The fall season has been marked by Unifrance’s increasing involvement at international film festivals, with the aim of enhancing the presence of French films and their artistic crews at these events.
In one of the most significant initiatives, Unifrance sets up a press relations facility each year at the Toronto International Film Festival (September 9-18), responsible for dealings with the Canadian and American media and welcoming the French delegation at the event, in collaboration with the festival.
In recent years, the number of French films presented at Toronto has grown steadily (46 French productions in 2004), with increasing numbers of French artists present at the event (over 30 directors this year).
Toronto is also one of the major fall season film markets for French film export companies. Owing to the large number of professionals present this year, Unifrance decided to host a breakfast for distributors and exporters (Saturday, September 11), thus facilitating first-time meetings between industry professionals.
Unifrance was also actively involved at the Venice International Film Festival (September 1-11), and for the first time this year, set up a locale to serve the needs of French film crews and professionals attending the event. Dubbed “Club Unifrance,” it was located on a terrace of the Excelsior Hotel and welcomed a constant stream of visitors throughout the duration of the festival, with numerous interviews held there.
At the San Sebastián International Film Festival (September 17-25, 2004), Unifrance provided producers and exporters with a press attaché, responsible for relations with the Spanish and international media, focusing on French films that had not as yet found a distributor in Spain.
In addition to these measures, Unifrance welcomes international festival directors in Paris throughout the year, offering them the use of the association’s screening theater to view new French films. In upcoming weeks, Unifrance is expecting visits from festival directors and programming directors from Thessaloniki, Sundance (for the first time), Rotterdam, New York and Berlin.
For further information about film festivals, contact: Managers of the Festivals and Film Office:
Maria Manthoulis
Tel: (+33) 1 47 53 27 19 - Fax: (+33) 1 45 50 36 57
e-mail: maria.manthoulis@unifrance.org
Antoine Khalife
Tel: (+33) 1 47 53 27 16 - Fax: (+33) 1 45 50 36 57
e-mail: antoine.khalife@unifrance.org
Assistant: Yann Raymond
Tel: (+33) 1 47 53 27 43 - Fax: (+33) 1 45 50 36 57
e-mail: yann.raymond@unifrance.org
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