While Venice Artistic Director Marco Muller will be in Paris this week, rumours are reaching fever pitch regarding the French contenders at the 64th Venice Film Festival (August 29-September 8), whose programme will be revealed on July 26.

According to sources questioned by Cineuropa, this year the Lido competition will see the return of Eric Rohmer with Les Amours d'Astrée et de Céladon [trailer] (see article). Winner of a Golden Lion in 2001 for Lifetime Achievement, the director has won twice in competition at Venice, in 1998 with Autumn Tale (Golden Osella for Best Original Screenplay) and in 1986 with Summer.
Featuring Cécile Cassel (Vincent Cassel’s half sister), Andy Gillet and Stéphanie de Crayencour, Les Amours… was produced by Rezo Films and la Compagnie Eric Rohmer, in co-production with Spanish outfit Alta Films and Italy’s BIM (15% each). The €2.5m budget feature received €330,000 from Eurimages and €350,000 in advances on receipts from the CNC. Also handling sales, Rezo will release the title in French theatres on September 5.

The second likely contender for Venice is Claude Chabrol’s La fille coupée en deux [trailer] (see news). The €7.45m Alicéleo production (€1.5m from France 2 Cinéma and pre-sales from Canal+ and CinéCinéma) stars Ludivine Sagnier, Benoît Magimel, François Berléand and Mathilda May. Scripted by the director and Cecile Maistre, the film opens on August 8 on French screens through Wild Bunch, who is also handling world sales.

Selected twice in competition at Venice with Web of Passion in 1959 and A Judgement in Stone in 1995, on both occasions Chabrol’s actresses won the Coupe Volpi.

Claude Miller could make his competition debut at Venice with Un secret [trailer] (news), a film starring Cécile de France, Patrick Bruel, Ludivine Sagnier, Mathieu Amalric and Julie Depardieu. However, the selection of UGC YM production – slated for French release on October 3 – is still uncertain, as is Claire Denis’ White Material (see news), with Isabelle Huppert, expected to be ready in August/September according to Why Not Productions.

Likely French contenders in the festival’s different parallel sections include Damien Odoul’s L'Histoire de Richard O. [trailer] (see news), Marc Fitoussi’s La vie d’artiste [trailer] (see article), Isild Le Besco’s Charly [trailer] and Victor Maldonado and Adrian Garcia’s French/Spanish animated title Nocturna, la nuit magique (“Nocturna: The Magical Night”).