27/08/2012 - After directing three editions of the Swiss film festival, Olivier Père is now off to take over from Michel Reilhac at Arte France Cinéma

What a surprise today in the French and European film industry! After ten years at the head of Arte France Cinéma, the Franco-German channel’s co-production and pre-acquisitions subsidiary, Michel Reilhac is handing over his post to Olivier Père, who just concluded his third edition at the head of the Locarno Film Festival after having worked for six years as general delegate for Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight.

At the last Cannes Film Festival, Arte France Cinéma beat its record of films selected for the festival with 25 titles that won eight awards. In 2011, Arte’s film subsidiary invested about €9m in 26 feature films (22 fictions and 4 documentaries), including Leos Carax’ Holy Motors [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Leos Carax
film profile], Xavier Dolan’s Laurence Anyways [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], Quentin Dupieux’ Wrong, Susanne Bier’s All We Need Is Love, Moussa Touré’s La pirogue [+see also:
trailer
film profile], Roy Andersson’s A Pigeon Sat On A Branch, Benoît Delépine and Gustave Kervern’s Le grand soir [+see also:
trailer
film profile], Céline Sciamma’s Tomboy [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Céline Sciamma
film profile], Carlos Reygada’s Post Tenebras Lux [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], and Djinn Carrénard’s Donoma.

"Useful, demanding, and perfectly organised, the Locarno Film Festival is a great international cinematographic event, with a solid reputation worldwide,” has said Olivier Père. “I am sad to leave the festival, but also immensely satisfied by the work accomplished.”

The Locarno Film Festival will announce the name of Olivier Père’s successor on September 4.

(Translated from French)