The Franco-German Film Academy has honored, on Tuesday, November 26th, the filmmaker Mia Hansen-Løve with its first award at the 17th Franco-German Film Meetings held in Mulhouse, organized in partnership with Unifrance and German Films.
This prize was presented by Marie Masmonteil, president of the Academy, and Serge Toubiana, president of Unifrance, in recognition of director Mia Hansen-Løve's commitment to cinematic collaboration between France and Germany.
With the creation of this new prize, the Franco-German Film Academy wishes to honor a leading industry figure with undisputed artistic talent whose work has helped to forge connections between the two countries. The Academy expressed its delight at celebrating the work of this young French filmmaker whose films are almost all Franco-German coproductions (The Father of My Children, Goodbye First Love!, Things to Come, Maya, and Bergman Island). The majority of Hansen-Løve's films have been selected at the major international film festivals, such as Cannes, Berlin, Toronto, and Telluride, with Things to Come earning her the Silver Bear for Best Director at the 2016 Berlin International Film Festival. The director has just completed production on a film shot in English (Bergman Island), and her upcoming projects include the development of a film to be shot principally in German.
Since 2003, the Franco-German Film Meetings have brought together movie sector professionals from both countries to discuss shared issues and current developments affecting their industries. This event is jointly organized by UniFrance, German Films, and the Franco-German Film Academy, in partnership with the CNC and the FFA.
This year, around 220 industry figures have gathered in the French city of Mulhouse on November 26 and 27.
The Franco-German Film Academy was founded in 2001 thanks to support from the former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and Jacques Chirac, who was French president at the time. The primary goal of this cultural organization is the creation of "a Europe of films." With the aim of strengthening cooperation between France and Germany, the Academy's fields of action extend to all aspects of the Seventh Art, from production to distribution, international film sales, and the protection of cinema heritage. Its work is recognized today in the areas of event organization, training, as well as funding aid.
