20 French productions and co-productions are to be presented in the various sections of Spain's San Sebastian International Film Festival (September 19-28, 2002).
Among the 11 French productions showcased, 7 films have already secured a distributor in Spain, for whom the festival serves as a launching pad for upcoming releases.
Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, the San Sebastian Festival nowadays ranks among the world's leading film festivals, and remains the number 1 movie industry event in Spain. The festival's considerable prestige explains the presence of a sizeable artistic delegation accompanying the French films presented. The festival will welcome, in particular, Olivier Dahan and Isabelle Huppert ("La Vie Promise"), Danièle Thompson, Juliette Binoche, Jean Reno ("Décalage Horaire"), Christophe Ruggia ("The Devils"), Jean-Pierre Sinapi and Sami Bouajila, ("Vivre Me Tue"), Marina de Van ("Dans Ma Peau"), Jacques Perrin, Jacques Cluzeaud and Michel Debats ("The Travelling Birds"), Sijie Dai ("Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress"), Bertrand Tavernier and Maria Pitarresi ("Laissez-passer") as well as Gaspard Noé and Albert Dupontel ("Irreversible").
Movie attendance in Spain has been constantly rising for over a decade now. Within such a favorable context, French films have managed to make their mark, with over 5.5 million admissions registered in 2001, and had already attracted close to 4 million spectators at the end of August, 2002. Spain thus ranks as one of the 3 leading European markets for French films, along with Germany and Italy. More than 50 films are currently awaiting release in the country. Local distributors bank more and more on large-scale theatrical release for French films: in 2001, 6 French-language films were distributed in more than 100 prints, with 3 of these titles reaching just under 200 prints. 2002 has also seen 6 films with over 100 prints in circulation. Around 15 distributors regularly acquire the rights to at least 1 or 2 French films per year in Spain.
French Films selected:
Official Selection (Competition):
* "La Vie Promise" in the presence of director Olivier Dahan and actress Isabelle Huppert (Distributor in Spain: Vertigo Films)
Co-productions:
* "Los Lunes al sol" by Fernando Leon Aranoa (Spain/France/Italy)
* "The Good Thief" by Neil Jordan (UK/France/Ireland)
* "El crime del padre amaro" by Carlos Carrera (Spain/Mexico/France)
Closing ceremony:
* "Décalage Horaire" in the presence of director Danièle Thompson, and actors Juliette Binoche and Jean Reno (Distributor in Spain: Vertigo Films)
Zabaltegi/New Directors:
* "Les Diables" ("The Devils") in the presence of director Christophe Ruggia
* "Vivre Me Tue" ("Living Kills Me") in the presence of director Jean-Pierre Sinapi and actor Sami Bouajila
* "Dans Ma Peau" in the presence of director Marina de Van
Co-production:
* "Como El gato y el raton" by Rodrigo Triana (France/Colombia)
Velodrome:
* "The Travelling Birds" in the presence of directors Jacques Perrin, Jacques Cluzeaud and Michel Debats (Distributor in Spain: Wanda Films)
Zabaltegi/Festivals' Top:
* "Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress" in the presence of director Sijie Dai (Distributor in Spain: Vertigo Films)
* "Laissez-passer" in the presence of director Bertrand Tavernier, and Maria Pitarresi (Distributor in Spain: Vertigo Films)
* "Irreversible" in the presence of director Gaspard Noé, and Albert Dupontel (Distributor in Spain: Vertigo Films)
* "Lundi Matin" by Otar Iosseliani
* "8 Women" by François Ozon (Distributor in Spain: Alta Films)
Co-productions:
* "All or Nothing" by Mike Leigh (UK/France)
* "The Pianist" by Roman Polanski (France/Poland/UK/Germany)
* "Une Part du Ciel" by Bénédicte Liénard (France/Belgium)
* "Respiro" by Emanuele Crialesi (France/Italy)
* "Intervention Divine" ("Divine Intervention") by Elia Suleiman
