The 3rd Renault French Film Season, organized by the Institut Français in London and Unifrance, in collaboration with UGC Cinemas and with generous support from Renault, was held from March 30 through April 1st this year.
Four French films were selected for this year's festival, in close collaboration with distributors:
- "A Common Thread" by Eléonore Faucher, slated for release on May 20, distributed by Soda Pictures
- "Kings and Queen" by Arnaud Desplechin, scheduled for release on June 10, distributed by Artificial Eye
- "Clean" by Olivier Assayas, to be released by Vertigo Films before the end of July
- "Arsène Lupin" by Jean-Paul Salomé, to be released by Cinefile on September 9
The French delegation present at the event – including Jean-Paul Salomé and Kristin Scott Thomas, Lola Naymark and Eléonore Faucher, Olivier Assayas and Maggie Cheung, Arnaud Desplechin and Emmanuelle Devos – kicked off the promotional campaign for their films in Edinburgh and Glasgow on March 30, followed by London on March 31 and April 1st:
- March 30 at 7.30 p.m., at the Edinburgh UGC cinema, "Arsène Lupin," in the presence of Jean-Paul Salomé;
- March 30 at 7.30 p.m., at the Renfrew UGC in Glasgow, "Kings and Queen," with Arnaud Desplechin;
- March 31 at 7.30 p.m., at the Haymarket UGC in London, "Arsène Lupin," with Jean-Paul Salomé and Kristin Scott Thomas;
- March 31 at 7.30 p.m., at the Shaftesbury Avenue UGC in London, "Kings and Queen," with Arnaud Desplechin and Emmanuelle Devos;
- April 1st at 7.30 p.m., at the Haymarket UGC in London, "Clean" with Olivier Assayas and Maggie Cheung;
- April 1st at 8 p.m., at the Haymarket UGC in London, "A Common Thread," with Eléonore Faucher and Lola Naymark.
The French Embassy and Unifrance will continue their support to distributors at the time of the release of each of these films, organizing, in particular, preview screenings in other British cities.
The Renault French Film Season is also an occasion for the public to participate in two special masterclasses. On Friday April 1st, participants were given the opportunity to attend interviews with Arnaud Desplechin and Olivier Assayas held on the stage. Each discussion session was illustrated by extracts from these directors' previous films, so as to retrace their film careers and show the development of their filmmaking style, and served to present their current viewpoints on moviemaking.
The masterclass with Arnaud Desplechin was held on April 1st at 10.30 a.m. at the London Film School. It was led by Chris Darke, a writer and film critic (Vertigo), whose work is published around the world. He is the author of "Light Readings: Film Criticism & Screen Arts" (Wallflower Press) and of an upcoming monograph, "Godard's Alphaville" (I. B. Tauris).
The masterclass with Olivier Assayas was held on April 1st at 9.15 p.m. at the Haymarket UGC, immediately following the screening of "Clean," in collaboration with the NFTS (National Film and Television School) and the Script Factory. It was led by Jason Solomons, presenter of "The Big Picture" on BBC London Radio, a writer and film critic for "The Mail on Sunday" and "The Observer."
Director of Communication, France: Elodie Rothan
Tel: (+33)1 47 53 27 34 - Fax: (+33)1 47 53 27 44
email: elodie.rothan@unifrance.org
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