8:20 AM
indigo
From January 14 to 29, 2011 the first French Online Film Festival will take place in the net! Here is their first announcement for the VOD fest that will be open to the world. Unifrance in partnership with Allociné, with the support of the Centre National de la Cinématographie and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is organizing the first French online film festival open to Internet users around the world that will spotlight young French filmmakers.
The objective is to take fully into account the evolution of cultural consumption and to reach a new audience for French cinema abroad.
myfrenchfilmsfestival.com will take place from 14 to 29 January 2011.
The selection comprises ten feature films (first and second films recently released in France) and ten short films, as well as a classic film. Films will be available by Video On Demand (VOD), in original version and subtitled in several languages (German, English, Arabic, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, etc.).
Internet users will be able to vote for their favorite film.
Three prizes will be awarded at the end of the festival: a prize awarded by the public, another by foreign bloggers, the third by the international press.
The festival¹s website will be online in December and give free access to the trailers and to many exclusive online interviews.
FEATURE FILM SELECTION
Adieu Gary by Nassim Amaouche with Jean-Pierre Bacri In a working class city, abandoned by most of its population, some inhabitants stay in spite of everything because they were born and grew up there: Francis, Samir and Sarah (who believes that Gary Cooper is her father and is waiting for him). -----
Bus Palladium by Christopher Thompson with Marc-André Grondin. A rock¹n roll band, a group of friends who have met with success, and a girl who will disrupt it all **
Complices by Frédéric Mermoud with Gilbert Melki and Emmanuelle Devos. Two police detectives are investigating the disappearance of a teenage couple and find themselves confronted with the problems in their own lives. **
Espion(s) by Nicolas Saada with Guillaume Canet and Géraldine Pailhas. A young baggage handler is hired as spy by the French counter-intelligence agency after being involved in spite of himself in an affair involving the explosion of a diplomatic pouch in an airport.**
La Famille Wolberg by Axelle Ropert with François Damiens. Simon Wolberg is the mayor of a small provincial town, loving husband, overbearing father and provocative son. The film recounts the escapades of this man obsessed with his family.**
L¹Autre by Patrick Mario Bernard and Pierre Tridivic with Dominique Blanc. Anne-Marie leaves Alex when she realizes they no longer have the same aspirations: he wants to settle down, she wants to keep her freedom. But when Alex finds a new mistress, Anne-Marie becomes crazy with jealousy. -----
Le Bal des actrices by Maïwenn with Karin Viard and Charlotte Rampling. A director is shooting a documentary film on actresses. She shows all their personalities: manipulative, fragile, lying, moving, etc. But she quickly gets involved in their little games, for better or worse. *
Qu¹un seul tienne et les autres suivront by Léa Fehner with Pauline Etienne and Reda Kateb. Three people are brought together by chance in a prison visiting room: Stéphane who was just offered the deal of his life, Zorah who is trying to deal with her son¹s death, and Laure, who has fallen in love for the first time with a convict. ***
Tête de Turc by Pascal Elbé with Roschdy Zem and Ronit Elkabetz. A teenager of 14, an emergency doctor, a cop looking for revenge, a mother fighting for her family, a man crushed by his wife¹s death see their destinies linked after an accident. **
Tout ce qui brille by Géraldine Nakache and Hervé Mimran with Leïla Bekhti. Ely and Lila are childhood friends living in the Paris suburbs. They dream of entering a world they don¹t belong to, where everything seems to shine like gold. *
Classic film not in competition: French Cancan by Jean Renoir (1955) with Jean Gabin
SHORT FILM SELECTION
Babel by Hendrick Dusollier ***
Cabossés by Louise Prémonville ***
Chienne d¹histoire by Serge Avédikian **
C¹est gratuit pour les filles by Claire Burger and Marie Amachoukeli *
¿Dónde está Kim Basinger? by Edouard Deluc ---
En attendant que la pluie cesse by Charlotte Joulia ***
L¹Homme à la Gordini by Jean-Christophe Lie ***
Mémoire d¹une jeune fille dérangée by Keren Marciano **
Petit dragon by Bruno Collet **
Une pute et un poussin by Clément Michel ***
Since 1949, the Unifrance organization has promoted French cinema around the world. It conducts studies to provide French film professionals with a wide range of information concerning the international film market. It also organizes events and festivals to facilitate the exposure of French cinema to new audiences. Lastly, it supports the distribution of French films abroad.
The project seems very interesting as will be for us worldwide internet audience our very first experience to participate in a festival that will screen full-length feature films, some that I'm really looking forward to be able to watch.
I hope some of us will participate to assure that this fest -as well as others that could follow the example- succeeds. Will keep you all posted with fest news as soon as they become available.
