CONTENTS
Icon list In Focus Unifrance at the 78th Cannes Film Festival
Icon list Events roundup All the French films at the 78th Cannes Film Festival Opening of the 21st French Film Panorama in China Unifrance's 2025 10 to Watch at Festival de Cannes French XR at the Cannes Film Festival Two French series at the SeriesFest Denver 2025
Icon list Interviews "Miyazaki, Spirit of Nature," a unique documentary about the life and oeuvre of the master of Japanese animation
Icon list Short films 23rd edition of the Unifrance Short Film Awards MyFrenchShorts #29 : 'Basses' by Félix Imbert French short films worldwide: April 2025
Icon list International box office results French films in international cinemas - March 2025 French works on international TV channels: Février 2025 French works on international SVOD platforms: March 2025 French films in international cinemas - Weeks 14 and 15, 2025 French films in international cinemas - Weeks 16 and 17, 2025
Icon list International press roundup International press roundup: April 2025
In Focus
Unifrance at the 78th Cannes Film Festival

Unifrance will be present at the Cannes International Film Festival from May 13 to 24 to help promote the works and artists of French cinema.

The organization will be taking up residence in its two usual spaces:
The Unifrance Terrace, a stone's throw from the Croisette, will welcome the crews of French films presented at the festival (all selections included), the international press, and numerous events.
The Unifrance stand, located in the Marché du Film (Riviera L0), will host several French international sales companies and will be available to its members. It will also host meetings between Unifrance teams and their contacts throughout the festival.

THE VENUES

The Unifrance Terrace in Cannes, a special space at the service of French cinema on the international scene

The Unifrance Terrace will be set up for the eighth consecutive year at 5 rue des Belges, a stone's throw from the Palais des Festivals, in a space spread over three levels designed to welcome the crews of French productions selected in Cannes for their interviews with the international press.

The venue will also host numerous private events (by invitation only): cocktail receptions (in honor of foreign distributors and French exporters, for animation films, documentaries, etc.), the presentation of the Unifrance Short Film Awards, working breakfasts (in the presence of audiovisual attaché networks, OFAJ), lunches and dinners  (in honor of Critics' Week in partnership with Fondation Roederer, of the Unifrance 10 to Watch, and of the winners of the Unifrance Short Film Awards.)

The Unifrance Terrace will also serve as a setting for video interviews conducted by Unifrance with the artists, in order to accompany promotion during Cannes and, later, the international release of the films. These videos will also feed into Unifrance's new editorial policy aimed at local audiences abroad. A photo studio (entrusted to photographer Laura Stevens) will allow portraits to be produced that can be made available to the international press and to foreign festivals in which Unifrance is a partner.

A photo exhibition composed of portraits of filmmakers and actors taken by Marie Rouge during the Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Paris and the Cannes Film Festival, will also be presented on the Unifrance Terrace.
 


The Unifrance stand at the Marché du Film

Unifrance will also be present alongside professionals through its 95-square-meter stand located in the Marché du Film (Riviera-L0), which can host meetings for Unifrance member producers and exporters, and will provide an umbrella for two export companies: MPM Premium and Salaud Morisset

This space will also be the venue where Unifrance teams will meet with their members and film industry colleagues: directors and selectors of foreign festivals, international distributors, representatives of VOD platforms, exporters, market managers, audiovisual attachés, cultural advisors, partners, and export professionals.

Two happy hours (by invitation only), conceived to encourage – in a convivial way – exchanges between French professionals and their foreign counterparts, are also planned, with a focus on international festivals and producers.


 

HIGHLIGHTS

Launching the Marché on the Unifrance Terrace with foreign distributors and French exporters

Unifrance's traditional cocktail reception, which honors foreign distributors and French exporters, will be held on Wednesday, May 14 on the Unifrance Terrace (by invitation only). This gathering, which marks the beginning of the Marché du Film, will be followed by numerous professional events that will be held either on the Unifrance Terrace or at the Unifrance stand, such as the working breakfast that will bring together French audiovisual attachés and Unifrance teams (May 17).

French documentaries on the Unifrance Terrace

On Thursday, May 15, Unifrance will join Cannes Docs & EURODOC to host, on the Unifrance Terrace, Cannes Docs' opening cocktail reception (by invitation only).


 

Meetings focusing on exports

Unifrance will participate at the lunch devoted to French cinema in the world organized by the CNC on its beach on Thursday, May 15, that will bring together some 100 French and foreign guests: institutions, distributors, festival directors, exporters, etc.

French animation on the Unifrance Terrace

On Sunday, May 18, Unifrance will join the Marché du Film / Animation Day, Annecy Animation Film Festival, German Films / Animation Germany, Czech Audiovisual Fund, and the National Film Centre of Latvia to host, on the Unifrance Terrace, a cocktail reception celebrating French animation (by invitation only).

French short films on the Unifrance Terrace

  • On Tuesday, May 20, the 23rd Unifrance Short Film Awards, as well as the 7th Unifrance Distributor x Fête du court-métrage Awards, will be announced in the presence of the recipients and the members of the 2025 Jury. The ceremony will be followed by a cocktail reception and diner bringing together the winners (by invitation only).
  • On Thursday, May 22, Unifrance is organizing a short film breakfast, bringing together the directors of French short films selected in all Cannes' strands (by invitation only).
  • A guided tour of the selected immersive works will be organized for Unifrance members in partnership with the festival.


 

THE 10 TO WATCH AT CANNES


Initiated by Unifrance in 2014, the 10 to Watch program aims to contribute to the emergence of new French movie talents in the international arena, by raising their profile outside France (through contact with journalists, festival programmers, broadcasters, and foreign audiences) and, in this way, to participate in the constant renewal of French cinema icons.

The artists who make up the 10 to Watch are selected by a committee of film journalists (Variety, Screen International, Cineuropa, The Hollywood Reporter, France Inter). The list of the 10 to Watch 2025 was revealed by Unifrance in January, during the Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Paris.

On Wednesday, May 21 these emerging talents will be put in the spotlight at Cannes through a press lunch with French and international journalists, followed by a red-carpet photo session arranged with the Cannes Film Festival, and a dinner on the Unifrance Terrace. The following participants are already confirmed at this stage:  Adam Bessa, Ludovic Boukherma and Zoran Boukherma, Julien Colonna, Louise Courvoisier, Sayyid El Alami, India Hair, Lou Lampros, Jonathan Millet, Megan Northam, and Agathe Riedinger.

Unifrance will also produce video content (interviews, encounters, etc.) to promote, via social networks, this new generation of artists to foreign audiences.

For any press enquiries about Unifrance's 10 to Watch program, please contact betty.bousquet@unifrance.org

10 to Watch at Cannes benefits from the collaborative participation of the Cannes Film Festival, and the invaluable support of Screen International, L'Oréal Paris, and Davines.


 


 

UNIFRANCE ONLINE

Unifrance will be present during the festival on its usual social networks (Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, Threads, Bluesky, and YouTube) and will deliver several series of daily posts: interviews with French filmmakers and artists, video clips dedicated to the 10 to Watch in Cannes program..

This coverage will be amplified by the presence at Cannes, alongside Unifrance, of content creators Cécilia Jourdan & Criselis Pérez (@hellofrench), and Víctor Salmerón (@cinemaexcelsiorr). 

Institutional communication will be reserved for LinkedIn.
 

----

Unifrance's presence in Cannes benefits from the invaluable support of: Estandon Coopérative en Provence, Super Bock, Nespresso, Acqua Panna & San Pellegrino, Dammann Frères, Davines and L'Oréal Paris.

Unifrance also thanks its institutional partners and patrons: République française, CNC, Institut français, PROCIREP, and TitraFilm.

It also receives support from the Unifrance Endowment Fund: Accor (Grand Patron), BNP Paribas (Patron), and Vranken-Pommery Monopole (Patron).

 

Events roundup
All the French films at the 78th Cannes Film Festival

The Competition of the 2025 edition of the Cannes Film Festival (May 13 to 24) once again presents a fine portrait of contemporary French cinema, with five French films in the running for the Palme d'Or.

France invariably remains a land of welcome for cinema and the cradle of numerous international co-productions, and will be present in all sections with a total of almost 116 new films produced or co-produced, with minority-French productions, shorts, and XRs, including 65 in the Official Selection, all formats included.

The festival will open with the romantic comedy Leave One DayAmélie Bonnin's debut feature starring Bastien Bouillon and Juliette Armanet, which will screen after the opening ceremony during which Mylène Farmer will perform a brand new song. The international jury is chaired by Juliette Binoche.

Five French films or majority-French co-productions will represent French cinema in Competition, including three in French, and two directed by women.

Julia Ducournau, Palme d'or 2021 with Titane, will present her third feature Alpha, starring Tahar Rahim and Golshifteh Farahani.
For the third time in Competition after Harry, He is Here to Help (2000) and Lemming (2005), Dominik Moll, still buoyed by the public triumph of The Night of the 12th (Cannes Première 2022), will present Case 137, a thriller starring Léa Drucker.
Hafsia Herzi returns four years after Good Mother (Un certain regard), with The Little Sister, an adaptation of the eponymous novel by Fatima Daas.
Two other majority-French productions, but not in French: Deux procureurs by Ukrainian filmmaker Sergei Loznitsa, an adaptation of a novel about the Stalin regime, and Nouvelle Vague, the highly awaited film by American director Richard Linklater, shot in France and recounting the making of Breathless by Jean-Luc Godard.

AlphaAlpha

Filmmakers from every continent will also be presenting minority-French co-produced films in Competition: Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Tarik Saleh, Chie Hayakawa, Bi Gan, Mario Martone, Kleber Mendonça Filho, Joachim Trier, Oliver Laxe, and Jafar Panahi.
 

Official Selection - other sections

Three animation films will be presented in Special Screenings: A Magnificient Life by Sylvain Chomet, Arco by Ugo Bienvenu, and Little Amélie or the Character of Rain by Liane-Cho Han and Maïlys Vallade.

A Magnificient LifeA Magnificient Life

Cannes audiences will discover new films by Rebecca Zlotowski, Thierry Klifa, Martin Bourboulon, and Cédric Klapisch (Out of Competition), Romane Bohringer, and Joséphine Japy (debut feature) in Special ScreeningsAlex Lutz, Raoul Peck, and the duo Lise Akoka & Romane Gueret (Cannes Première), Hubert Charuel, Stéphane Demoustier, Anna Cazenave Cambet, and Diego Céspedes in Un Certain Regard, Yann Gozlan and Vincent Maël Cardona (Midnight Screenings), while Tony Gatlif's latest film is programmed in Cinéma de la plage.

Diane Kurys's last film and a documentary by Raphaël Quenard and Hugo David will be presented in Cannes Classics, and a tribute will be paid to 90-year-old Pierre Richard, with the screening of his new film as director, The Man Who Saw the Bear.

All information relating to Cannes XR can be found here.

 

Parallel strands

In Directors' Fortnight, after an opening tribute to Laurent Cantet, and the presentation of Enzo directed by Robin Campillo, the selection will include new films by Antony CordierJulia Kowalski, and Thomas Ngijol, as well as two debut features by Louise Hémon and Prïncia Car.

In Critics' Week, which opens and closes with two French films (Adam’s Sake by Laura Wandel to open, and Dandelion's Odyssey by Momoko Seto to close), the selection includes two majority-French premieres Nino by Pauline Loquès and Imago by Déni Oumar Pitsaev.

ACID features the return of Sophie Letourneur and Philippe Katerine with L'Aventura, and second features by Aurélien Vernhes-Lermusiaux and the Anton Balekdjian/Mattéo Eustachon/Léo Couture trio, as well as two documentaries by Sepideh Farsi and Sylvain George.

EnzoEnzo

 


All the French films and co-productions at the 78th Cannes Film Festival

OFFICIAL SELECTION

Opening film

  • Leave One Day by Amélie Bonnin
     

Competition

  • Alpha by Julia Ducournau
  • Case 137 by Dominik Moll
  • The Little Sister by Hafsia Herzi
  • Deux procureurs by Sergei Loznitsa
  • Nouvelle Vague by Richard Linklater
  • Jeunes Mères by Luc Dardenne and Jean-Pierre Dardenne (minority-French co-production)
  • Fuori by Mario Martone (French co-production shares not specified)
  • The Secret Agent by Kleber Mendonça Filho (French co-production shares not specified)
  • Résurrection by Bi Gan (French co-production shares not specified)
  • Les Aigles de la République by Tarik Saleh (minority-French co-production)
  • Renoir by Chie Hayakawa (French co-production shares not specified)
  • Sentimental Value by Joachim Trier (minority-French co-production)
  • Sirat by Oliver Laxe (minority-French co-production)
  • It Was Just an Accident by Jafar Panahi (French co-production shares not specified)

Out of Competition

  • The Richest Woman In the World by Thierry Klifa
  • Colours Of Time by Cédric Klapisch
  • Vie privée by Rebecca Zlotowski
  • 13 Days, 13 Nights - In the Hell of Kabul by Martin Bourboulon
     

Special screenings

  • The Wonderers by Joséphine Japy
  • Little Amélie or the Character of Rain by Liane-Cho Han and Maïlys Vallade
  • Arco by Ugo Bienvenu
  • Dites-lui que je l'aime by Romane Bohringer
  • A Magnificient Life by Sylvain Chomet

Un Certain Regard

  • The Great Arch by Stéphane Demoustier
  • The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo by Diego Céspedes
  • Love Me Tender by Anna Cazenave Cambet
  • Meteors by Hubert Charuel
  • Once Upon a Time in Gaza by Arab Nasser and Tarzan Nasser
  • Promised Sky by Erige Sehiri
  • The Chronology of Water by Kristen Stewart (French co-production shares not specified)
  • I Only Rest in the Storm by Pedro Pinho (minority-French co-production)

Midnight screenings

  • No One Will Know by Vincent Maël Cardona
  • Dalloway by Yann Gozlan
     

Cannes Première

  • Connemara by Alex Lutz
  • Ma frère by Romane Gueret and Lise Akoka
  • La Disparition de Josef Mengele by Kirill Serebrennikov (minority-French co-production)
  • Orwell: 2+2=5 by Raoul Peck (French co-production shares not specified)
  • Magellan by Lav Diaz (French co-production shares not specified)
  • The Love That Remains by Hlynur Pálmason (French co-production shares not specified)
     

Cannes Classics

  • Moi qui t'aimais by Diane Kurys
  • Welcome to Lynchland by Stéphane Ghez
  • Watch What You Say by Vincent Glenn
  • I Love Peru by Raphaël Quenard and Hugo David
  • Merlusse by Marcel Pagnol
  • Winning The Race by Joël Santoni
     

Cinéma de la plage

  • Ange et Soléa by Tony Gatlif
  • Bardot by Gérard Berliner (French co-production shares not specified)
  • The Legend of the Palme d'Or Continues by Alexis Veller
     

Tribute to Pierre Richard

  • The Man Who Saw the Bear by Pierre Richard
     

Short films - Competition

  • The Spectacle by Balint Kenyeres
  • I'm Glad You're Dead Now by Tawfeek Barhom
  • Dammen by Grégoire Graesslin
  • Agapito by Arvin Belarmino
  • Water Girl by Sandra Desmazières
  • Vultures by Dian Weys
     

Short films - Cinef

  • Bimo by Oumnia Hanader
  • Le Continent somnambule by Jules Vésigot-Wahl
  • Winter in March by Natalia Mirzoyan
     

Immersive Competition

  • La fille qui explose VR by Caroline Poggi and Jonathan Vinel
  • Lili by Navid Khonsari
  • In the Current of Being by Cameron Kostopoulos

Immersive selection - Out of Competition

  • Chez moi by Frédéric Le Louêt and Victoria Yakubova

Immersive Selection - Focus

  • This is my heart by Nicolas Blies and Stéphane Hueber-Blies
  • Champ de bataille by François Vautier
  • Ito Meikyu by Boris Labbé
  • Oto's Planet by Gwenaël François

 


57th DIRECTORS' FORTNIGHT

Opening film

  • Enzo by Robin Campillo

Official selection

  • The Party's Over by Antony Cordier
  • Untamable by Thomas Ngijol
  • The Girl in the Snow by Louise Hémon
  • The Girls We Want by Prïncia Car
  • Her Will Be Done by Julia Kowalski
  • Militantropos by Yelizaveta Smith, Alina Gorlova, and Simon Mozgovyi (French co-production shares not specified)
  • La Danse des renards by Valéry Carnoy (minority-French co-production)
  • Death Does Not Exist by Félix Dufour-Laperrière (minority-French co-production)
     

Short films - Official selection

  • +10K by Gala Hernández López
  • Bleu Heart by Samuel Suffren
  • Death of the Fish by Éva Lusbaronian
  • Loynes by Dorian Jespers

 


64th CRITICS' WEEK

Opening film

  • Adam’s Sake by Laura Wandel
     

Competition

  • Nino by Pauline Loquès
  • Imago by Déni Oumar Pitsaev
  • Sleepless City by Guillermo Galoe (minority-French co-production)
  • Kika by Alexe Poukine (minority-French co-production)
  • A Useful Ghost by Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke (French co-production shares not specified)
  • Left-Handed Girl by Shih-Ching Tsou (French co-production shares not specified)
     

Closing film

  • Dandelion's Odyssey by Momoko Seto
     

Special screenings

  • Love Letters by Alice Douard
  • Baise-en-ville by Martin Jauvat

Short films - selection

  • Bleat! by Ananth Subramaniam
  • God is Shy by Jocelyn Charles
  • Free Drum Kit by Carmen Leroi
  • L'mina by Randa Maroufi
  • Samba Infinito by Leonardo Martinelli
  • Wonderwall by Róisín Burns

Short films - Special screenings

  • To the Woods by Agnès Patron
  • No Skate! by Guil Sela

 


ACID CANNES 2025

Selection

  • L'Aventura by Sophie Letourneur (opening film)
  • The Black Snake by Aurélien Vernhes-Lermusiaux
  • Drifting Laurent by Mattéo Eustachon, Léo Couture, and Anton Balekdjian
  • Obscure Night – "Ain't I a Child?" by Sylvain George
  • Put Your Soul On and Walk by Sepideh Farsi
  • Entroncamento by Pedro Cabeleira (French co-production shares not specified)
  • Life After Siham by Namir Abdel Messeeh (French co-production shares not specified)

Opening of the 21st French Film Panorama in China

The official opening ceremony took place in Beijing on April 26, in the presence of patrons Isabelle Huppert and Zhao Tao, as well as the filmmakers Patricia Mazuy, Matthieu Delaporte, Alexandre De La Patellière, and Martin Bourboulon, and Daniela Elstner, Executive Director of Unifrance.
 

Zhao Tao is one of the most powerful and elegant faces in contemporary Chinese cinema. A muse in Jia Zhang-Ke films, she won Best Actress at the 2012 David di Donatello Awards in Italy, and is undoubtedly one of the great ambassadors of Chinese cinema in France and around the world. The joint presence of Zhao Tao and Isabelle Huppert was a powerful symbol of the artistic and human dialogue between Chinese and French cinema.

On the same day, and still in Beijing, the festival premiered in the Chinese capital, with a screening of Comte de Monte-Cristo, at the Broadway movie theater in the presence of the directors Alexandre De La Patellière and Matthieu Delaporte. Meanwhile, Isabelle Huppert presented Sidonie in Japan to a captivated audience!



The selection

This year's selection comprises 10 feature films. These are films proposed by the Chinese distributors themselves. This selection illustrates the diversity of talent in French cinema, featuring established directors, emerging filmmakers, and renowned performers.

 

  • Mars Express by Jérémie Périn
  • The Three Musketeers - Milady by Martin Bourboulon
  • Savages by Claude Barras
  • Sidonie in Japan by Élise Girard
  • Holy Cow by Louise Courvoisier
  • Marcello Mio by Christophe Honoré
  • The Crime Is Mine by François Ozon
  • The Animal Kingdom by Thomas Cailley
  • The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre De La Patellière and Matthieu Delaporte
  • Visiting Hours by Patricia Mazuy

 

These films come from four Chinese distributors (DDDream, Hugoeast, Jetsen Huashi, and Sita Digital) and eight international sales agents:

  • mk2 films
  • Les Films du Losange
  • Anton Corp, Gebeka International
  • Playtime
  • Pyramide International
  • Indie Sales
  • Pathé Films
  • STUDIOCANAL


The French Film Panorama in China is organized with support from the Ambassade de France in China, Institut Français, CNC, PROCIREP, Groupama, TitraFilm, and the Chinese Cinémathèque.

Unifrance's 2025 10 to Watch at Festival de Cannes

The artists who make up the "10 to Watch" are selected by a committee of film journalists (Variety, Screen International, Cineuropa, The Hollywood Reporter, France Inter). The list of the 10 to Watch 2025 was revealed by Unifrance in January, during the Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Paris. 

Cannes Film Festival is a great opportunity for Unifrance to highlight these 10 artists - directors, actresses and actors - during a day dedicated to them on Wednesday May 21, through a press lunch with French and international journalists, followed by a red-carpet photo session and a dinner on the Unifrance Terrace. The following participants are already confirmed :

The following participants are already confirmed Adam Bessa, Ludovic Boukherma, Zoran Boukherma, Julien Colonna, Louise Courvoisier, Sayyid El Alami, India Hair, Lou Lampros, Jonathan Millet, Megan Northam et Agathe Riedinger.
 

What are they up to in Cannes:  

  • Louise Courvoisier : Member of The Un Certain Regard Jury of the 78th Festival de Cannes  
  • India Hair : Jeunes Mères by Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne - Official Selection (Competition)
  • Megan Northam : Urchin by Harris Dickinson - Official Selection (Un Certain Regard)
     

For any press enquiries about Unifrance's 10 to Watch program,
please contact
betty.bousquet@unifrance.org



10 to Watch at Cannes benefits from the collaborative participation of the Cannes Film Festival, and the invaluable support of Screen International, L'Oréal Paris, and Davines.

--> The press kit for Unifrance's 10 to Watch 2025 operation can be downloaded.

French XR at the Cannes Film Festival

The Competition selection includes Caroline Poggi and Jonathan Vinel, who will present the VR version of their short film La fille qui explose VR, produced by Atlas VFloréal, another production company familiar with festivals, will present In the Current of Being by Cameron Kostopoulos, following its presentation at the SXSW festival in Austin.
Last but not least, Lili by Navid Khonsari, produced in France by Alambic Production, will have its world premiere. 

La fille qui explose VRLa fille qui explose VR LiliLili

 

Out of Competition, there will be the world premiere of Chez moi, directed by Victoria Yakubova and Frédéric Le Louêt, and produced by Olma Djon Productions

Finally, the Focus strand will offer a chance to catch up with works that have circulated around the world, including four French works among the five selected, a sign of the great vitality of French creation in the immersive field:

  • This is my heart by Nicolas Blies and Stéphane Hueber-Blies, produced by Lucid Realities (which received its world premiere at last year's Venice Film Festival)
  • Champ de bataille by François Vautier, produced by DA PROD (Best Story Award at Beyond the Frame)
  • Ito Meikyu by Boris Labbé, produced by Sacrebleu Productions (Immersive Golden Lion at Venice.
  • Oto's Planet by Gwenaël François, produced by Small Creative (Best Visual Experience at Stereopsia, Special Jury Prize at Venice, among others)

The jury in charge of awarding the best work is: Luc Jacquet, its president, Laurie Anderson, Tania De Montaigne, Martha Fiennes, and Tetsuya Mizuguchi.

 

Launch of the Immersive Market

We herald In its first year, the Immersive Market, which will take place from May 13 to 19. Its ambition is to bring together in Cannes some sixty curators from all over the world as part of the Curator Network.

Located at the Pantiero, between the Art Explora boat and the Innovation Village, the  Marché Immersif will feature pitch sessions, workshops, and exclusive events designed to bring together catalog holders of immersive works with museum curators, cultural venue managers, and theme park programmers looking for innovative immersive experiences.

In parallel, the Immersive Spotlights will feature a series of conferences, hands-on workshops, and professional meetings, fostering dialogue between immersion experts and key players from related sectors such as generative artificial intelligence, the performing arts, gastronomy, and many others.

Unifrance will be organizing a portrait session of the directors of French works in the various selections, to promote the faces of immersive creation.

 

Two French series at the SeriesFest Denver 2025

Unifrance is a partner of the festival. Within this context, the organization issued a call for series proposals and provided travel funding for selected artists.
 

2 French series were selected in the International Spotlight strand:

  • Enjoy ! created by Benoit Marchisio and Katell Guillou • Production co.: Le Collectif 64 / International sales: France tv distribution
    Benoit Marchisio, screenwriter and showrunner of the series, and author of the original book, will attend the event.

 

Enjoy !Enjoy !

 

  • Ça, c'est Paris by Marc Fitoussi • Production co.: Mon Voisin Productions (Mediawan), Federation Studio France / International sales: Federation Studios

Ça, c'est ParisÇa, c'est Paris

Interviews
"Miyazaki, Spirit of Nature," a unique documentary about the life and oeuvre of the master of Japanese animation

Miyazaki, Spirit of Nature paints a unique portrait of the life and oeuvre of Hayao Miyazaki, through never-before-seen archives, in-depth analyses, and exclusive testimonials from scientists and people close to the master of Japanese animation. Directed by Léo Favier, the documentary reveals the intimate, political, and ecological impulsions behind Miyazaki's oeuvre.

Since its premiere at the Venice Film Festival, the documentary has been an international success with festivals, distributors, broadcasters, and audiences alike, as Studio Ghibli has fans all over the world.

Loïc Bouchet, the film's producer and founder of Les Bons Clients, as well as Christophe Bochnacki, President of the international sales company Balanga, and Cloë Pinot, International Sales Manager, agreed to answer our questions about this exceptional and ambitious project.

Unifrance: Léo Favier paints a unique portrait of the life and oeuvre of Hayao Miyazaki through archives, analyses, and testimonials from scientists, close friends, and collaborators of the director. Can you tell us more about the genesis of this ambitious project?

Loïc BouchetLoïc Bouchet Loïc Bouchet: When Léo Favier and I first discussed the idea of making a film about Hayao Miyazaki three years ago, we contacted the European representative of Studio Ghibli. He told us that we shouldn't even consider making the film, as Ghibli is very protective of Miyazaki's oeuvre and refuses all proposals to utilize the films it produces.

With Favier, his co-writer Léo Brachet, and Emi Hiraoka, a French-Japanese film professional who has since become Executive Producer of the documentary, we poured our hearts, convictions, and ethics into developing a different project, which we sent to Studio Ghibli and then presented to them in Tokyo. We then signed an exceptional agreement with them, notably to use extracts from all Miyazaki's films to decipher his oeuvre in a new way. We are infinitely grateful to Studio Ghibli, and honored by their trust.

The documentary takes as its starting point Princess Mononoké, a pivotal film in Hayao Miyazaki's career, to explore its political and ecological influences and messages. Why did this film in particular stand out as a key entry point?

Loïc Bouchet: Princesse Mononoké is a very important film in Miyazaki's oeuvre. Not only was it the film that put him on the international map and set him on the road to conquering America, the film that Disney wanted to distribute, but it was also his most ecological film, as one of our participants Timothy Morton points out. Last but not least, Hayao Miyazaki had to face new and immense challenges if he was to succeed. That's why Favier chose this film to open the documentary on a climax in Miyazaki's life and work, a moment of mad intensity for him.

 

©Studio Ghibli


The documentary highlights Hayao Miyazaki's desire to raise public awareness about the excesses of our world, and to reinvent our relationship with nature and with each other. Through this film, did you also want to renew our perception of his work and reveal little-known dimensions?

Loïc Bouchet:  We indeed wanted to go beyond a simple portrait of the artist and the immense director that he is, to offer a new interpretation of his work, which is incredibly modern and echoes current issues such as the climate crisis and war. We also wanted to give audiences a better understanding of his vision of the world, which advocates a new relationship between human beings, the living world, and nature. That's why we absolutely needed very precise extracts from his films, so that world-renowned specialists from different continents could decipher them, as well as never-before-seen Hayao Miyazaki archives.


What were the main difficulties – and satisfactions – that arose in producing this film? 

Loïc Bouchet: The difficulties were many, but the rewards were all the greater. The first difficulty was financial: we had to take major risks at the start of the adventure. It was at this point that the role of Europe's leading broadcaster, Arte, and of our international distributor, Balanga, proved decisive – both in terms of the financial risk they took on our behalf and the pre-sales Balanga made during production, which gave us the financial resources to match our editorial ambitions. The fact that the film is being distributed in cinemas, on television, and digitally, depending on the country, and that it is achieving very good audiences, is a great source of satisfaction for us – not to mention the numerous festival selections, notably in Official Competition at the Venice Film Festival, at the end of August 2024.


By exploring the life and work of a world-renowned animation master, the documentary has strong international potential. What elements do you think will appeal to exhibitors, broadcasters, and foreign audiences alike?

Cloë PinotCloë PinotCloë Pinot: First and foremost, the exceptional abundance of excerpts from Miyazaki's films employed in the documentary is a major asset. For fans, it's an opportunity to rediscover their emblematic characters, from Totoro to Kiki the Little Witch, along with Porco Rosso, and for neophytes, it's an ideal gateway to the filmmaker's poetic and luxuriant universe. Secondly, the film's approach is distinguished by a novel angle: an attempt to decipher the profound message that runs through his entire body of work. It's a lucid, subtle look at the relationship between man, nature, and the animal world, underpinned by an omnipresent ecological sensibility. Miyazaki conveys this message with a rare finesse, capable of touching children and adults alike. Last but not least, the testimonies of his close collaborators – including Toshio Suzuki, Goro Miyazaki, and Hiromasa Yonebayashi – are packed with previously unknown and often amusing anecdotes, sure to delight a wide audience. It's this combination of iconic archives, deep thematic analysis, and intimate storytelling that gives the film its strong universal potential.

Exhibitors are convinced of the documentary's potential in cinemas, not least because Miyazaki's fan base is known to flock to movie theaters in droves whenever his films are released, as demonstrated by the huge success of his latest film, The Boy and the Heron. As far as broadcasters are concerned, they are banking on the documentary's ability to appeal not only to audiences already won over by the Ghibli universe, but also to the curious who would like to make a first foray into it by being guided through the films and their inspirations.  


After its world premiere in Venice in 2024, the film continues to do extremely well at festivals. How would you sum up this international success?

Christophe BochnackiChristophe BochnackiChristophe Bochnacki: Since its Venice premiere, the documentary has enjoyed an exciting career on the international scene, with over twenty festivals to its credit. These include Animation Is Film in Los Angeles, Animage in Brazil, CPH:DOX in Denmark, and DocLisboa in Portugal – all opportunities to bring Hayao Miyazaki's art to the big screen for enthusiastic audiences.

At the same time, several theatrical releases have been made possible thanks to agreements with renowned local distributors in Taiwan, South Korea, India, Italy, Benelux... The first dates have already been confirmed: it opened on May 9 in Taiwan, and will follow this on May 28 in Korea. It's a success that testifies to the universal appeal of Miyazaki's oeuvre.

This success confirms that Miyazaki's stories resonate almost everywhere in the world and transcend cultural differences, which is quite unique. Generally speaking, documentary films devoted to an artist are successful in some parts of the world, and less so in others, where the world of the artist himself is little known. With Miyazaki, it's different: he speaks to almost everyone, no matter where they come from, and that's a huge strength.


How has the film been received by international broadcasters?

Christophe Bochnacki: We were struck by how well the film was received by the market: many buyers told us moving stories about their favorite Miyazaki film or their memories of this magical universe.

The documentary has also been acquired by several major broadcasters: Sky in the UK, Movistar+ in Spain, SVT in Sweden, DR in Denmark, RTS in Switzerland, SBS in Australia... A recognition that confirms the emotional and cultural reach of the oeuvre, well beyond the circle of animation fans.


Miyazaki has always been able to unite young and old around universal stories. How do you explain this resonance?

Cloë Pinot: Hayao Miyazaki has succeeded in creating a universe where children and adults can meet, whatever their backgrounds or beliefs. It's incredibly universal, as is his message about the need to rethink our relationship with our environment, because the planet we live on was here before us, and will hopefully be here after, if we respect and care for it.

What's more, for those who, like me, discovered Miyazaki's films as a child, there's something magical about rediscovering them as an adult. There's both a great sense of nostalgia in rediscovering these characters, and a sense of discovery. Each of Miyazaki's films hides several levels of interpretation, and this is also what enables them to bring so many people together.  

 

©Canal+

Short films
23rd edition of the Unifrance Short Film Awards

The 2025 selection of the Unifrance Short Film Awards brings together 23 titles (including 14 first works) by 26 directors (15 women and 11 men), divided into four programs featuring fiction, animation, and documentaries.

 

Whether due to their personal forms or the singular worlds they conjure, we have chosen these films for the sensitivity of their subjects and their artistic mastery. They are so many stories in images that question, in dramatic or joyful ways, our relationship with others, or invite us to take another look at the complexity of today's world.

Seven films are the result of co-productions with eight countries (South Africa, Belgium, Israel, Luxembourg, Mongolia, Poland, Portugal, and the United Kingdom), proving that the short film, with its limited resources, can also overcome prejudices and tackle subjects that can move people far beyond our borders.

Far from being a minor art form, the short film format, a place of expression where anything is almost always possible, is essential to the renewal of the cinema arts. With Unifrance's constant support, short films continue to conquer foreign festivals and markets. 

The 2025 vintage of the Unifrance Short Film Awards promises to be inspiring, and we hope that this showcase will be the start or continuation of a long international career for the creators and producers of these films.

 
Program 1

  • A South Facing Window by Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir
  • Kosmogonia by Karolina Chabier*
  • Carcassonne-Acapulco by Marjorie Caup and Olivier Héraud*
  • The Uncle by Maëva Leïla Youbi*
  • Le Grand Calao by Zoé Cauwet
  • Lou by Tara Maurel*


Program 2

  • Life With an Idiot by Theodore Ushev
  • Blackbird by João Paulo Miranda Maria
  • Wonderwall by Róisín Burns*
  • Gioia by Nixon Singa*
  • Brown Morning by Carlo Vogele
  • A Girl Like You by Nathalie Dennes*


Program 3

  • Shivtown by Hillel Ben-zeev Perlov*
  • Across Fields by Margaux Dieudonné*
  • God is Shy by Jocelyn Charles*
  • The Empty Panel by Thibault Chollet
  • A Moment of Escape by Sébastien Betbeder


Program 4

  • Whispers by Pauline Broulis and Zoé Labasse*
  • Vultures by Dian Weys
  • Signal by Mathilde Parquet and Emma Carré*
  • A Time to Cherish by Fiorella Basdereff*
  • Death of the Fish by Éva Lusbaronian*
  • The Embolisms by Romain Winkler

(*) First film

 

The jury is composed of:


Violette Gitton – Winner Unifrance Grand Prix 2024 (Changing Rooms)
Isabelle Gibbal-Hardy – Le Grand Action cinema
Matilda Tavelli – Animatou Festival (Switzerland)
Carla Vulpiani – Venice Film Festival (Italy)
Gilles Reunis – Be TV (Belgium)

The jury met on Monday, April 28 to watch the 23 selected films. The awards will be announced at Cannes on Tuesday, May 20. On this occasion, Unifrance and La Fête du court métrage will also announce the Distributor Award 2025.

Unifrance warmly thanks:
Camille Monnier for the originality of her inspiring illustration, which gives this 2nd edition its identity.
The organization also thanks its loyal partners TitraFilm, Le Grand Action, Shortfilmdepot, Sauve qui peut le court métrage, Courant3D, and Brefcinéma.
And all the filmmakers, producers, and distributors who submitted their films.

MyFrenchShorts #29 : 'Basses' by Félix Imbert

It's the end of summer, six o'clock in the evening. Logan joins his best friend at the exit of the psychiatric clinic. Theo has been locked up for a fortnight after an accident. Before Theo's mother arrives, the two teens run off to the biggest rave party of their lives. Logan senses that Theo has changed, a truth Logan intuits but refuses to see. The two teens continue their race through the mountains, towards a party that remains unseen.

An opportunity to see Sayyid El Alami in one of his first roles. One of Unifrance 10 to Watch 2025, the young actor first drew attention with the Oussekine series and the features Block Pass and And Their Children After Them.
 

To see the film, click on the image below (English subtitles available)

 

French short films worldwide: April 2025

Several prizes were awarded:

  • A Son & a Father  by Andrés Ramírez Pulido received a Youth Jury Special Mention at the Cleveland International Fim Festival
  • Khmerica by Antoine Guide, Thibaut Amri, and Lucas Sénécaut received a Special Mention in the International Medium Length & Short Film Competition at Visions du Réel
  • Wander to Wonder by Nina Gantz won the Golden Horseman of the Audience - International Competition at Filmfest Dresden
  • 2006 by Gabriella Choueifaty received an International Competition Special Mention at Filmfest Dresden
  • Their Eyes by Nicolas Gourault won the Firebird Award at the Hong Kong International Film Festival 
  • Two People Exchanging Saliva by Alexandre Singh & Natalie Musteata won the Golden Gate Medium Length Film Award at the San Francisco International Film Festival
  • My Brother, My Brother by Abdelrahman Dnewar and Saad Dnewar won the Golden Gate Animation Award at the San Francisco International Film Festival


The following filmmakers received travel funding:

  • Thibault Verneret to go and present his film Distant Shores at Visions du Réel
  • Yotam Ben-David to go and present his film Far From the Light of Day at Visions du Réel
  • Antoine Guide, Thibaut Amri, and Lucas Sénécaut  to go and present their film Khmerica at Visions du Réel
  • Jean-Baptiste Mees to go and present his film The Day to Come Is a Bright New Day at Visions du Réel
  • Claudia Mollese to go and present her film Roikin <3 at Visions du Réel
  • fleuryfontaine to go and present their film Sixty-Seven Milliseconds at Visions du Réel
  • Kim Yip Tong to go and present his film Black Tide at Aspen Shortsfest

 



All the selections - All the awards


 In the USA, the Cleveland International Fim Festival presented French short films in their International Competition:
 

International Competition

  • My Little Girl by Chloé Jouannet
  • On the 8th Day by Agathe Sénéchal, Alicia Massez, Élise Debruyne, Flavie Carin, and Théo Duhautois
  • Genealogy of Violence by Mohamed Bourouissa

FilmSlam

  • A Young Sofiane by Fabien Ara
  • Courage by Salomé Cognon, Lise Delcroix, Jeanne Desplanques, Marion Choudin, Nathan Baudry, and Margot Jacquet
  • The Invulnerable by Lucas Bacle

 

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 At the Aspen Shortsfest, 12 French films or French co-productions were selected for the International Competition:

International Competition

  • A Son & a Father by Andrés Ramírez Pulido
  • Percebes by Alexandra Ramires and Laura Gonçalves
  • Capybaras by Alfredo Soderguit
  • Chikha by Zahoua Raji and Ayoub Layoussifi
  • Comme si la terre les avait avalées by Natalia León
  • Filante by Marion Jamault
  • GiGi by Cynthia Calvi
  • Grandma Nai Who Played Favorites by Chheangkea
  • The Man Who Couldn't Remain Silent by Nebojša Slijepčević
  • Black Tide by Kim Yip Tong
  • Robespierre by Pierre Menahem
  • S The Wolf by Sameh Alaa
     

🏆 A Youth Jury Special Mention went to A Son & a Father!

Director Kim Yip Tong's enthusiastic words about Aspen Shortfest: “Without hesitation, I think this is the best festival I've ever had the chance to attend (...) Sublime, warm, caring, intimate, unique, with an incredible selection of films. This opportunity really makes you want to keep making movies!”

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 At the San Francisco International Film Festival, six films were presented in International Competition:

Golden Gate Award International Competition

  • The Mud under my window by Violette Delvoye
  • Across the Waters by Viv Li
  • Grandma Nai Who Played Favorites by Chheangkea
  • Mango by Joan Iyiola
  • My Brother, My Brother by Abdelrahman Dnewar, and Saad Dnewar
  • Ordinary Life by Yoriko Mizushiri
  • Two People Exchanging Saliva by Alexandre Singh, and Natalie Musteata
     

🏆 Two People Exchanging Saliva won the Golden Gate Medium Length Film Award and My Brother, My Brother the Golden Gate Animation Award!

 

Two People Exchanging SalivaTwo People Exchanging Saliva

-----



  In The Netherlands, Go Short - International ShoFilm Festival Nijmegen presented a fine selection of French films:

European Competition

  • Xena's Body: A Menstrual Auto-Investigation Using an iPhone by Occitane Lacurie
  • Earth Coal by Bastien Dupriez
  • Because of (U) by Tohé Commaret
  • Night Watchers by Nina Khada
  • Scars We Love by Raphaël Jouzeau
  • The Orchards by Antoine Chapon
  • Black Tide by Kim Yip Tong
  • Their Eyes by Nicolas Gourault

Music Films Competition

  • Flooded Realms by Virginie Bluzat
  • Baba Yebta - Let U Go by Jean-Baptiste Bertholom
  • Marlowe Drive by Ekiem Barbier, Guilhem Causse, and Quentin L’Helgoualc’h
  • Méditerranée by Clémence Soulmagnon
     

Parallel Sections

  • The Exit is Found on the Inside by Laure Giappiconi
  • Acrobats by Éloïse Alluyn, Hugo Danet, Anna Despinoy, Antonin Guerci, Alexandre Marzin, and Shali Reddy
  • Percebes by Alexandra Ramires and Laura Gonçalves
  • Yuck! by Loïc Espuche
  • Clamor by Salomé Da Souza
  • By Flávio by Pedro Cabeleira
  • Comme si la terre les avait avalées by Natalia León
  • The Man Who Couldn't Remain Silent by Nebojša Slijepčević
  • The Carp and the Child by Morgane Simon and Arnaud Demuynck
  • The Exploding Girl by Caroline Poggi and Jonathan Vinel
  • The Mysterious Adventures of Claude Conseil by Marie-Lola Terver and Paul Jousselin
  • Les Petits Monstres by Pablo Léridon
  • Picus by Frédéric Doazan
  • Playing God by Matteo Burani
  • Stuffed by Louise Labrousse
  • Sublime by Marie Heribel, Candice Yernau, Juliette Buysschaert, Camille Leroy, Joséphine Vandeville, Martin Laurent, and Lucas Foutrier
  • The Bird by Jules Ramage
  • The Oasis I Deserve by Inès Sieulle

Reflections (non-competitive)

  • For You To Scroll Again by Eden Tinto Collins
  • 512x512 by Arthur Chopin
  • Hun Tun by Magdalena Hejzlarová
  • Their Eyes by Nicolas Gourault
  • Theremespare by Hantédemos Milon
  • VO by Nicolas Gourault

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 In Switzeraland, Visions du Réel presented nine films in several programs:

International Medium Length & Short Film Competition

  • Distant Shores by Thibault Verneret
  • Far From the Light of Day by Yotam Ben-David
  • Khmerica by Antoine Guide, Thibaut Amri, and Lucas Sénécaut
  • The Day to Come Is a Bright New Day by Jean-Baptiste Mees
  • Roikin <3 by Claudia Mollese
  • Sixty-Seven Milliseconds by Galdric Fleury and fleuryfontaine


Doc Alliance

  • Shuruuk by Amie-Sarah Barouh


Opening Scenes

  • The Microwaves Background by Robin Touchard
  • Three of Them by Laura Dauvin


🏆 An International Medium Length & Short Film Competition Special Mention went to Khmerica, “This world premiere was decisive for the film and its distribution,” Thibaut Amri said. “A very efficient organization in terms of logistics (...) and a coherent selection,” added the director about his experience at the festival.

KhmericaKhmerica

The 2025 edition of this event was marked by a stronger French presence: France was the country in the spotlight. As part of this focus, a delegation of five emerging French producers took part in the 56th Visions du Reel. Thibaut Amri (Avant la Nuit), Astrig Chandèze-Avakian (Pazma Films), Eliott Baillon (Darjeeling), Violeta Kreimer (Misia Films), and Victor Thomas (Les 48° Rugissants) took part in professional meetings and workshops, while benefiting from increased visibility with international industry decision-makers. This focus on France highlighted the diversity and creative energy of a new wave of documentary professionals.

-----


  At Filmfest Dresden (Germany) 14 French films were selected:

International Competition

  • End of the West by Yotam Ben-David
  • 2006 by Gabriella Choueifaty
  • Changing Rooms by Violette Gitton
  • Genealogy of Violence by Mohamed Bourouissa
  • Hic svnt dracones by Justin Fayard
  • The Exploding Girl by Caroline Poggi and Jonathan Vinel
  • Ordinary Life by Yoriko Mizushiri
  • Wander to Wonder by Nina Gantz

Young Audiences Program

  • Someone special (một người đặc biệt) by Alice Gervat
  • Baking With Boris by Maša Avramović
  • Yuck! by Loïc Espuche
  • Keo and the Stardust by Victor Halfen

Special Program

  • Ashen Sun by Camille Monnier
  • Hello Summer by Martin Smatana and Veronika Zacharová
  • Filante by Marion Jamault
  • The Mitten by Clémentine Robach
  • Sunny 16 Helsinki by Ève Le Fessant Coussonneau
  • Logorama by François Alaux, Hervé De Crécy, Ludovic Houplain, and H5
  • Stuffed by Louise Labrousse


🏆 Among this selection, the Golden Horseman of the Audience went to Wander to Wonder and a Special Mention to 2006.

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 The Curta Cinema festival in Brazil presented five French films in International Competition:

  • Kavalyé O Dam by Sacha Teboul
  • Green Grey Black Brown by Yuyan Wang
  • Capybaras by Alfredo Soderguit
  • Sunny 16 Helsinki by Ève Le Fessant Coussonneau
  • Wassupkaylee by Pepi Ginsberg

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  In Hong Kong, the Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) presented eight French films:

International Competition

  • The Path by Marie Vieillevie
  • Society of clothes by Dahee Jeong
  • Percebes by Alexandra Ramires and Laura Gonçalves
  • The Man Who Couldn't Remain Silent by Nebojša Slijepčević
  • Ordinary Life by Yoriko Mizushiri
  • Their Eyes by Nicolas Gourault

Special Programs

  • It's Not Me by Leos Carax
  • An Urban Allegory by Alice Rohrwacher & JR


🏆 And the Firebird Award went to Their Eyes!

Their EyesTheir Eyes

International box office results
French films in international cinemas - March 2025

The latest analysis of the performance of French films in international cinemas during mars 2025. The full market indicator can be found in the downloadable PDF document (in French).

French works on international TV channels: Février 2025
French works on international SVOD platforms: March 2025
French films in international cinemas - Weeks 14 and 15, 2025
French films in international cinemas - Weeks 16 and 17, 2025
International press roundup
International press roundup: April 2025

What did the international press have to say about our cinema and audiovisual works? Here's a broad overview of the articles we've collected for the month of April 2025.

On the audiovisual front

In the United KingdomDrama Quarterly magazine published a long article about Clean.
➡️ Read the article online
 



The Portuguese daily Jornal de Notícias published an interview with Gérald Hustache-Mathieu, the director of Polar Park.
➡️ Read the article online


On Señal News we learnt that Totally Spies will be broadcast Spain, with the release expected during spring.
➡️ Read the article online



Videoage, meanwhile, announced the 2nd edition of Scenari Transalpini, the Franco-Italian incubator for audiovisual scriptwriting.
➡️ Read the article online

TodoTV News confirmed the commitment of 11 public broadcasters to the production of the French series My Life is a Manga.
➡️ Read the article online

And C21 Media announced the broadcast of Voltaire in Love in China.
➡️ Read the article online
 



On the festivals and awards front

In Brazil, Diario do Litoral announced the launch of the 1st Festival de Cinema Imovision, with Emmanuelle as the opening night film.
➡️ Read the article online


In Argentina, the Cinéfilo Serial blog highlighted the selection of The Barbarians in the 26th BAFICI.
➡️ Read the article online

In Denmark, Business Doc Europe noted that À demain sur la lune was selected in the latest CPH:DOX lineup.
➡️ Read the article online

And in Spain, Catalunya Press mentioned The Most Precious of Cargoes, selected for the BCN Film Fest in Barcelona.
➡️ Read the article online



And in foreign cinemas…

In America

Revista Ñ published a long interview with Alain Guiraudie for the release of Misericordia in Argentina.
➡️ Lire l'article en ligne



"A beautiful story full of humor and music," Uni Minuto Radio reported on The Marching Bandreleased in Colombia in April.
➡️ Read the article online

In Quebec, Media Film published an interview with Carine Tardieu for the release of The Ties That Bind Us.
➡️ Read the article online


In Europe

The Spot Media Film spoke of a about the “one-of-a-kind project” that the film Moon the Panda, released in Germany, has become.
➡️ Read the article online

In Portugal, Jornal de Notícias threw the spotlight on Nina and the Tales of the Hedgehog.
➡️ Read the article online

"When Céline Sallette encounters Niki de Saint-Phalle...," Flix reported, focusing on the release of Niki in Greece.
➡️ Read the article online