News

Exclusive: French comedy hit Ooh La La (Cocorico)– which was a hit at home and also enjoyed success across Europe – is getting a sequel with the same cast, led by Christian Clavier (Serial (Bad) Weddings).

He reunites with Didier Bourdon, Sylvie Testud (Champagne!, Jour J, Meet The Malawas) and Marianne Denicourt.

Clavier co-starred in the original comedy as the patriarch of the aristocratic Bouvier-Sauvage, who is horrified to learn that his beloved daughter Alice has fallen for the son of a Peugeot dealer, Gérard Martin (Bourdon). He comes to terms with the situation over the course of the film.

Ooh La La 2 will pick up the story on the eve of the wedding between Alice Bouvier-Sauvage and François Martin. Preparations are sent into disarray when DNA tests reveal the two fathers are not as French as they believed.

Exclusive:Prolific French writer-director Remi Bezancon has kicked off production on detective comedy Murder In the Building starring Gilles Lellouche, Laetitia Casta and Guillaume Gallienne with Snd on board for international sales.

The film centres on a Hitchcock movie buff and her husband, a famous author of thrillers, who suspect their new neighbour of killing his wife and launch a risky investigation.

It is now shooting in the Paris region until the end of May, produced by Jerico Films, whichis behindLaFamille Belier, the original French film upon which Oscar-winning Coda is based.

Snd said the film will pay homage to Hitchcock’s classic detective stories.

Paris-based outfit releases first look image from Jérémy Clapin’s Meanwhile On Earth.

Paris-based Charades has sold Laurent Tirard’s Oh My Goodness! (Juste Ciel!) to a slew of territories and will kick off sales on several all-new titles at Unifrance’s annual Rendez-Vous in Paris including Jérémy Clapin’s Meanwhile On Earth.

Charades will host the first market screening for buyers of Oh My Goodness! after selling the anticipated title from veteran filmmaker Tirard to Prokino in Germany, Selecta Vision in Spain, I Wonder in Italy, Cineart in Benelux, Praesens in Switzerland, Thim Films in Austria, Ads in Hungary,...

Paris-based outfit releases first look image from Jérémy Clapin’s Meanwhile On Earth.

Paris-based Charades has sold Laurent Tirard’s Oh My Goodness! (Juste Ciel!) to a slew of territories and will kick off sales on several all-new titles at Unifrance’s annual Rendez-Vous in Paris including Jérémy Clapin’s Meanwhile On Earth.

Charades will host the first market screening for buyers of Oh My Goodness! after selling the anticipated title from veteran filmmaker Tirard to Prokino in Germany, Selecta Vision in Spain, I Wonder in Italy, Cineart in Benelux, Praesens in Switzerland, Thim Films in Austria, Ads in Hungary,...

Gaumont has closed key deals on Rémi Bezançon’s “The Mystery of Henri Pick,” which is having its market premiere at the European Film Market.

The mystery-comedy, which is headlined by French stars Fabrice Luchini and Camille Cottin, was produced by Mandarin Production, the company behind Francois Ozon’s Berlinale competition film “By the Grace of God.”

Gaumont has sold the film to Germany (Neue Visionen), Italy (I Wonder Pictures), Canada (Az), Spain (A Contracorriente), Switzerland (Pathé), Benelux (Athena), Portugal (Films 4 You), Greece (Feelgood Entertainment), Hungary (Hungaricom), Poland (Aurora), Israel (Shoval), the Middle East (Four Star), China (Huanxi), South Korea (The Coup/Activers) and Taiwan (Creative Century).

“The Mystery of Henri Pick” was adapted from the novel by David Foenkinos that has been translated in multiple languages. The film follows a young editor working at a library in Brittany who finds an extraordinary manuscript and decides to publish it. While the novel becomes a bestseller,...

★★☆☆☆ Kicking off an animated children's film with a pair of terrified young slaves bound in chains being intimidated by a vicious mutt is unconventional to say the least. However, this is the departure point chosen by the directorial pairing of Rémi Bezançon and Jean-Christophe Lie whose new film, Zarafa (2012), takes as its inspiration the true story of France's first giraffe, building an adventurous story around how the exotic long-necked creature found its new European home.

Batul Mukhtiar won the Golden Elephant trophy for Best Live Action Director for Kaphal in the Competition International Live Action section at the International Children’s Film Festival of India.

Tamaash or The Puppet by Satyanshu Singh and Devanshu Singh won the Golden Elephant trophy for Best Short, Children’s Jury. The film was competing in the International Shorts section.

Shilpa Ranade’s Goopi Gawaiya Bagha Bajaiya was awarded the Jury Prize for Best Artwork and Arnab Chaudhuri’s Arjun won a Golden Elephant trophy for Best Animation Feature, Children’s Jury. Both films were competing in the International Animation competition section.

The 18th edition of the festival was held in Hyderabad from November 14 – 20, 2013.

Complete list of winners:

Competition Little Directors

Golden Elephant trophy for Best Little Director – Breaking The Silence by Siddhanth Joshi and Tamatar Chor by Pawanjot Singh.

Golden Plaque for Second Best Little Director – Ecole Mondiale World...

The 18th International Children’s Film Festival of India has announced the competition lineup for 2013. Some of the well-known Indian films in competition are Nagraj Manjule’s Fandry [Read interview], Shilpa Ranade’s Goopi Gawaiya Bagha Bajaiya [Read interview] and Batul Mukhtiar’s Kaphal.

Organized by the Children’s Film Society of India, the biennial festival also known as The Golden Elephant will be held from November 14-20, 2013 in Hyderabad.

Competition Live Action

A Horse on the Balcony

Dir.: Hüseyin Tabak (Austria)

Tainá – an Amazon Legend

Dir.: Rosanne Svartman (Brazil)

Havanastation

Dir.: Ian Padrón (Cuba)

The Great Bird Chase

Dir.: Christian Dyekjær (Denmark)

Horizon Beautiful

Dir.: Stefan Jäger (Ethiopia, Switzerland)

Windstrom

Germany

Igor and the Cranes’ Journey

Dir.: Evgeny Ruman (Germany, Israel, Poland)

Fandry

Dir.: Nagraj Manjule (India)

Kaphal

Dir.: Batul Mukhtiar (India)

Good Fellows

Iran

7 Days of Himmawari and her Puppies

Dir.: Emiko Hiramatsu (Japan)

Mother,...

Still from Populaire

After Delhi, the French Film Festival will travel to Mumbai from March 2-5, 2013. Six contemporary French films will be screened at PVR Juhu and Liberty Cinema in Mumbai.

The four day festival will open with Régis Roinsard’s Populaire and close with Noémie Lvovsky’s Camille Rewinds (Camille redouble).

Entry is free on first come first served basis; entry passes will be available 45 minutes before the show timing at the venue.

A part of the Bonjour India- Festival of France, the festival will travel to five more cities in India. Bonjour India 2013 is a cultural exchange programme between India and France in the fields of art, literature, cinema, education, sports, fashion, photography and the performing arts. The film festival aims to promote contemporary French cinema in India.

Schedule:

Saturday, March 2 – Liberty Cinema

4:00 pm: Populaire by Régis Roinsard

6:30 pm: In the House (Dans la maison) by François Ozon

Sunday,...

Still from The Dandelions

Six contemporary French films will be screened at PVR Anupam Saket in New Delhi as part of the Bonjour India- Festival of France from February 22 – 24, 2013. The festival will travel to seven cities with an aim to promote contemporary French cinema in India.

Entry is free on first come first served basis; entry passes will be available 45 minutes before the show timing at the venue.

Bonjour India 2013 is a cultural exchange programme between India and France in the fields of art, literature, cinema, education, sports, fashion, photography and the performing arts.

Schedule:

Friday, February 22

6:00 pm: Populaire by Régis Roinsard

9:00 pm: In the House (Dans la maison) by François Ozon

Saturday, February 23

3:00 pm: Zarafa by Rémi Bezançon

6:00 pm: Hand in Hand (Main dans la main) by Valérie Donzelli

Sunday, February 24

3:00 pm: The Dandelions (Du vent dans mes mollets) by Carine Tardieu

6:00 pm:...

The July 19th start of Montreal's 16th annual Fantasia International Film Festival is drawing closer (it runs through August 7th), and the powers-that-be have announced the second wave of films along with a few selections from the new Axis section of the event.

Fantasia Announces The Satoshi Kon Award For Achievement In Animation + A New Section Dedicated To International Animation Cinema + Second Wave Title Announcements

The art of animation in its many forms and disciplines has always had a strong place at Fantasia. This year, the festival has decided to give the form its own permanent section: Axis. From social realism to mind-bending fantasy, all styles and sensibilities will be showcased, now on a greater scale than ever. Further, the festival is proud to be rechristening its animation jury prize as The Satoshi Kon Award for Achievement in Animation, named after the dear, departed visionary whose feature debut, Perfect Blue,...

Independent distributor GKids has picked up Us distribution rights to the French animated feature Zarafa. Directed by Rémi Bezançon and Jean-Christophe Lie, the 78-minute film is a beautifully hand-drawn work of animation about a 10-year-old named Maki and the orphaned giraffe, Zarafa, who go on an epic adventure from the Sudan, where Maki escapes from slave traders, to Alexandria, Marseille and Paris. The family-friendly film is in French with English subtitles. The film debuted at the Berlinale earlier this year, and has since screened at a number of film festivals.  It's a film that's escaped us, so none of us has seen it yet. But that...

Unless you count Roman Polanski’s Tess as a significant invite, Pathe International is pretty much relegated to market screenings, but this week it was announced that Denis Villeneuve’s An Enemy to be shot in Toronto with Jake Gyllenhaal, so it looks like there is definitely something to look forward to with this French sales co.

An Enemy by Denis Villeneuve

Beauty And The Beast (La Belle Et La BÊTE) by Christophe Gans

Jappeloup by Christian Duguay

Alceste A Bicyclette by Philippe Le Guay

Bowling by Marie-Castille Mention Schaar

Happiness Never Comes Alone (Un Bonheur N’Arrive Jamais Seul) by James Huth

Houba! On The Trail Of The Marsupilami (Sur La Piste Du Marsupilami) by Alain Chabat

It Happened In Saint Tropez (Des Gens Qui S’Embrassent) by Danièle Thompson

Last Passenger by Omid Nooshin

My Best Holidays (Nos Plus Belles Vacances) by Philippe Lellouche

No One Lives by Ryuhei Kitamura

Sea,...

Comes a Bright Day

"With another twelve world premieres and three international premieres, Generation’s feature-length film program is now complete," the Berlinale's announced today. "A total of 58 short and full-length films from 32 countries have been selected for the Generation Kplus and Generation 14plus competitions." Straight from the release, then, with descriptions from the festival:

Generation 14plus

Comes a Bright Day (Great Britain, by Simon Aboud) – Against the backdrop of an armed robbery at a London jewellers, much more is at stake than money. Where diamonds are involved, love is not far. Cast: Craig Roberts, Imogen Poots, Kevin McKidd, Timothy Spall and others. World Premiere. Site.

Lal Gece (Night of Silence, Turkey, by Reis Çelik) – When the groom lifts the bride’s veil, he is looking into the face of a 14-year-old girl. As tradition has it, a night in the bridal chamber seals the marriage. Cast: Ilyas Salman, Dilan Aksüt and others.

News is rolling out of Toronto for this year's festival, with the Galas and the Special Presentations sections announced.  As always with Tiff, the sheer number of films can seem overwhelming, but with new films by David Cronenberg (A Dangerous Method, pictured above), Terence Davies (!), Francis Ford Coppola, Wang Xiaoshuai, Marjane Satrapi & Vincent Paronnaud, and William Friedkin added to big names that premiered already this year (including Almodóvar, Von Trier, Nanni Moretti, and Nicolas Winding Refn) it looks like the 2011 iteration will be as packed with must-see cinema as ever before.  We'll be updating this listing as new lineups are announced.  See Tiff's official website for details.

Galas

Albert Nobbs (Rodrigo Garcia, Ireland) Butter (Jim Field Smith, USA) A Dangerous Method (David Cronenberg, France/Ireland/UK/Germany/Canada) From the Sky Down (Davis Guggenheim, USA) A Happy Event (Rémi Bezançon, France) The Ides of March (George Clooney, USA) The Lady (Luc Besson,...

Pure Movies is giving away three copies of The First Day Of The Rest Of Your Life, a film by Rémi Bezançon and starring Jacques Gamblin, Zabou Brietman, Deborah Francois, Marc-Andre Grondin and Pio Marmai. Marie-Jeanne and Robert have three children: Albert, Raphaël and Fleur. This portrait of their family is sketched out over twelve years, through five key days. Five crucial days in the life of a five-person family. Five days that are more important then any others, and after which nothing will ever be the same again.

Peter Bradshaw finds Rémi Bezançon's French box-office hit closer to a moderate TV drama than a feature film

Rémi Bezançon's family movie has been a huge box office hit on its home turf in France and the winner of many Césars: it is amiable enough, although I found it closer to a moderate TV drama than a feature film. It is a sort of intimate, episodic saga, following the ups and downs of Robert, a taxi driver played by Jacques Gamblin, his wife Marie-Jeanne (Zabou Breitman) and their three children as they develop from teens into grownups. The youngsters cope with the challenge of being adults, the parents with the challenge of the looming empty nest. The conceit is that the movie will dramatise five key days in their group history - although the rigour of this approach is undermined with flashbacks. Reasonable enough, but underpowered.

DramaWorld cinemaPeter Bradshaw

guardian.

• A biopic about an unknown painter cleaned up the 34th edition of the Cesar awards (France's equivalent to the Oscars). You would have thought that it was an homage to Sean Penn (the actor was in attendance, first row ticket) and the dearly departed Claude Berri, but this was Martin Provost's night upsetting favorites Jean-François Richet and Mesrine (who won for Best Director and Best Actor) and the Palme d'Or winner The Class from Laurent Cantet winner went home with only the Best Adapted Film. Séraphine won a total of seven awards.  Kristin Scott Thomas didn't claim the top prize for Best Actress for I've Loved You So Long (the prize went to Yolande Moreau in Séraphine) but Philippe Claudel won for Best First Film and a very emotional Elsa Zylberstein grabbed the Best Supporting Actress nod. Finally, a little bit of redemption here for Best Foreign Picture,

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