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CANNES 2014 Directors’ Fortnight

France charges nine-strong to the Fortnight

by 

- Céline Sciamma, Bruno Dumont, Jean-Charles Hue and Thomas Cailley are being showcased, with three additional majority productions and two minority ones

France charges nine-strong to the Fortnight
Girlhood by Céline Sciamma

French film production will take pride of place at the 46th Directors’ Fortnight (which will be taking place from 15-25 May as part of the 67th Cannes International Film Festival), with seven majority productions and two minority ones among the 19 selected feature films (read the news). 

Coming to fame in the Un Certain Regard section of Cannes in 2007 with her feature debut Water Lilies [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
, and a firm favourite at the 2011 Berlinale with her second opus, Tomboy [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Céline Sciamma
film profile
]
(which opened the Panorama), Céline Sciamma will be making a return to the Croisette with her third feature, Girlhood [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Céline Sciamma
interview: Céline Sciamma
film profile
]
(read the article), which will open the Fortnight. Written by the director herself, the story recounts the misadventures of four teenage girls who break free from the Parisian suburbs. Produced by Bénédicte Couvreur for Hold Up Films and by Lilies Films, Girlhood benefitted from a budget of €2.97 million, including co-production by Arte France Cinéma, an advance on receipts from the CNC, pre-purchases by Canal+ and Ciné+, financial assistance from the Ile-de-France region and backing by Sofica Cofinova. Distribution in France will be handled by Pyramide and international sales by Films Distribution.

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The Fortnight will also feature the TV debut of a truly great filmmaker, as Bruno Dumont will be presenting his police comedy P'tit Quinquin (a mini-series whose four 52-minute episodes will be shown in a single block), a 3B production for Arte, with backing from Pictanovo and Le Fresnoy, among others. For the record, the director has been selected four times at Cannes (Caméra d’Or Special Mention in 1997 with La vie de Jésus; Grand Prix in 1999 with L’humanité and in 2006 for Flanders [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
; and Un Certain Regard in 2011 with Hors Satan [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
), once at Venice (Twenty-nine Palms [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
in competition in 2003) and in competition at Berlin last year with Camille Claudel 1915 [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Bruno Dumont
film profile
]
.

Coming to the public’s attention in 2011 with La BM du Seigneur [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
, Jean-Charles Hue will be unveiling his second feature film: Eat Your Bones [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
(read the news). Written by the director, the story immerses the audience in a community of travellers and follows a trip made by three young members of the community into the world of the non-Romani population, in search of a copper shipment. Produced by Capricci Films (which will be distributing in France and is managing international sales) for a budget of €1.36 million, the film has been pre-purchased by Ciné+ and is backed by an advance on receipts from the CNC, the Centre region and Sofica Cofinova.

A French feature debut is also on the line-up in the shape of Fighters [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Thomas Cailley
film profile
]
, by Thomas Cailley (see the article). Adèle Haenel and Kevin Azaïs star in the romantic comedy, whose screenplay was written by the director together with Claude Le Pape. Produced by Pierre Guyard for Nord-Ouest Films, Fighters has been pre-purchased by Canal+ and Ciné+. Backed by an advance on receipts from the CNC, the Aquitaine region, the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department and Sofica Cofimage, the feature film will be distributed in France by Haut et Court and sold internationally by Bac Films.

Two additional majority French productions will be present at the event. Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
by Israeli duo Ronit and Shlomi Elkabetz was 61% produced by France (Marie Masmonteil and Denis Carot for Elzévir Films, co-produced by Arte France Cinéma, pre-purchased by Canal+), with 21% by Germany and 16% by Israel. The feature will be distributed in France by Les Films du Losange, with international sales handled by Films Distribution. On the other hand, the documentary National Gallery [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
by American director Frederick Wiseman was 100% produced by France, via Idéale Audience, and is being sold internationally by Doc & Film International.

Interestingly, Cold in July [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
by American filmmaker Jim Mickle was also 100% funded by France (via BSM Studio, which is operated by Backup Media, and with the La Cinefacture Label) and is being sold by Memento Films International.

Lastly, also of note are two minority French co-productions: Alleluia [+see also:
film review
trailer
making of
interview: Fabrice Du Welz
film profile
]
by Belgium’s Fabrice du Welz (executive co-produced by Radar Films, pre-purchased by Canal+ and Ciné+, distribution in France and international sales by SND); and Refugiado [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
by Argentinian director Diego Lerman (co-produced by Paris-based Bellota Films). 

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(Translated from French)

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