14/04/2008

The 12th edition of the City of Lights, City of Angels Film Festival (ColCoa) opens today in Los Angeles and lasts until April 20.

The festival will welcome over 10,000 viewers (75% industry professionals) who will have the chance to discover 48 French films in avant-premiere (28 features and 20 shorts).

Organised by the Franco-American Cultural Fund (a partnership between the Directors Guild of America, the Writers Guild of America, the Motion Picture Association and Sacem), the event is also sponsored by the ARP (Authors-Directors-Producers) and Unifrance.

ColCoa is set to be attended by scores of filmmakers and actors, including Cédric Klapisch, Guillaume Canet, Claude Lelouch, Jean Paul Salomé and Florent Siri.

Several US distributors are taking part in the event. These include Strand Releasing with Claude Miller’s A Secret [+see also:
trailer
film profile]; Koch Lorber with Eric Rohmer’s The Romance of Astrea and Celadon [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and Céline Sciamma’sWater Lilies [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (see interview) in partnership with Red Envelope; Film Movement with Eric Guirado’s The Grocer’s Son [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (see interview) and Sandrine Bonnaire’s Her Name Is Sabine [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]; and Music Box Films with Michel Hazanavicius’ OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies [+see also:
trailer
film profile].

The festival line-up includes Dany Boon’s Welcome to the Land of Shtis [+see also:
trailer
film profile], Klapisch’s Paris [+see also:
trailer
film profile], Abdellatif Kechiche’s The Secret of the Grain [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Hafsia Herzi
film profile], Salomé’s Female Agents [+see also:
trailer
film profile], Siri’s Intimate Enemies [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and Lelouch’s Roman de Gare.

French thrillers will also be in the spotlight with Jacques Maillot’s Rivals [+see also:
trailer
film profile], Cédric Anger’s The Killer [+see also:
trailer
film profile], Alfred Lot’s Melody’s Smile [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and Nicolas Boukhrief’s Cortex [+see also:
trailer
film profile].

The varied line-up of comedies includes Jan Kounen’s 99 Francs [+see also:
trailer
film profile], Emmanuel Mouret’s Shall We Kiss? [+see also:
trailer
film profile], Game of Four [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Bruno Dega and Jeanne Leguillou, Gérard Krawczyk’s The Red Inn [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and Léa Frazer’s What If...? [+see also:
trailer
film profile].

Finally, the programme also features Anne Le Ny’s Those Who Remain [+see also:
trailer
film profile], Marc Fitoussi’sLa Vie d'artiste [+see also:
trailer
film profile], Christian Faure’s Behind the Walls and Aurélia Georges’ The Walking Man [+see also:
trailer
film profile].

(Translated from French)