25/09/2006

The new Rome Film Festival (October 13-21) took its hat off to French animated films and features for young audiences by selecting no less than five French productions from 16 competition titles in its Alice in the City section, along with out-of-competition title Nos jours heureux [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (lit. “Our Happy Days”) by directing duo Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano.

Heading the competition titles is Azur & Asmar [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Michel Ocelot. Presented at this year’s Cannes Director’s Fortnight (see news), this European co-production, headed by French outfit Nord-Ouest Production with Belgium’s Artémis Productions, Italy’s Lucky Red and Spain’s Intuitions Films and Zahorimedia, was also backed by Eurimages, CNC advances in receipts, France 3 Cinéma and Rhône-Alpes Cinéma. Sold internationally by Wild Bunch, the film will be released in French theatres on October 25 (Diaphana Distribution).

The second French animated film competing at Rome will be U [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Serge Elissalde and Gregoire Solotareff. Produced by Prima Linea Productions with the support of the CNC and France 3 Cinéma, the feature – which is being sold internationally by Celluloid Dreams – arrives on screens on October 11 (dist. Gebeka Films).

The Roman competition also has non-animated features on offer, with Call Me Elizabeth by Jean-Pierre Ameris (produced and sold by Pyramide with co-production support from France 3 Cinéma and Rhône-Alpes Cinéma, it will also be distributed by Pyramide on November 15), and two films already on release on French screens: A Year In My Life [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Daniel Duval (an Elia Films production backed by the CNC, see news) and Red Needles [+see also:
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film profile] by Jean-François Davy (produced by Opening Production with funds from Rhône-Alpes Cinéma, see news).

Lastly, audiences in the Italian capital will have the chance to appreciate this summer’s big hit in France: Nos jours heureux by Nakache and Toledano – a Quad Productions film co-produced by La Petite Reine, M6 and SND, which garnered 1.4m admissions in 11 weeks.

(Translated from French)