17/01/2014 - Films by Emma Dante, Emir Baigazin, Rok Bicek, Juraj Lehotsky, Jones, Mirko Locatelli and Mar Coll compete at the Angers Festival

Great line-up for the Festival Premiers Plans in Angers whose 26^th edition begins today and as usual presents the best of European first films, true to its vocation as a pioneer and advocate for artistic renewal (read the interview of the General and Artistic Director, Claude-Eric Poiroux).

Opened tonight by the splendid Ida [+see also:
film review
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interview: Pawel Pawlikowski
interview: Pawel Pawlikowski
film profile] by Polish director Pawel Pawlikowski and closed on January 25 by Un beau dimanche [+see also:
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film profile] by French filmmaker Nicole Garcia, the festival will present seven features in competition that will be judged by a jury presided by filmmaker Catherine Corsini and including amongst others Maria de Medeiros, Bruno Todeschini, Nadir Moknèche and Anne-Louise Trividic.

The seven titles are Via Castellana Bandiera [+see also:
film review
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interview: Emma Dante
film profile] by Italian director Emma Dante (for which Elena Cotta won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress in Venice), Harmony Lessons [+see also:
film review
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film profile] by Emir Baigazin (Silver Bear for Best Artistic Contribution at the Berlinale 2013), the surprising Class Enemy [+see also:
film review
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interview: Rok Biček
interview: Rok Bicek
interview: Rok Bicek
film profile] by Slovenian director Rok Bicek (unveiled at the Critics’ Week in Venice and Cineuropa Prize in les Arcs), Miracle [+see also:
film review
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film profile] by Slovakian director Juraj Lehotsky (attraction of the East of the West section in Karlovy Vary), the British title Everyone's Going to Die [+see also:
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film profile] by Jones (nominated for the Raindance Prize of the British Independent Film Awards), I Corpi estranei [+see also:
film review
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interview: Mirko Locatelli
film profile] by Italian director Mirko Locatelli (discovered in competition in Rome) and Todos queremos lo mejor para ella [+see also:
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film profile] by Spanish director Mar Coll.

The French competition includes two titles to be released on January 29 in France: Tonnerre [+see also:
film review
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interview: Guillaume Brac
film profile] by Guillaume Brac (discovered in competition in Locarno) and Under the Starry Sky [+see also:
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film profile] by Dyana Gaye (which premiered in Toronto, in the Contemporary World Cinema section). Also on the programme, two first features unveiled in Venice: The Good Life [+see also:
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interview: Jean Denizot
film profile] by Jean Denizot (winner of the Label Europa Cinemas at the Journées des Auteurs – to be released in France on April 9) and Salvation Army [+see also:
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film profile] by Abdellah Taïa (which went to the Lido for the Critics’ Week).

Out of competition, in the Figures Libres section, The Strange Little Cat [+see also:
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interview: Ramon Zürcher
film profile] by German director Ramon Zürcher (noticed last year at the Berlinale’s Forum) notably stands out, as well as British film Beat by Aneil Karia, El Futuro [+see also:
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film profile] by Spanish director Luis Lopez Carrasco and the French productions Une pâte brisée, une histoire sans drame by Elisabeth Boisson Caravella, Wipeout by Amine Berrada and Pour faire la guerre by duo Cosme Castro - Léa Forest.

It is also worth noting, amongst others, the avant-premières of L'arbitro [+see also:
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interview: Paolo Zucca
film profile] by Italian director Paolo Zucca (discovered in Venice), Sense of Humor [+see also:
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film profile] by Maryline Canto and The Coat of the Zebra [+see also:
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film profile] by Belgian filmmaker Benoît Mariage.

The rich programme of this 2014 edition of Premiers Plans is completed by short films, student movies, animated works, screenplay readings, seminars and round tables, a Lars von Trier retrospective, tributes to Robert Bresson, the late Patrice Chéreau, Swedish director Bo Widerberg and actor Denis Podalydès, and a panorama for Chinese first films named Beijing First Film Festival.

(Translated from French)