Three French films, directed by Olivier Assayas, Jacques Audiard, and David Oelhoffen, will be presented in competition at the 75th Venice International Film Festival, which opened its doors on August 29. Altogether, nearly 40 films of various formats produced or co-produced by France will make their world premieres this year at the world's longest-standing film festival.
In addition to the French films selected in the Official Competition, around a dozen feature films solely or majority-produced by France (including new films by Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi, Pierre Schoeller, and Mikhaël Hers), as well as sixteen films minority co-produced by France and five shorts will be screened to audiences at the oldest film festival in the world—not to mention French virtual reality works, with seven French productions presented in or out of competition at the 2nd edition of Venice VR. This year's Venice Film Festival will close its doors on September 8.
It is also worth noting that the French documentary project titled Talking About Trees (co-produced with Germany, along with Mahamat-Saleh Haroun from Chad) has been selected to take part in the 6th Final Cut in Venice Workshop, whose aim is to support six chosen projects from African and Near-Eastern countries.
Unifrance will be out in force in Venice to accompany French productions and actors and directors from these films during the festival. Members of the French delegation to be announced so far include Olivier Assayas, Guillaume Canet, Vincent Macaigne, Christa Théret, Reda Kateb, Matthias Schoenaerts, David Oelhoffen, Jacques Audiard, John C. Reilly, Alexandre Desplat, Laurent Lafitte, Sébastien Marnier, Mikhaël Hers, Vincent Lacoste, Stacy Martin, Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi, Yolande Moreau, Valeria Golino, Riccardo Scamarcio, Pierre Schoeller, Louis Garrel, Céline Sallette, Amos Gitaï, Rithy Panh, Joachim Lafosse, Nora Hamzawi, Elsa Amiel, Claire Burger, Bouli Lanners, Sarah Henochsberg, Elsa Amiel, Sarah Marx, Sandor Funtek, Stacy Martin, Agathe Bonitzer, Thomas Scimeca, Maxime Matray, Alexia Walther.
French films at the 2018 Venice Film Festival
Official Competition
- Close Enemies by David Oelhoffen
- The Sisters Brothers by Jacques Audiard
- Non-Fiction by Olivier Assayas
- At Eternity's Gate by Julian Schnabel (minority production)
- Capri Revolution by Mario Martone (minority production)
- Our Time (Was to Defend our Island) by Carlos Reygadas (minority production)
- Sunset by László Nemes (minority production)
- What You Gonna Do When the World's on Fire? by Roberto Minervini (minority production)
Out-of-Competition
- One Nation, One King by Pierre Schoeller
- The Summer House by Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi
- A Tramway in Jerusalem by Amos Gitaï (minority production)
- The Stolen Caravaggio by Roberto Andò (minority production)
Orizzonti
- K contraire (L'Enkas) by Sarah Marx
- Amanda by Mikhaël Hers
- Deslembro by Flavia Castro (minority production)
- Manta Ray by Phuttiphong Aroonpheng (minority production)
- The Man Who Surprised Everyone by Natasha Merkulova & Alexei Chupov (minority production)
- The Day I Lost my Shadow by Soudade Kaadan (minority production)
- Tel Aviv on Fire by Sameh Zoabi (minority production)
- A Twelve Year Night by Álvaro Brechner (minority production)
Orizzonti (Short Films)
Venezia Classici
Sconfini
Venice VR - Competition
- The Roaming - Wetlands by Mathieu Pradat
- Eclipse by Jonathan Astruc, Aymeric Favre
- Isle of the Dead VR by Benjamin Nuel
- The Horrifically Real Virtuality by Marie Jourdren
- Umami by Landia Egal, Thomas Pons
Venice VR - Out-of-Competition
Critics' Week
Venice Days
- Pearl by Elsa Amiel
- Real Love by Claire Burger
- Domingo by Fellipe Barbosa & Clara Linhart (minority production)
- Keep Going, de Joachim Lafosse (minoritaire)
- Graves Without a Name by Rithy Panh (minority production)
- Ricordi ? by Valerio Mieli (minority production)
