An update and awards list for the 20th Tübingen-Stuttgart International French Film Days
111 French feature films and short films were showcased at the 20th Tübingen-Stuttgart International French Film Days, which this year brought together over 22,000 spectators. 17 French directors and 2 actors traveled to the city to present their films: Catherine Breillat, to whom a program entitled "First Films" was dedicated, as well as Cédric Klapisch, Philippe Muyl, Vincent Dieutre and Itvan Kebadian, Mohamed-Saleh Haroun, Gaston J. M. Kaboré, Siegfried, Arnaud Larrieu and Pierre Pellet, Gilles Marchand, Jean-Marc Moutout, Fanta Régina Nacro, Philippe Orreindy, Claire Simon and Thomas de Tiers.
The jury, composed of Dietrich Förster (journalist), Volker Lamm (exhibitor) and Carola Berneiser (Medien und Filmlgesellschaft Baden-Württemberg Support Fund), awarded the Distribution Aid Prize, worth 20,000 euros, to the film "Frenchmen" by Marc Esposito, honoring its "vibrant atmosphere, its sparkling dialogue, its high-spirited music and its shooting locations that convincingly reflect the French spirit." The film will be released by Arsenal (Stefan Paul and Egon Nieser) March 24, 2004, on around 20 prints.
In second place was Lucas Belvaux's trilogy of feature films: "Un couple épatant," "Cavale" and "Après la vie" (distributed by Kool), which impressed the jury by "their narrative style and the exceptional and convincing presentation of diverse cinematic genres."
The "Flying Camera" award, worth 2,500 euros and voted by the public, was given to "Maria" by Peter Calin Netzer, a German, Romanian and French co-production.
"Invasion of the Barbarians" by Denys Arcand received the Youth Prize, and "Sansa" by Siegfried waltzed off with the Critics' Prize.
