In February, a host of French movie industry talents traveled around the world to support their films, including the actor Anthony Bajon, who returned from the Berlin Film Festival with Best Actor honors for his performance in Cédric Kahn's film The Prayer, and Raoul Peck who attended the BAFTAs to receive his Award for Best Documentary (photo). Not to mention half a dozen titles released in Belgium and a trip made by Melvil Poupaud to New York for a mini-retrospective of his work.
FESTIVALS
Germany
Berlin International Film Festival (February 15-25)
- Cédric Kahn, Anthony Bajon, Damien Chapelle, Alex Brendemühl for The Prayer
- Benoit Jacquot, Isabelle Huppert, Gaspard Ulliel, Julia Roy, Luc Besson for Eva
- Jean Paul Civeyrac, Andranic Manet, Corentin Fila, Jenna Thiam, Sophie Verbeeck and Daphné Patakia for A Paris Education
- Stéphane Demoustier, Vimala Pons for Cléo & Paul
- Claire Simon for Young Solitude
Critics' Week at the Berlin Film Festival (February 14-22)
- Rebecca Zlotowski for a discussion with Kleber Mendoza, Chris Fujiwara, Marie-Pierre Duhamel, and Marco Müller
- Serge Bozon for Mrs. Hyde
United Kingdom
South Social Film Festival (February 2-4)
- Daphné Patakia for Djam
BAFTAs (February 18)
- Raoul Peck for I Am Not Your Negro, winner of the BAFTA for Best Documentary
Sweden
Festival International du Film de Göteborg (January 26-February 5)
- Emmanuel Gras for Makala
Egypt
Aswan Women Film Festival (February 20-26)
FILM RELEASES
- Emmanuel Gras was in London on February 1 for Makala (Dogwoof)
- Xavier Giannoli and Vincent Lindon were in Belgium (Brussels and Liège for Xavier Giannoli) on February 5, 6, and 7 for The Apparition (O'Brother Distribution)
- Vincent Macaigne was in Belgium (Brussels and Liège) on February 12 for Comfort and Consolation (TeleScope Film Distribution)
- Xavier Legrand was in Switzerland (Geneva) from February 12-14 for Custody (Agora Films)
- Tom Volf was in Brussels on February 14 and 15 for Maria by Callas (The Searchers)
- Mahamat-Saleh Haroun was in Stockholm from February 25 to March 2 for A Season in France at the CinemAfrica Festival and promotional work (Folkets Bio)
- Dany Boon, Laurence Arné, Guy Lecluyse, and Valérie Bonneton toured around Belgium to accompany the release of La Ch'tite Famille
- Sophie Marceau and Pierre Richard were in Brussels on February 22 for Mrs. Mills (TeleScope Film Distribution)
OTHER TRAVEL NEWS
- Arnaud Desplechin was in Turin on February 7 and 8 for Ismael's Ghosts in conjunction with a retrospective held at the National Cinema Museum
- Melvil Poupaud was in New York on February 8-10 for a retrospective at Lincoln Center
- Sandrine Bonnaire and Gaël Morel were at the Institut Français in Tangier from February 27 to March 4 for Catch The Wind
