COLCOA 2021

 25th COLCOA FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL

EMMANUEL CARRÉRE’S BETWEEN TWO WORLDS

STARRING JULIETTE BINOCHE TO OPEN

THE 25th ANNUAL COLCOA FRENCH FILM AND SERIES FESTIVAL

55 Films and Series to be Screened at the Festival Taking Place Live 
at the DGA Theater Complex November 1-7, 2021

 

The opening film of the 25th Annual COLOCA French Film and Series Festival will be the North American Premiere of writer/director/author Emmanuel Carrère’s BETWEEN TWO WORLDS, starring Academy Award winner Juliette Binoche. The film will screen on November 1, kicking off the Festival as a live week-long event taking place at the DGA Theater Complex in Los Angeles.

The Festival is back in-person to celebrate a silver anniversary with strict COVID rules in place, including proof of vaccination and mandatory wearing of masks. The event takes place from November 1 to November 7, at the Director’s Guild of America, COLCOA’s home for 25 years. Dates continue to offer a unique platform to promote French Films and series in Hollywood at the beginning of Awards Season.

This year’s program will include 55 films and series, as well as 19 shorts, most of which are International, North American, U.S. and Los Angeles premiere presentations. Thirty of these films will be up for COLCOA Cinema Awards, including the following selections:

COLCOA 2021 FILM SELECTION:

            

OPENING FILM, Monday, November 1:  BETWEEN TWO WORLDS. Based on French investigative journalist Florence Aubenas’ best-selling non-fiction book, The NightCleaner, BETWEEN TWO WORLDS recounts the adventures of Marianne Winckler (Academy Award winner Juliette Binoche), a celebrated author who goes undercover as a cleaning lady to write a book on job insecurity in the gig economy. This very touching film, whose authenticity is underscored by an amazing performance from non-professional actors, opened the Director’s Fortnight in Cannes this year and just nabbed the Audience Award at the San Sebastian Film Festival. It will be released in France and in the U.S. in 2022 by Cohen Media Group.

CLOSING FILMS, Sunday, November 7:  LOST ILLUSIONS, which recently premiered at the Venice Film Festival (presented with Music Box Films), is writer/director’s Xavier Giannoli’s Balzac adaptation,and ONODA, 10,000 NIGHTS IN THE JUNGLE, written and directed by Arthur Harari and the opening film of Un Certain Regard Competition in Cannes 2021.        

  

Full Feature film lineup also includes:

• A TALE OF LOVE AND DESIRE (West Coast Premiere) - Drama, romance by Leyla Bouzid

• ANOTHER WORLD (North American Premiere) - Drama by Stéphane Brize

• AUTHENTIK (North American Premiere) - Audrey Estrougo’s biopic about the birth of famous rap group Suprême NTM

• BLACK BOX,(North American Premiere) - Yann Gozlan’s film noir starring Pierre Niney

• BYE BYE MORONS (Los Angeles Premiere) -  Albert Dupontel’s multi-Cesar Award-winning comedy including Best film.

• EIFFEL (North American Premiere) - Martin Bourboulon’s epic romance drama about the famous French engineer and the reason why he created the world famous tower.

• FRENCH TECH (North American Premiere) - Comedy by Bruno Podalydès      

• GAGARINE (West Coast Premiere) - Fanny Liatard and Jérémy Trouilh’s first feature

• IBRAHIM (West Coast Premiere) - First drama by actor Samir Guesmi 

• LOVE SONGS FOR TOUGH GUYS (North American Premiere) - Dark comedy by Samuel Benchetrit

• LOVERS (North American Premiere) - Thriller by veteran writer, director, actor Nicole Garcia

• MAGNETIC BEATS (North American Premiere) - D’Ornano-Valenti Award winner by Vincent Maël Cardona

• NIGHT RIDE (Special Screening) - A first feature, thriller by Frederic Farucci

• OLGA (North American Premiere and Official Entry from Switzerland to Academy Awards 2022     for Best international Feature) - Drama from Elie Grappe

• ROBUST (West Coast Premiere) - Constance Meyer’s 2021 Critic’s Week opening

• THE BIG HIT (West Coast Premiere) - Dramedy Emmanuel Courcol

• THE NIGHT DOCTOR (U.S. Premiere) - Film Noir by Elie Wajeman

• THE RESTLESS (North American Premiere) - Drama w/d Joachim Lafosse

• THE UNSOPHISTICATED LADY (U.S. Premiere) - Comedy by Anthonin Peretjatko

• THE YOUNG LOVERS (North American Premiere) - Drama, Romance  by Carine Tardieu, starring Fanny Ardant

 

In addition to Cohen Media Group’s BETWEEN TWO WORLDS and Music Box Films’ LOST ILLUSIONS, COLCOA is working with several U.S. distributors to present films in Hollywood before their U.S. release, including:

• BLOODY ORANGES (West Coast Premiere) - Dark Star Pictures’ horror/comedy by Jean-Christophe Meurisse. screening will be presented as an After 10 show on Saturday night only for audiences 18+. 

• FRANCE (West Coast Premiere) - Kino Lorber’s the new comedy/satire by Bruno Dumont starring James Bond’s actor Lea  Seydoux

• MY BEST PART (West Coast Premiere) - Altered Innocence’s first comedy/drama by actor Nicolas Maury ( CALL MY  AGENT)

• SIMPLE PASSION (West Coast Premiere) - Strand Releasing’s film by Danielle Arbid

• THE ROSE MAKER - Music Box Films’ feel-good comedy by Pierre Pinaud

• THE SUMMIT OF THE GODS -  A special screening of Netflix’s anticipated animated film by Patrick Imbert.

 

For the first time, two films already released in the US will be part of the competition for the COLCOA Cinema Awards and presented as a free special screening:

• TITANE by Julia Ducournau, released in the U.S by Neon Films

• THE MAD WOMEN’S BALL by Melanie Laurent. In association with Amazon Studios, This film will have it theatrical U.S. Premiere at the Festival.

COLCOA CLASSICS:

Presented out of competition, the free COLCOA CLASSICS series will pay tribute to writer/director Bertrand Tavernier with rare theatrical screenings of THE JUDGE AND THE ASSASSIN and CAPTAIN CONAN, writer Jean-Claude Carriere and a special screening of award winner THE DISCREET CHARM OF THE BOURGEOISIE, and actor Jean-Paul Belmondo with the presentation on the big screen of LE MAGNIFIQUE, followed by a discussion with actor Jacqueline Bisset and writer Francis Veber. Finally, a digitally restored version of Jacques Rivette’s GANG OF FOUR will have its International Premiere at  COLCOA.

 

Documentary film lineup:

Climate change, immigration, transgender inclusion, holocaust revelations, centenary celebration …. These and many more contemporary and historical topics are explored in the diverse and exclusive documentary lineup scheduled to premiere at the 25th Annual COLCOA French Film & Series Festival. Six feature documentary films and one TV documentary make up the non-fiction part of the program. These films will also be eligible for the 2021 COLCOA Best Documentary Award. 

Above Water / Marcher sur L’eau (North American Premiere) – Fourteen-year-old Houlaye lives in Tatiste, Niger and travels several kilometers every day to fetch water. The village got together to obtain construction of a well. This is the promise of a new life for these men and women who have literally been walking on water since birth. Written and directed by Aïssa Maïga. Presented in association with Orange Studio.

Birds of America (North American Premiere) – At the beginning of the 19th century, the discovery of the wide-open spaces of the United States and its incredible wildlife was key in the political development of the country. Intent on painting all the birds of America, John-James Audubon became a central figure of America’s national identity. But as these birds started disappearing with the dawn of the industrial age, so did the original American dream. In this “river movie” shot along the banks of the Mississippi, political, environmental and human rights issues are interwoven with the tales, myths and ghosts of these now extinct birds. Written and directed by Jacques Loeuille. Presented in Association with MK2 Films.

From Where They Stood / A Pas Aveugles (North American Premiere) – A handful of prisoners in WWII camps risked their lives to take clandestine photographs and document the hell the Nazis were hiding from the world. In the vestiges of the camps, director Christophe Cognet retraces the footsteps of these courageous men and women in a quest to unearth the circumstances and the stories behind their photographs, composing as such an archeology of images as acts of defiance. Presented in Association with U.S. distributor Greenwich Entertainment.

Gallant Indies / Indes Galantes (North American Premiere) – This film documents a first for 30 break, hip hop, krumping and voguing dancers; a first for director Clément Cogitore and choreographer Bintou Dembélé; and a first for the Opéra de Paris. By creating a dialogue between urban dance and lyrical song, together they reinvent Rameau’s baroque masterpiece, Les Indes Galantes. From rehearsals to public performances, it is a human adventure and a meeting with the political issues we follow. Can a new generation of artists take the Bastille today? Written and directed by Philippe Béziat. Presented in association with Pyramide International.

Jane By Charlotte (West Coast Premiere). The spare, delicate portrait of a fascinating, now-75-year-old mother (singer Jane Birkin) by a daughter (actor/singer Charlotte Gainsbourg), who clearly cherishes her. A very frank portrayal of two very human, insecure, talented women, as they take stock of both the joys and the tragedies they have shared over the years. Presented in association with U.S. distributor Utopia.

Little Girl / Petite Fille (Special Presentation COLCOA Awards) – Seven-year-old Sasha has always known she was a little girl, even though she was born a boy. As society fails to treat her like the other children her age – in her daily life at school, dance lessons or birthday parties – her supportive family lads a constant battle to make her difference understood and accepted. Written and directed by Sebastien Lifshitz. Presented in association with U.S. distributor Music Box Films.

All About Yves Montand / Montand est a nous (North American Premiere). Celebrating the centenary of iconic singer-actor-public figure Yves Montand, the film is a touching homage by writer/director Yves Jeuland full of restored and unpublished archives, concerts and film extracts. It plunges us into a 50-year career of probably the most popular after-war French artist in the world. The film was part of the Official Selection of the last Cannes Film Festival. Written and directed by Yves Jeuland. Presented in association with Zelig Films.

 

COLCOA AWARDS:

The COLCOA audience will be invited to vote in the three categories: Cinema, Television and Shorts..

For the 13th year, LAFCA will partner with COLCOA Cinema for the Critics’ Awards.

For the fourth year, a student jury made of high school and college students, will vote for the COLCOA AMERICAN STUDENTS’ AWARD.

A professional jury will vote for the Best Short Film.

The complete recipient list of the 2021 Awards will be announced on Monday, November 8 by the Franco-American Cultural Fund.  Awards will be given to recipients in Paris (France) during a special ceremony on November 16.

The COLCOA AWARDS are presented in association with, TV5 Monde USA, and AIR TAHITI NUI.

COLCOA will also continue its popular COLCOA High School Screenings program with the premiere of OWNING IT (Les Héritières), written by Johanna Goldschmidt and Laure-Elisabeth Bourdaud and directed by Nolwenn Lemesle.