The 13th edition of this non-competitive event, which owes it origins to an initiative by the French Institute, triumphed once again this year, both in terms of its lineup and audience enthusiasm.
The Berlin French Film Week, which was founded in 2000, is a non-competitive festival organized by the French Embassy in Germany in collaboration with uniFrance films and the York Kino group. The festival presents around thirty films each year and features a dozen premieres, including a handful of productions from Quebec, Belgium, and Switzerland.
The festival lineup is composed of films proposed by German distributors who take advantage of the festival to spotlight their latest offerings in the lead-up to their commercial release, as well as new French productions seeking a distributor. 9,000 spectators regularly attend this event.
Distributors showed their active support this year by organizing the presence of French film crew members in Berlin to take part in numerous interviews.
The Le Paris Cinema, which has seating for 350, hosted photo calls and discussions between film crews and audiences held after the screenings. Audiences came out in force to support each of the screenings.
A retrospective on the work of Catherine Deneuve was held to coincide with the festival. The iconic actress presented A Christmas Tale by Arnaud Desplechin and On My Way by Emmanuelle Bercot.
The European Film Awards were also held during the festival, with François Ozon winning Best Screenplay honors for In the House and Wim Wenders presenting a Lifetime Achievement Award to Catherine Deneuve.
It is worth noting that the EFA significantly boosted the scope and impact of the Berlin French Film Week, bringing increased exposure to the German media, with French journalists attending the event impressed with the scale of this year's French Film Week.
2013 Lineup and Delegation
Premiere Screenings/Films with Distribution
Chinese Puzzle by Cédric Klapisch/STUDIOCANAL (Deutschland)
In the presence of Cédric Klapisch
Blue is the Warmest Color by Abdellatif Kechiche/Alamode Film Distribution OHG
In the presence of Abdellatif Kechiche and Adèle Exarchopoulos
Suzanne by Katell Quillévéré/Arsenal Filmverleih
In the presence of Katell Quillévéré and Adèle Haenel
Violette by Martin Provost/Kool Filmdistribution
In the presence of Martin Provost
Jappeloup by Christian Duguay/Plaion Pictures (ex Koch Films)
In the presence of Christian Duguay
On My Way by Emmanuelle Bercot/Wild Bunch (Germany)
In the presence of Catherine Deneuve
Tenderness de Marion Hänsel/Salzgeber & Co. Medien
In the presence of Marilyne Canto
Me, Myself and Mum by Guillaume Gallienne/Leonine (Concorde Filmverleih)
In the presence of Guillaume Gallienne
Cycling with Moliere by Philippe Le Guay/Alamode Film Distribution OHG
In the presence of Philippe Le Guay and Lambert Wilson
Il était une forêt by Luc Jacquet/Weltkino Filmverleih
In the presence of Luc Jacquet
Jasmine by Alain Ughetto
In the presence of Alain Ughetto
Belle and Sébastien by Nicolas Vanier/Ascot-Elite Entertainment
In the presence of Nicolas Vanier and Tchéky Karyo
