On May 19 at the UniFrance pavilion in Cannes, we will host the presentation of this year's Short Film Award, a prize that is sponsored, in particular, by UniFrance and the companies Transpalux and Continental Media Assurances/SIACI Saint-Honoré.
Created fourteen years ago, the UniFrance Short Film Award is decided upon by a jury of movie industry professionals and aims to shine a light on the talent and adventurous spirit of new generation film directors and producers. Last year's award was presented to Errance by Peter Dourountzis.
The winning film receives a number of cash prizes and equipment and services (as well as theatrical visibility, as it will be screened over one week at the Parisian cinema Le Grand Action prior to a feature film). It will also be screened at the following foreign film festivals that are in partnership with UniFrance: International Festival of Francophone Film in Acadie (FICFA) - if the film is shot in French), Tübingen | Stuttgart International French-language Film Festival, Festival Curtacinema de Rio de Janeiro, and Peace & Love Film Festival.
JURY
- Guadalupe Arensburg Caellas - Spanish broadcaster
- Anne Bennet - Author of the Bennet Report
- Julie Gayet - Actor and producer
- Isabelle Gibbal-Hardy - Manager of Le Grand Action cinema
- Paola Ruggeri – Italian broadcaster
- Osange Silou-Kieffer - Journalist
- Vera Wonder - Director and producer (Iceland)
- Peter Dourountzis - Filmmaker (2015 winner with his film The Wanderer)
- Matthieu-David Cournot - Cinematographer
- Charles Tesson - Journalist
SHORTLIST OF FILMS SELECTED
- One Hell of a Plan by Alain Gagnol & Jean-Loup Felicioli (Folimage – Lunanime)
- When You Hear the Bells by Chabname Zariâb (Les Films du Bal – Godolphin Films)
- Juliet by Marc-Henri Boulier (Insolence Productions)
- Veil of Silence by Julie Gourdain (offshore – Ultime Razzia Productions)
- Cold Coffee by Stéphanie Lansaque & François Leroy (Je Suis Bien Content)
- Millions of Tears by Natalie Beder (Yukunkun Productions)
- Un obus partout by Zaven Najjar (Caïmans Productions)
- Through the Fields by Camille Melvil & Fabien Cavacas (2.4.7. Films)
- Bank Robber's Serenade by Guillaume De Ginestel (Arts Premiers)
- Joint Tenants by Delphine Priet-Mahéo (Vivement Lundi !)
- My First Analyst by Jonathan Borgel (Les Fées Productions)
- Of Men and Mice by Gonzague Legout (Fruits d'Hommes Productions)
- Partner by Antoine Giorgini (Deuxième Ligne Films – Wrong Men)
- Estate by Ronny Trocker (Autour de Minuit – Stempel)
- Law of Lamb by Lotfi Achour (La Luna Productions – A.P.A - Artistes Producteurs Associés)
- Alice by Karine Silla (To Be Continued (TBC))
- Enemies Within by Sélim Azzazi (Qualia Films)
Since its inception, UniFrance has been strongly committed to promoting French short films in international markets, through a number of different initiatives: providing funding support for film promotion, offering travel assistance allowing numerous filmmakers to accompany their films at festivals around the world, providing support for distributors, campaigning for increased exposure of films with foreign festival programmers and distributors, and the development of promotional tools and services, such as the Short Film Gallery, not to mention the development of specific programs of films to be screened in the four corners of the globe.
