19/04/2011

Impressively continuing its discovery of new talents and its openness to all cinematic styles marked by emotion and auteur rigor, the 43rd Directors’ Fortnight, which will run from May 12-22 during the 64th Cannes Film Festival, unveiled its rich programme at midday today in Paris. The line-up of 25 features includes 23 world premieres and eight debut films.

European cinema is in the spotlight with 16 titles (by directors from France, Belgium, Italy, Bulgaria, Holland, Ireland, Sweden, Austria and Iceland) and four co-productions selected by the Directors’ Fortnight delegate general Frédéric Boyer.

Belgium is represented by three titles: opening film The Fairy by Dominique Abel, Bruno Romy and Fiona Gordon (co-produced by France’s MK2); Gus Van den Berghe’s Blue Bird; and Bouli Lanners’s The Giants as closing film (see news).

Sweden will be hoping for success with Ruben Ostlund’s Play (see news); Italy with Alice Rohrwacher’s Corpo Celeste (see news); Bulgaria with Kamen Kalev’s The Island (featuring Laetitia Casta – see news); and the Netherlands with Polish-born director Urszula Antoniak’s Code Blue (see news).

Also in the line-up are Ireland with Rebecca Daly’s The Other Side of Sleep; Austria with Karl Markovics’s Breathing; and Iceland with Runar Runarsson’s Volcano (see news).

Six features by French directors will be shown, including Unforgivable by André Téchiné (see news); Joan Captive by Philippe Ramos (see news); Après le Sud by Jean-Jacques Jauffret (see news); End of Silence by Roland Edzard (see news); En Ville by directorial duo Valérie Mrejen and Bertrand Schefer; and The Kids of Today by Jérôme de Missolz as a special screening.

This year’s line-up also includes three films from North America, two from South American, three from Asia and one North African title.

Boyer emphasised the sheer volume of films submitted to selectors (947 features), particularly French titles (148), which meant he was forced, regretfully, to turn down many good Gallic titles. He also insisted on the total subjectivity of his selection, which is that of a film lover who is sensitive and open to all points of view.

Feature films:
Opening film: La Fée [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Dominique Abel, Fiona Gordon
film profile] - Dominique Abel, Bruno Romy & Fiona Gordon (BE/FR)
The Island [+see also:
trailer
film profile] - Kamen Kalev (BG/SE)
Play [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ruben Östlund
interview: Ruben Ostlund
film profile] - Ruben Ostlund (SE/FR/DK)
Code Blue [+see also:
trailer
film profile] - Urszula Antoniak (NL/DK)
Blue Bird [+see also:
trailer
film profile] - Gus Van den Berghe (BE)
Corpo Celeste [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Alice Rohrwacher
film profile] - Alice Rohrwacher (IT/CH/FR)
The Other Side of Sleep [+see also:
trailer
interview: Antonia Campbell-Huges
film profile] - Rebecca Daly *(IE/NL/HU) *
Atmen [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (Breathing) - Karl Markovics (AT) *
Volcano [+see also:
trailer
film profile] - Runar Runarsson (IS) *
Impardonnables [+see also:
trailer
film profile] - André Téchiné (FR)
Jeanne Captive [+see also:
trailer
film profile] - Philippe Ramos (FR)
Après le Sud [+see also:
trailer
interview: Adèle Haenel
film profile] - Jean-Jacques Jauffret (FR) *
En ville (Iris in Bloom) - Valérie Mrejen & Bertrand Schefer (FR) *
La Fin du silence [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (End of Silence) - Roland Edzard (FR) *
Busong (Palawan Fate) – Auraeus Solito (PH)
Porfirio - Alejandro Landes (CO/ES/UY/AR/FR)
Sur la planche [+see also:
trailer
film profile] - Leila Kilani (MA/FR)
Return - Liza Johnson (US) *
Chatrak (Mushrooms)- Vimukthi Jayasundara (IN/FR)
O abismo prateado (Le Gouffre argenté) – Karim Ainouz (BR)
Closing film : Les Géants [+see also:
film review
trailer
making of
interview: Bouli Lanners
film profile] de Bouli Lanners (BE/FR/LU)

Special screenings:
Des jeunes gens modernes [+see also:
trailer
film profile] - Jérôme de Missolz & Jean-François Sanz (FR)
El velador (Le Veilleur de nuit) – Natalia Almada (US/MX/FR)
Koi no Tsumi (Guilty of Romance) – Sion Sono (JP)
La nuit elles dansent - Isabelle Lavigne et Stéphane Thibault (CA) doc

*Films competing for Camera d’or

Short-films:
Armand 15 ans l’été dernier - Blaise Harrison (FR)
Boro in the Box - Bernard Mandico (FR)
Cigarette at Night - Duane Hopkins (UK)
La conduite de la raison - Aliocha (FR)
Csicska - Attila Till (HU)
Dans le jardin du temps, portrait d’Ely et Nina Bielutin - Clément Cogitore (Fr)
Demain ça sera bien - Pauline Gay (FR)
Fourplay: Tampa - Henry Kyle (US)
Killing the chickens to Scare the Monkeys - Jen Assur (SE/TH)
Mila Caos - Simon Paetau (DE/CU)
Nuven (Le Poisson Lune - Basil Da Cuncha (CH/PT)
Le songe de Poliphile - Camille Henrot (FR)
Vice versa one - Sadat Shahrbanoo (AF)

(Translated from French)