Unifrance is organizing the 1st Online French Film Festival, accessible to Internet users around the world.
The goal of this new festival is to take full advantage of recent developments in cultural consumption and to reach out to new international audiences for French films.
In partnership with Allociné, Unifrance has created this new event aiming to throw the spotlight on works by emerging French filmmakers.
The myfrenchfilmfestival.com event will take place from January 14 through 29, 2011. The festival will be officially launched at the 13th Rendez-Vous with French Cinema held in Paris, an annual event hosted by Unifrance that welcomes over 350 industry professionals and 120 foreign journalists each year.
Ten recent French feature films (first and second films) and ten French short films will be showcased in the festival competition. This selection will be completed by the presentation of a film chosen from France's cinematic heritage.
The films will be presented on a paid-for video-on-demand service in their original version subtitled in numerous languages including German, English, Arabic, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Russian.
Three prizes will be awarded at the close of the festival: an Audience Award, a Foreign Bloggers’ Award, and an International Press Award.
This platform will be accessible from the month of December, allowing Web users to view free of charge trailers and numerous exclusive interviews with artists posted online.
Selection of feature films in competition:
• Goodbye Gary Cooper by Nassim Amaouche, with Jean-Pierre Bacri
• Bus Palladium by Christopher Thompson, with Marc-André Grondin
• Partners by Frédéric Mermoud, with Gilbert Melki and Emmanuelle Devos
• Spy(ies) by Nicolas Saada, with Guillaume Canet and Géraldine Pailhas
• The Wolberg Familyy by Axelle Ropert, with François Damiens
• The Other by Patrick-Mario Bernard and Pierre Tridivic, with Dominique Blanc
• All about actresses by Maïwenn Le Besco, with Karine Viard and Marina Foïs
• Silent voices by Léa Fehner, with Pauline Etienne
• Turk's Headby Pascal Elbé, with Roschdy Zem and Ronit Elkabetz
• All That Glitters by Géraldine Nakache and Hervé Mimran, with Leïla Bekhti
Selection of short films in competition:
• Babel by Hendrick Dusollier
• Battered by Louise Prémonville
• Barking Island by Serge Avédikian
• It's Free for Girls by Claire Burger and Marie Amachoukeli
• ¿Dónde está Kim Basinger? by Edouard Deluc
• Waiting For the Rain to Stop by Charlotte Joulia
• The Man in the Blue Gordini by Jean-Christophe Lie
• Memoirs of a Disturbed Young Lady by Keren Marciano
• The Little Dragon by Bruno Collet
• A Whore and a Chick by Clément Michel
Heritage film presented out of competition:
• French Cancan by Jean Renoir (1955), with Jean Gabin
Films presented out of competition, accessible only in the USA:
• The French Kissers by Riad Sattouf, with Vincent Lacoste and Anthony Sonigo
• The Hedgehog by Mona Achache, with Josiane Balasko
