A look back at the French short films that traveled internationally in April, to festivals supported by Unifrance. A month rich in selections and awards!
Several prizes were awarded:
- A Son & a Father by Andrés Ramírez Pulido received a Youth Jury Special Mention at the Cleveland International Fim Festival
- Khmerica by Antoine Guide, Thibaut Amri, and Lucas Sénécaut received a Special Mention in the International Medium Length & Short Film Competition at Visions du Réel
- Wander to Wonder by Nina Gantz won the Golden Horseman of the Audience - International Competition at Filmfest Dresden
- 2006 by Gabriella Choueifaty received an International Competition Special Mention at Filmfest Dresden
- Their Eyes by Nicolas Gourault won the Firebird Award at the Hong Kong International Film Festival
- Two People Exchanging Saliva by Alexandre Singh & Natalie Musteata won the Golden Gate Medium Length Film Award at the San Francisco International Film Festival
- My Brother, My Brother by Abdelrahman Dnewar and Saad Dnewar won the Golden Gate Animation Award at the San Francisco International Film Festival
The following filmmakers received travel funding:
- Thibault Verneret to go and present his film Distant Shores at Visions du Réel
- Yotam Ben-david to go and present his film Far From the Light of Day at Visions du Réel
- Antoine Guide, Thibaut Amri, and Lucas Sénécaut to go and present their film Khmerica at Visions du Réel
- Jean-Baptiste Mees to go and present his film The Day to Come Is a Bright New Day at Visions du Réel
- Claudia Mollese to go and present her film Roikin <3 at Visions du Réel
- fleuryfontaine to go and present their film Sixty-Seven Milliseconds at Visions du Réel
- Kim Yip Tong to go and present his film Black Tide at Aspen Shortsfest
All the selections - All the awards
In the USA, the Cleveland International Fim Festival presented French short films in their International Competition:
International Competition
- My Little Girl by Chloé Jouannet
- On the 8th Day by Agathe Sénéchal, Alicia Massez, Élise Debruyne, Flavie Carin, and Théo Duhautois
- Genealogy of Violence by Mohamed Bourouissa
FilmSlam
- A Young Sofiane by Fabien Ara
- Courage by Salomé Cognon, Lise Delcroix, Jeanne Desplanques, Marion Choudin, Nathan Baudry, and Margot Jacquet
- The Invulnerable by Lucas Bacle
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At the Aspen Shortsfest, 12 French films or French co-productions were selected for the International Competition:
International Competition
- A Son & a Father by Andrés Ramírez Pulido
- Percebes by Alexandra Ramires and Laura Gonçalves
- Capybaras by Alfredo Soderguit
- Chikha by Zahoua Raji and Ayoub Layoussifi
- As if the Earth Had Swallowed Them Up by Natalia León
- Filante by Marion Jamault
- GiGi by Cynthia Calvi
- Grandma Nai Who Played Favorites by Chheangkea
- The Man Who Couldn't Remain Silent by Nebojša Slijepčević
- Black Tide by Kim Yip Tong
- Robespierre by Pierre Menahem
- S the Wolf by Sameh Alaa
🏆 A Youth Jury Special Mention went to A Son & a Father!
Director Kim Yip Tong's enthusiastic words about Aspen Shortfest: “Without hesitation, I think this is the best festival I've ever had the chance to attend (...) Sublime, warm, caring, intimate, unique, with an incredible selection of films. This opportunity really makes you want to keep making movies!”
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At the San Francisco International Film Festival, six films were presented in International Competition:
Golden Gate Award International Competition
- The Mud Under My Window by Violette Delvoye
- Across the Waters by Viv Li
- Grandma Nai Who Played Favorites by Chheangkea
- Mango by Joan Iyiola
- My Brother, My Brother by Abdelrahman Dnewar, and Saad Dnewar
- Ordinary Life by Yoriko Mizushiri
- Two People Exchanging Saliva by Alexandre Singh, and Natalie Musteata
🏆 Two People Exchanging Saliva won the Golden Gate Medium Length Film Award and My Brother, My Brother the Golden Gate Animation Award!
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In The Netherlands, Go Short - International ShoFilm Festival Nijmegen presented a fine selection of French films:
European Competition
- Xena's Body: A Menstrual Auto-Investigation Using an iPhone by Occitane Lacurie
- Earth Coal by Bastien Dupriez
- Because of (U) by Tohé Commaret
- Night Watchers by Nina Khada
- Scars We Love by Raphaël Jouzeau
- The Orchards by Antoine Chapon
- Black Tide by Kim Yip Tong
- Their Eyes by Nicolas Gourault
Music Films Competition
- Flooded Realms by Virginie Bluzat
- Baba Yebta - Let U Go by Jean-Baptiste Bertholom
- Marlowe Drive by Ekiem Barbier, Guilhem Causse, and Quentin L’Helgoualc’h
- Méditerranée - Juniore by Clément Soulmagnon
Parallel Sections
- The Exit is Found on the Inside by Laure Giappiconi
- Acrobats by Éloïse Alluyn, Hugo Danet, Anna Despinoy, Antonin Guerci, Alexandre Marzin, and Shali Reddy
- Percebes by Alexandra Ramires and Laura Gonçalves
- Yuck! by Loïc Espuche
- Clamor by Salomé Da Souza
- By Flávio by Pedro Cabeleira
- As if the Earth Had Swallowed Them Up by Natalia León
- The Man Who Couldn't Remain Silent by Nebojša Slijepčević
- The Carp and the Child by Morgane Simon and Arnaud Demuynck
- The Exploding Girl by Caroline Poggi and Jonathan Vinel
- The Mysterious Adventures of Claude Conseil by Marie-Lola Terver and Paul Jousselin
- Les Petits Monstres by Pablo Léridon
- Picus by Frédéric Doazan
- Playing God by Matteo Burani
- Stuffed by Louise Labrousse
- Sublime by Marie Heribel, Candice Yernaux, Juliette Buysschaert, Camille Leroy, Joséphine Vendeville, Martin Laurent, and Lucas Foutrier
- The Bird by Jules Ramage
- The Oasis I Deserve by Inès Sieulle
Reflections (non-competitive)
- For You To Scroll Again by Eden Tinto Collins
- 512x512 by Arthur Chopin
- Hun Tun by Magdalena Hejzlarová
- Their Eyes by Nicolas Gourault
- Theremespare by Hantédemos Milon
- VO by Nicolas Gourault
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In Switzeraland, Visions du Réel presented nine films in several programs:
International Medium Length & Short Film Competition
- Distant Shores by Thibault Verneret
- Far From the Light of Day by Yotam Ben-david
- Khmerica by Antoine Guide, Thibaut Amri, and Lucas Sénécaut
- The Day to Come Is a Bright New Day by Jean-Baptiste Mees
- Roikin <3 by Claudia Mollese
- Sixty-Seven Milliseconds by Galdric Fleury and fleuryfontaine
Doc Alliance
Opening Scenes
🏆 An International Medium Length & Short Film Competition Special Mention went to Khmerica, “This world premiere was decisive for the film and its distribution,” Thibaut Amri said. “A very efficient organization in terms of logistics (...) and a coherent selection,” added the director about his experience at the festival.
The 2025 edition of this event was marked by a stronger French presence: France was the country in the spotlight. As part of this focus, a delegation of five emerging French producers took part in the 56th Visions du Reel. Thibaut Amri (Avant la Nuit), Astrig Chandèze-Avakian (Pazma Films), Eliott Baillon (Darjeeling), Violeta Kreimer (Misia Films), and Victor Thomas (Les 48° Rugissants) took part in professional meetings and workshops, while benefiting from increased visibility with international industry decision-makers. This focus on France highlighted the diversity and creative energy of a new wave of documentary professionals.
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At Filmfest Dresden (Germany) 14 French films were selected:
International Competition
- End of the West by Yotam Ben-david
- 2006 by Gabriella Choueifaty
- Changing Rooms by Violette Gitton
- Genealogy of Violence by Mohamed Bourouissa
- Hic svnt dracones by Justin Fayard
- The Exploding Girl by Caroline Poggi and Jonathan Vinel
- Ordinary Life by Yoriko Mizushiri
- Wander to Wonder by Nina Gantz
Young Audiences Program
- Someone Special by Alice Gervat
- Baking With Boris by Maša Avramović
- Yuck! by Loïc Espuche
- Keo and the Stardust by Victor Halfen
Special Program
- Ashen Sun by Camille Monnier
- Hello Summer by Martin Smatana and Veronika Zacharová
- Filante by Marion Jamault
- The Mitten by Clémentine Robach
- Sunny 16 Helsinki by Ève Le Fessant Coussonneau
- Logorama by François Alaux, Hervé de Crécy, Ludovic Houplain, and H5
- Stuffed by Louise Labrousse
🏆 Among this selection, the Golden Horseman of the Audience went to Wander to Wonder and a Special Mention to 2006.
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The Curta Cinema festival in Brazil presented five French films in International Competition:
- Kavalyé O Dam by Sacha Teboul
- Green Grey Black Brown by Yuyan Wang
- Capybaras by Alfredo Soderguit
- Sunny 16 Helsinki by Ève Le Fessant Coussonneau
- Wassupkaylee by Pepi Ginsberg
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In Hong Kong, the Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) presented eight French films:
International Competition
- The Path by Marie Vieillevie
- Society of Clothes by Dahee Jeong
- Percebes by Alexandra Ramires and Laura Gonçalves
- The Man Who Couldn't Remain Silent by Nebojša Slijepčević
- Ordinary Life by Yoriko Mizushiri
- Their Eyes by Nicolas Gourault
Special Programs
🏆 And the Firebird Award went to Their Eyes!
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