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Still from The Artist

The 2011 edition of Mumbai Film Festival can boast of a strong French connection. Not only does it include a strong line-up of French films in a special section, but it will also celebrate the 50th anniversary of Cannes Critics Week by presenting a retrospective of 25 films.

The special section called ‘Rendez-vous with French Cinema’ will be co-organized with the French Embassy in India and Unifrance. For those who remember, this is the fourth edition of the event in Mumbai which has been merged with the Mumbai Film Festival this year. The past three editions were held separately as film festivals. This section will bring to Mumbai some of the critically acclaimed contemporary French films which include The Artist by Michel Hazanavicius, The Snows of Kilimanjaro by Robert Guédiguian and Declaration of War by ValérieDonzelli.

The Artist which will open the section competed at the Cannes Film...

To spotlight France's young filmmakers, the first ever online French film festival will run January 14 to 29, 2011, thanks to Unifrance and Allociné, France's Centre National de la Cinématographie and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ten features (either from first or second time directors, with recent French releases), ten shorts and select classic films will be available via Video On Demand with several language subtitle options. They will award three prizes: one voted by online public viewers, another by foreign bloggers and another by the international press. As of December, the festival's site, myfrenchfilmfestival.com, will be up with trailers and interviews. Festival selections include: Feature Film Selection Adieu Gary by Nassim Amaouche with Jean-Pierre Bacri In a working class city, abandoned by most of ...

Ok, I know that I'm almost one month late. After all, the list of the candidates for the Best Male and Female Hopes has been public knowledge since November 25. Anyway, I just want to post the information since I'm a lover of French culture. Enjoy.

The 2010 César for the Best Female Hope:

Marie-Julie Baup in Micmacs à tire-larigot

Astrid Berges Frisbey in Un barrage contre le Pacifique

Agathe Bonitzer in Un chat un chat

Sophie Cattani in Je suis heureux que ma mère soit vivante

Judith Davis in Je te mangerais

Anaïs Demoustier in Sois sage

Mati Diop in 35 rhums

Pauline Etienne in Qu’un seul tienne et les autres suivront

Alice de Lencquesaing in Le père de mes enfants

Florence Loiret-Caille in Je l’aimais

Sara Martins in Mensch

Lola Naymark in L’armée du crime

Vimala Pons in La Sainte Victoire

Soko in A l’Origine

Christa Theret...

With only Alain Resnais’ Les Herbes Folles and Bruno Dumont's Hadewijch as possible upset win scenario's, Jacques Audiard’s A Prophet was the logical winner for France’s Louis Delluc prize of best French film of the year. - With only Alain Resnais’ Les Herbes Folles and Bruno Dumont's Hadewijch as possible upset win scenario's, Jacques Audiard’s A Prophet was the logical winner for France’s Louis Delluc prize of best French film of the year. Other nominess in the category included: Xavier Giannoli's A L’Origine, Christophe Honore’s Non Ma Fille Tu N’Iras Pas Danser, Claude and Nathan Miller’s Je Suis Heureux Que Ma Mere Soit Vivante, Philippe Lioret’s Welcome and Alain Cavalier's Irene. A Prophet will probably duke it out versus The White Ribbon this year at...

Paris -- First-time directors will be center stage at this year's 48th annual International Critics Week, where eight of nine announced competition titles will be up for the Camera d'Or.

As previously announced, first-time filmmaker Mathias Gokalp's "Rien de Personnel" (Nothing Personal) will open the Festival de Cannes sidebar. And fellow French filmmaker Nassim Amaouche will screen his dark drama "Adieu Gary," which stars actor-director Jean-Pierre Bacri alongside Dominique Reymond, Yasmine Belmadi, Sabrina Ouazani and Mahmed Arezki.

"It's been an extraordinary year for French cinema. We couldn't have done it any other way," Critics Week artistic director Jean-Christophe Berjon said. "This is the first time there have been so many great French titles to choose from for as long as I've been doing this. It's just great!"

Vladimir Perisic will present his directorial debut, "The Ordinary People," a Franco-Serbian co-production about how ordinary men can turn into monsters.

"What's...

• Actor Jean-Pierre Darroussin should be making a second consecutive appearance at the Cannes Critics' Week this year, the 48th edition will commence the festivities with the debut feature film from Mathias Gokalp and the actor top-lines Rien De Personnel (Nothing Personal) with co-stars Denis Podalydes, Zabou Breitman, Pascal Greggory, Melanie Doutey and Bouli Lanners. Written by Nadine Lamari, in order to launch its top secret new product, the Muller pharmaceutical company throws an extravagant party where directors, managers and employees are all invited. During the course of the evening, the guests are asked to participate in a role-playing game which, it turns out, is actually a massive training simulation for the management team. Rumors soon circulate that the company is up for sale, and the panic has everyone trying to save their own skin. The Critic's Week folks also announced the addition of another first time film from another French filmmaker.

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