02/03/2018 - Echo by Rúnar Rúnarsson, We’re the Kids in America by Imelda O'Reilly and Black Box by Aslı Özge are representing Europe

The directors selected for the Cinéfondation Atelier (© Cannes Film Festival)

A total of 15 feature-film projects hailing from 15 countries have been selected for the 14^th edition of the Cinéfondation Atelier, which is set to unspool as part of the 71^st Cannes Film Festival (8-19 May). This year, Europe will be represented by Echo [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Rúnar Rúnarsson
film profile] by Iceland’s Rúnar Rúnarsson (winner of an award at San Sebastián in 2013 with Sparrows [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Atli Óskar Fjalarsson
interview: Rúnar Rúnarsson
film profile] and selected in the 2011 Directors’ Fortnight with his feature debut, Volcano [+see also:
trailer
film profile]).

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Also taking part is Black Box [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Turkey’s Aslı Özge, who has already helmed three features that all made quite a splash: Men on the Bridge [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Asli Özge
film profile] (selected at Locarno and Toronto in 2009), Lifelong [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (Berlinale Panorama in 2013) and All of a Sudden [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Aslı Özge
film profile] (Panorama Special at the Berlinale in 2016).

Also of note is We’re the Kids in America, the debut feature-length project by Ireland’s Imelda O'Reilly, in addition to The Last Queen [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Adila Bendimerad, Damien Ou…
interview: Damien Ounouri
film profile] by French-Algerian director Damien Ounouri (a project singled out with an award at Cinemed Meetings – read the interview with the filmmaker).

Two other Atelier titles worth highlighting are the Israeli project Highway 65 by Maya Dreifuss and the French-Syrian production The Return by Meyar Al-Roumi.

The other titles selected for the 2018 Atelier are The Color of the Skull by Sibs Shongwe-La Mer (South Africa), Tragic Jungle [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Yulene Olaizola (Mexico), A Rooster on the Fire Escape by Guetty Felin (Haiti), Yashar by Elvin Adigozel (Azerbaijan), Across the Rainbow Bridge by Niranjan Raj Bhetwal (Nepal), Whether the Weather Is Fine [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Carlo Francisco Manatad (Philippines), Doi Boy by Nontawat Numbenchapol (Thailand), Glorious Ashes by Bùi Thạc Chuyên (Vietnam) and The Summer Factory by Chen Tao (China).

Established in 2005 with the aim of encouraging creative cinema and fostering the emergence of a new generation of filmmakers by helping them to round off the funding of their films, the Atelier has been of benefit for the past 12 years to 202 projects, of which 145 have already been completed and 28 are currently in pre-production. It will enable the films and directors selected for 2018 to be present on the Croisette with their producers from 10-16 May and to meet professionals interested in their projects during individual sessions. The Project Book and sign-up sheets will be available at the beginning of April on the Cinéfondation website.

Here is the list of the 15 selected projects:

The Last Queen [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Adila Bendimerad, Damien Ou…
interview: Damien Ounouri
film profile] – Damien Ounouri (Algeria)
Yashar - Elvin Adigozel (Azerbaijan)
The Summer Factory – Chen Tao (China)
The Return – Meyar Al-Roumi (France/Syria)
Black Box [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Aslı Özge (Germany/Turkey)
A Rooster on the Fire Escape - Guetty Felin (Haiti)
Echo [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Rúnar Rúnarsson
film profile] – Rúnar Rúnarsson (Iceland)
We’re the Kids in America - Imelda O'Reilly (Ireland)
Highway 65 - Maya Dreifuss (Israel)
Tragic Jungle [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Yulene Olaizola (Mexico)
Across the Rainbow Bridge - Niranjan Raj Bhetwal (Nepal)
Whether the Weather Is Fine [+see also:
trailer
film profile] - Carlo Francisco Manatad (Philippines)
The Color of the Skull - Sibs Shongwe-La Mer (South Africa)
Doi Boy - Nontawat Numbenchapol (Thailand)
Glorious Ashes - Bùi Thạc Chuyên (Vietnam)

(Translated from French)