentally friendly farming practices aimed at finding the natural expression of “terroir” – the full breadth of land, geography and climate – and the living character of the wine.  It’s in the south of France, in the heart of Catalonia, that WINE CALLING has followed over a year, from the harvest to the bottling, some of the most exciting of these new wine growers, springboard of a rising global movement for taste and sustainability. Directed by Bruno Sauvard. Los Angeles Premiere in association with WTFilms.






WOMAN 

Woman was born of a desire to see the world through a woman’s eyes. Then the questions started to flow. What are the stages marking a woman’s passage from little girl to 80-year-old grandma? What are her dreams and hopes as well as her greatest fears and scars? What does she expect of life, society and men? What is a woman’s relationship to her body and to seduction? What part do appearances and beauty play in her life? How does motherhood change her life? What do we know of female desire, and why do certain cultures find it so frightening?  2000 interviews, 50 countries. Written and directed by Anastasia Mikova, Yann Arthus-Bertrand.  North American Premiere in association with Elle Driver.


In addition, the television documentary HOSTAGE(S) will also compete in the Documentary Competition.

HOSTAGE(S) - OTAGE(S)

Tourists, relief workers, corporate employees, journalists… All these men and women were taken hostage at one point or another by infamous groups such as FARC, AQMI, AlQaeda, Al-Nusra and the Taliban. They all suffered through the living hell of captivity then experienced the rebirth of being released and taking up their lives again back home. For the very first time, they open up and share things they’ve never been able to say before. Written and directed by Michel Peyrard and Damien Vercaemer. North American Premiere in association with Newen Distribution.



Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Oscar Entries 2019

Submissions to the 92nd Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film


 


As of today, we already have 10 submissions announced to the 92nd Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film. Last year there were 87 submissions. Stay tuned for more submissions for this year as they get announced.

The category was previously called the Best Foreign Language Film, but this was changed in April 2019 to Best International Feature Film, after the Academy deemed the word "Foreign" to be outdated.

The deadline for submissions is early October 2019. The Academy is scheduled to announce a list of eligible submissions in late October from which nine finalists will be shortlisted in December 2019. The final five nominees will be announced on January 13, 2020. The winner will be announced on February 9, 2020 at the Oscar ceremony held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.




UPDATE:

Today, October the 7th, the Academy of Motion Pictures announced the 93 submissions. 
Here is the complete list followed by my rating:

  • Albania - The Delegation
  • Algeria - Papicha ★★★
  • Argentina - Heroic Losers ★★★
  • Armenia - Lengthy Night
  • Australia - Buoyancy ★★★
  • Austria - Joy ★★★★ (disqualified) 
  • Bangladesh - Alpha ★★
  • Belarus - Debut
  • Belgium - Our Mothers ★★★
  • Bolivia - I Miss You (Tu Me Manques) ★★★
  • Bosnia & Herzegovina - The Son
  • Brazil - Invisible Life ★★★★★
  • Bulgaria - Ága ★★★★
  • Cambodia - In the Life of Music ★★★
  • Canada - Antigone ★★★
  • Chile - Spider ★★★
  • China - Ne Zha ★★
  • Colombia - Monos ★★★
  • Costa Rica - The Awakening of the Ants ★★★
  • Croatia - Mali
  • Cuba - A Translator ★★★
  • Czech Republic - The Painted Bird ★★★★
  • Denmark - Queen of Hearts ★★★★
  • Dominican Republic - The Projectionist
  • Ecuador - The Longest Night
  • Egypt - Poisonous Roses
  • Estonia - Truth and Justice ★★★
  • Ethiopia - Running Against the Wind ★★
  • France - Les Misérables ★★★★
  • Finland - Stupid Young Heart ★★★
  • Georgia - Shindisi 
  • Germany - System Crasher ★★★
  • Ghana - Azali
  • Greece - When Tomatoes Met Wagner ★★★
  • Honduras - Blood, Passion, and Coffee
  • Hong Kong - The White Storm 2 - Drug Lords 
  • Hungary - Those Who Remained ★★★★
  • Iceland - A White, White Day ★★★
  • India - Gully Boy ★★
  • Indonesia - Memories of My Body ★★★
  • Iran - Finding Farideh ★★★
  • Ireland - Gaza ★★★★
  • Israel - Incitement ★★★
  • Italy - The Traitor ★★★
  • Japan - Weathering With You ★★★★
  • Kazakhstan - The Golden Throne
  • Kenya - Subira
  • Kosovo - Zana ★★
  • Kyrgyzstan - Aurora ★★★
  • Latvia - The Mover ★★★
  • Lebanon - 1982 ★★★★
  • Lithuania - Bridges of Time ★★★
  • Luxembourg - Tel Aviv on Fire ★★★
  • Malaysia - M for Malaysia ★★
  • Mexico - The Chambermaid ★★★★
  • Mongolia - The Steed ★★★
  • Montenegro - Neverending Past
  • Morocco - Adam ★★★
  • Nepal - Bulbul
  • Netherlands - Instinct ★★★
  • Nigeria - Lionheart  ★★  (disqualified)
  • North Macedonia - Honeyland ★★★★
  • Norway - Out Stealing Horses ★★★
  • Pakistan - The Red Pigeon (Laal Kabootar) 
  • Palestine - It Must Be Heaven ★★★★
  • Panama - Everybody Changes ★★
  • Peru - Retablo ★★★★
  • Philippines - Verdict
  • Poland - Corpus Christi ★★★
  • Portugal - The Domain ★★
  • Romania - The Whistlers ★★★★
  • Russia - Beanpole ★★★
  • Saudi Arabia - The Perfect Candidate ★★★
  • Senegal - Atlantics ★★★
  • Serbia - King Peter of Serbia ★★
  • Singapore - A Land Imagined ★★★
  • Slovakia - Let There Be Light
  • Slovenia - History of Love
  • South Africa - Knuckle City 
  • South Korea - Parasite ★★★★★
  • Spain - Pain & Glory ★★★★
  • Sweden - And Then We Danced ★★★★★
  • Switzerland - Wolkenbruch's Wondrous Journey Into the Arms of a Shiksa ★★★
  • Taiwan - Dear Ex ★★★
  • Thailand - Krasue: Inhuman Kiss ★★★★
  • Tunisia - Dear Son
  • Turkey - Commitment ★★★★
  • Ukraine - Homeward ★★★
  • United Kingdom - The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind ★★★
  • Uruguay - The Moneychanger
  • Uzbekistan - Hot Bread ★★★
  • Venezuela - Being Impossible ★★★
  • Vietnam - Furie ★★

 

   


Saturday, August 17, 2019

Locarno 2019 Winners

72nd Locarno Film Festival Winners




Concorso Internazionale

Pardo d’oro (Golden Leopard), Grand Prize of the City of Locarno
VITALINA VARELA
by Pedro Costa, Portugal

Premio speciale della giuria (Special Jury Prize) of the Cities of Ascona and Losone
PA-GO (Height of the Wave)
by PARK Jung-bum, South Korea

Pardo per la migliore regia (Leopard for Best Direction) of the City and Region of Locarno
Damien Manivel
for LES ENFANTS D’ISADORA, France/South Korea

Pardo per la migliore interpretazione femminile (Leopard for Best Actress)
Vitalina Varela
for VITALINA VARELA by Pedro Costa, Portugal

Pardo per la migliore interpretazione maschile (Leopard for Best Actor)
Regis Myrupu
for A FEBRE by Maya Da-Rin, Brazil/France/Germany

Special Mention
HIRUK-PIKUK SI AL-KISAH (The Science of Fictions) by Yosep Anggi Noen, Indonesia/Malaysia/France
MATERNAL by Maura Delpero, Italie/Argentine


Concorso Cineasti del presente

Pardo d’oro Cineasti del presente (Cineasti del presente Golden Leopard) BAAMUM NAFI (Nafi’s Father) by Mamadou Dia, Senegal

Premio per il migliore regista emergente (Best Emerging Director Award) of the City and Region of Locarno

143 RUE DU DÉSERT
by Hassen Ferhani, Algeria/France/Qatar

Premio speciale della giuria Ciné+ Cineasti del presente (Special Jury Prize)
IVANA CEA GROAZNICA (Ivana the Terrible) by Ivana Mladenović, Romania/Serbia

Special Mention
HERE FOR LIFE by Andrea Luka Zimmerman, Adrian Jackson, United Kingdom


Moving Ahead

Moving Ahead Award
THE GIVERNY DOCUMENT (SINGLE CHANNEL)
by Ja’Tovia M. Gary, USA/France

Special Mentions
THOSE THAT, AT A DISTANCE, RESEMBLE ANOTHER
by Jessica Sarah Rinland, United Kingdom/Argentina/Spain

SHĀN ZHĪ BĚI (Osmosis) by ZHOU Tao, China

First Feature Swatch First Feature Award
BAAMUM NAFI (Nafi’s Father)
by Mamadou Dia, Senegal

Swatch Art Peace Hotel Award
LA PALOMA Y EL LOBO (The Dove and the Wolf)
by Carlos Lenin, Mexico

Special Mention
INSTINCT
by Halina Reijn, Netherlands
FI AL-THAWRA (During Revolution) by Maya Khoury, Syria/Sweden


Pardi di domani Concorso internazionale

Pardino d’oro for the best international short film – Premio SRG SSR SIYAH GÜNEŞ (Black Sun) by Arda Çiltepe, Turkey/Germany

Pardino d’argento SRG SSR for the Pardi di domani International competition
UMBILICAL
by Danski Tang, USA

Pardi di domani Best Direction Prize
PIANIFICA OTPUSK (Leave of Absence)
by Anton Sazonov, Russia

Premio Medien Patent Verwaltung AG Prize
WHITE AFRO
by Akosua Adoma Owusu, Ghana/USA

Concorso nazionale Pardino d’oro for the best Swiss short film – Premio Swiss Life
MAMA ROSA
by Dejan Barac, Switzerland

Pardino d’argento Swiss Life for the Pardi di domani National competition
TEMPÊTE SILENCIEUSE
by Anaïs Moog, Switzerland

Best Swiss Newcomer Prize
TERMINAL
by Kim Allamand, Switzerland

Variety Piazza Grande Award
INSTINCT
by Halina Reijn, Netherlands