07/11/2017 - The programme has been revealed for the rich 9th edition of the Les Arcs European Film Festival, which is due to take place from 16-23 December 2017

Having become an unmissable event over the years for professionals of the European filmmaking industry, the Les Arcs European Film Festival has unveiled a very impressive programme for its 9^th edition (16-23 December 2017).

The winner of the 2017 Flèche de Cristal will be selected from 10 feature films (including eight French premieres) in the running by a jury chaired by Céline Sciamma (replacing Andrea Arnold, who is busy with a shoot in the United States), and supported by the actresses Clotilde Courau and Natacha Regnier, Hungarian filmmaker László Nemes and the Russian composer Evgueni Galperine. The competition itself promises to be a perfect balance as its artistic director, Frédéric Boyer, has selected five titles by women: Nico, 1988 [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Susanna Nicchiarelli
film profile] by the Italian Susanna Nicchiarelli (winner of the Horizons section at Venice), Light [+see also:
film review
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interview: Barbara Albert
film profile] by the Austrian Barbara Albert (in competition at Toronto and San Sebastian), What Will People Say [+see also:
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interview: Iram Haq
film profile] by Norwegian Iram Haq (also discovered in competition at Toronto), the Dutch-Polish production Beyond Words [+see also:
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interview: Urszula Antoniak
film profile] by Urszula Antoniak (in competition at San Sebastian) and Scary Mother [+see also:
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interview: Ana Urushadze
film profile] by Georgian Ana Urushadze (winner of best debut feature at Locarno). They will be competing with Venetian competitor Lean on Pete [+see also:
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film profile] by the British Andrew Haigh, The Captain [+see also:
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interview: Robert Schwentke
film profile] by German Robert Schwentke (special jury prize for photography at San Sebastian), Disappearance [+see also:
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interview: Boudewijn Koole
film profile] by Dutch Boodewijn Koole (which premiered at Toronto), The Charmer [+see also:
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interview: Ardalan Esmaili
interview: Milad Alami
film profile] by Danish Milad Alami (which opened the New Directors section at San Sebastian) and Arrhythmia [+see also:
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interview: Boris Khlebnikov
film profile] by Russian Boris Khlebnikov (awarded best actor at Karlovy Vary).

The "Playtime" program features three Italian films (Ugly Nasty People [+see also:
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film profile] by the Italian Cosimo Gomez, Call Me by your Name [+see also:
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Q&A: Luca Guadagnino
film profile] by Luca Guadagnino, and Emma [+see also:
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film profile] by Silvio Soldini), three French films (Memoir of Pain [+see also:
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interview: Emmanuel Finkiel
film profile] by Emmanuel Finkiel, La fête est finie [+see also:
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interview: Marie Garel-Weiss
film profile] by Marie Garel Weiss and La surface de réparation [+see also:
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film profile] by Christophe Régin), along with three British films (The Death of Stalin [+see also:
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film profile] by Armando Iannucci, Darkest Hour [+see also:
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film profile] by Joe Wright and The Escape [+see also:
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film profile] by Dominic Savage).

The "Heights" section will allow the audience to appreciate films such as Good Favour [+see also:
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film profile] by the Irish Rebecca Daly, Life Guidance [+see also:
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interview: Ruth Mader
film profile] by the Austrian Ruth Mader, After the War [+see also:
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interview: Annarita Zambrano
film profile] by the Italian Annarita Zambrano, Pororoca [+see also:
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interview: Constantin Popescu
film profile] by Romanian Constantin Popescu, Cargo [+see also:
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interview: Gilles Coulier
film profile] by Belgian Gilles Coulier, Dog [+see also:
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film profile] by French Samuel Benchetrit and The Starry Sky Above Me [+see also:
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film profile] by his compatriot Ilan Klipper.

The year's festival Focus will be dedicated to Germany, with ten recent titles topping the bill (including the recent Freedom [+see also:
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interview: Jan Speckenbach
film profile] by Jan Speckenbach, Lomo: The Language of Many Others [+see also:
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film profile] by Julia Langhof and Axolotl Overkill [+see also:
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interview: Helene Hegemann
film profile] by Helene Hegemann).

The documentary section is also of note, which will include the debut French feature Faithfull [+see also:
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film profile] by Sandrine Bonnaire, Bobbi Jene [+see also:
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film profile] by the Danish Elvira Lind, So Help Me God [+see also:
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interview: Jean Libon and Yves Hinant
film profile] by the Belgian duo Jean Libon and Yves Hinant, and French Waves by Julian Stark.

Also on the menu is the “Snow Fright” section (with Revenge [+see also:
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interview: Coralie Fargeat
film profile] by the French Coralie Fargeat, Euthanizer [+see also:
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interview: Teemu Nikki
film profile] by Finnish Teemu Nikki and Four Hands [+see also:
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film profile] by German Oliver Kienle), along with the screening of the three finalists in the running for the European Parliament LUX Prize (BPM (Beats Per Minute) [+see also:
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interview: Arnaud Valois
interview: Robin Campillo
film profile] by the French Robin Campillo, Sámi Blood [+see also:
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interview: Amanda Kernell
interview: Lars Lindstrom
film profile] by the Swedish Amanda Kernell and Western [+see also:
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interview: Jonas Dornbach
interview: Valeska Grisebach
interview: Valeska Grisebach
film profile] by German Valeska Grisebach), special sessions, a school program and a short film competition (to be decided by a jury chaired by Rémi Bezançon).

In addition, the Norwegian director Iram Haq will receive thefourth Les Arcs Award - Sisley Femme de Cinéma and the festival will be welcoming a "Women of Cinema" Lab with a masterclass by Noémie Lvovsky.

Last but not least on the agenda are the professional events (to be covered in more depth soon) with the Industry Village, set to bring together nearly 500 professionals with 20 projects in the Co-production Village (from December 16 to 19), 14 films in the Work In Progress (December 17), Schools Village and Music Village Pro sections, the Distributors Operators Summit (running from December 19 to 23 with 13 screenings, workshops and an initiative laboratory), and the Franco-German Film Meetings (directed by Unifrance and German Films, in partnership with the CNC and the FFA, which will take place from 18 to 20 December).

(Translated from French)