Unprecendented success for the latest Moscow French Film Festival
With films screened to full houses, exceptionally wide media coverage and an excellent reception from television audiences, the 3rd Moscow French Film Festival was held this year within a more than favorable context for French films in Russia. In 2002, Russia was the number 1 buyer of French films in terms of the number of titles acquired.
This 3rd Moscow French Film Festival was held from November 21 through 23 this year. Organized by the French Embassy in Russia together with Unifrance, this festival serves as a promotional platform for films presented in preview screenings and selected by Russian distributors, who take advantage of the festival to enhance media coverage for their upcoming releases.
Media coverage was outstanding this year. Close to 100 interviews were held with artists, with television programs both pre-recorded and broadcast live on the major TV channels, full page articles in the major national dailies such as Izvestia and Kommersant, an article in Premiere magazine devoted to the event, not to mention an exceptional partnership deal clinched with the country's number 2 television channel (and number 1 pubcaster), TV Rossia. During the entire week of the festival, this channel programmed a French film daily and broke Audimat records with the hit film "Amelie." All films were screened to packed houses, including the opening night screenings at the Pushkinsky cinema (with seating for 2,000).
The event was held this year within an extremely propitious context for French films in Russia. 2001 had in fact marked a renaissance for French cinema in the territory, with over 2.4 million spectators registered in theaters, compared to scarcely 60,000 spectators two years earlier! Recent figures dating from October 31, 2002 show admissions to French films standing at already over 2 million.
Nowadays Russian distributors buy over 70 French titles annually. Some 100 French films have already found a buyer for 2003, making Russia the world's number 1 buyer of French films!
The following films were selected (by distributors) at the Moscow Festival this year, with the following delegation of artists in attendance:
"Blanche" by Bernie Bonvoisin (Sales Agent: Europa, Russian distributor: Cinema Vision DVD Group) in the presence of its lead actor Roschdy Zem.
* "Monique" by Valérie Guignabodet (Sales Agent: M6 DA/Distribution in Russia: Ekaterinbourg-Art) in the presence of the film's director and lead actress Marianne Denicourt.
* "La Vie promise" ("The Promised Life") by Olivier Dahan (Wild Bunch /GP Group) in the presence of the film's director.
* "Peau d’ange" by Vincent Perez (Europa/Cine Image Productions), in the presence of the film's director and its screenwriter Karine Silla.
* "À la folie, pas du tout" ("He Loves Me... He Loves Me Not") by Laetitia Colombani (TF1 International/Paradise) in the presence of the film's director.
* "Novo" by Jean-Pierre Limosin (Celluloid Dreams/Pan-Terra), in the presence of its lead actress Anna Mouglalis.
* "Embrassez qui vous voudrez" ("See How They Run") by Michel Blanc (UGC International/Central Partnership) in the presence of the film's director.
Magali Montet
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