Le Brio, Bloody Milk, C'EST LA VIE!, Luna, Promise at Dawn, The Age of Stateless, Proud, Infidelity, Take Top Honors at 22nd COLCOA French Film Festival

After a whirlwind week of French films and record breaking attendance, Le Brio, Bloody Milk, C’EST LA VIE!, Promise at Dawn and Infidelity from Television, Film, Shorts, and Digital  were among the jury prizes awarded. 

The Franco-American Cultural Fund, a collaboration between the Directors Guild of America, the Motion Picture Association, The Writers Guild of America West and France’s Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music (SACEM), announced the awards for the 22nd edition of COLCOA French Film Festival.

LE BRIO Wins LAFCA Jury Award and BLOODY MILK/Petit Paysan Wins Audience Award.

COLCOA Cinema – Eight Awards

This year’s LAFCA film jury was comprised of Lael Lowenstein (KPCC’s FilmWeek), Wade Major (KPCC’s FilmWeek, DigiGods, CineGods.com) and Chuck Wilson (LA Weekly and Village Voice).

LE BRIO, written and directed by Yvan Attal was awarded the COLCOA LAFCA Critics Award/Prix de la Critique by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Jury at the 22nd edition of COLCOA French Film Festival.

Jury Statement

At a time of heightened racial and religious tensions on both sides of the Atlantic, writer/director Yvan Attal’s superb LE BRIO shines a hopeful light on a subject too often relegated to dark prognostications. In blending elements from such classics as PYGMALION and THE PAPER CHASE with serious issues of contemporary concern, Attal’s smart, elegantly-crafted and superbly entertaining film is both socially relevant and artistically proficient, making it the perfect choice for our COLCOA jury.  In the hands of veteran Daniel Auteuil and dazzling newcomer Camélia Jordana, Attal’s crackling dialogue becomes the spark that sets off one of the most incendiary screen pairings in recent years.


The 22nd Annual COLCOA French Film Festival Opens


C’EST LA VIE!/Le Sens de la fête, written and directed by Éric Toledano & Olivier Nakache, was awarded the LAFCA Critics Special Prize/Prix Special de la Critique.

Jury Statement

C’EST LA VIE! is further confirmation that Éric Toledano and Olivier Nakache are among the most skilled filmmakers currently working anywhere in the world. It’s an unbelievable juggling act — folding an unwieldy number of characters and subplots into a single, frenetic event — that manages to be as life-affirming as it technically accomplished.

LUNA, written and directed by Elsa Diringer, received the Best First Feature Award/Prix du Meilleur Premiere Film.

Jury Statement

Our jury also celebrates the achievement of first-time writer/director Elsa Diringer whose LUNA stands apart from a host of other films wrestling with the contemporary challenges of youth. Anchored by a sterling lead performance from Laëtitia Clément, LUNA is at once heartbreaking and impassioned, deeply empathetic and bracingly optimistic.

BLOODY MILK/Petit Paysan, written and directed by Hubert Charuel, won the distinguished COLCOA Audience Award/Prix du Public.

PROMISE AT DAWN/La Promesse de l’aube, written and directed by Éric Barbier, opened the festival, and won the Audience Special Prize/Prix Special du Public.

MAKALA, directed by Emmanual Gras, received the Best Documentary Award/Prix du Meilleur Documentaire.

CUSTODY/Jusqu’ à la garde, written and directed by Xavier Legrand, was awarded the Coming Soon Award, which is awarded to a film with a U.S. distributor.   The film will be released by Kino Lorber later this year.

SEE YOU UP THERE/Au revoir là-haut, written and directed by Albert Dupontel, won the American Students Award/Prix des Etudiants Amercains.  This award was voted on exclusively by a jury of ten students from local area high schools and colleges.

COLCOA Television – Four Awards

Presented in association with TV France International and TITRAFILM, the COLCOA Television competition awarded four programs the following awards:

THE AGE OF STATELESS/Le Temps des égarés, written by Gaëlle Belland, directed by Virginie Sauveur, received the Best TV Movie Award/Prix du Meilleur Telefilm.

PROUD/Fiertes, written by José Caltagirone, Niels Rahou, Philippe Faucon and directed by Philippe Faucon, was awarded the Best TV Series Award/Prix de la Meilleure Serie and theAudience Award (TV Series)/Prix de L’Audiene (Serie).

INFIDELITY/Un Adultere written by Eric Assous, Stéphanie Vasseur and directed by Philippe Harel, was honored with the TV Movie Audience Award/Prix de L’Audience Telefilm.

COLCOA Shorts – Four Awards

GRAMS/Petites filles, written/directed by Camille Japy, won the Best Short Film Award/Prix du Meilleur Court Metrage.

THE WRINKLES/Les Bigorneaux, written/directed by Alice Vial, received both the Best Short Film Special Prize/Prix Special du Court Metrage and the Audience Short Film Award/Prix de L’audience Court Metrage.

HYBRIDS, written/directed by Romain Thirion, Florian Brauch, Matthieu Pujol, Kim Tailhades, and Yohan Thireau,was awarded the inaugural Best Animated Short/Prix du Court Metrage d’animation.

COLCOA Digital Series – One Award

BIARRITZ SURF GANG, written and directed by Nathan Curren and Pierre Denoyel, was awarded The Best Digital Series/Prix de la Meilleure Serie Digitale.


World Premiere Of 'Ce Magnifique Gâteau !' During Official 50th Anniversary Ceremony Of Cannes Directors' Fortnight


86 films, television series, digital series and VR programs were presented at COLCOA this year and 33 features, 4 documentaries, 23 short films, 12 television series, and 4 digital series competed for the 2018 COLCOA Awards. Films details: www.colcoa.org/

This year’s festival opened on Monday, April 23 with the North American Premiere of writer/director Eric Barbier’s PROMISE AT DAWN and closed with the North American premiere of Cedric Kahn’s new drama THE PRAYER on Monday, April 30.  Writer, director and actress Mélanie Laurent was honored as the “Focus on a Filmmaker” and composer Laurent Perez Del Mar was honored with the “Focus on a Composer.”  Happy Hour talks included France’s Female New Wave with panelists w/d Sou Abadi (SOME LIKE IT VEILED, w/d Elisa Diringer (LUNA), actor Camélia Jordana (LE BRIO and SOME LIKE IT VEILED), w/d Nawell Madani (STAND UP GIRL) and w/d Marie-Garel Weiss (THE PARTY’S OVER) and a panel with several of the festival filmmakers including w/d Eric Barbier (PROMISE AT DAWN), w/d Samuel Benchetrit (DOG), w/d Hubert Charuel (BLOODY MILK), w/d/p Charles de Meaux (THE LADY IN THE PORTRAIT), w/d Xavier Legrand (CUSTODY) and w/d Marie-Garel Weiss (PARTY’S OVER).

Other attendees included director Jon Amiel, writer, director, producer Lucia Aniello, composer Jean-Michel Bernard, Anthony Bajon (THE PRAYER), director Modi Barry (CHATEAU), w/d Dany Boon (FAMILY IS FAMILY), director James Bort (RISE OF A STAR), actor Isabelle Candelier (BLOODY MILK), w/d Christian Carion (MY SON), author Erri De Luca, Prima Ballerina at Paris Opera Ballet Dorothée Gilbert (RISE OF A STAR), actor Vanessa Guide (LET THE GIRLS PLAY), w/d Taylor Hackford, musician Jean-Michel Jarre, w/d Philippe Le Guay (NAKED NORMANDY), writer, director, producer and education Jeremy Kagan, actor Xavier Lemaître (INFIDELITY), actor Gong Li, w/d Michael Mann, w/d Mike Mills, actor Vanessa Paradis (DOG), composer Lalo Schifrin (Honoree), singer Hélène Ségara. w/d Francis Veber (THE DINNER GAME), and w/d Marie-Garrel Weiss (PARTY’S OVER).

COLCOA FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL is presented by the Franco-American Cultural Fund, a unique collaboration between the Directors Guild of America, the Motion Picture Association, the Writers Guild of America West, and France’s Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music (SACEM). COLCOA is also supported by France’s Society of Authors, Directors and Producers (L’ARP), the Film and TV Office of the French Embassy in Los Angeles, the CNC, TV France International, and Unifrance.

COLCOA FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL is sponsored by Air Tahiti Nui, TV5MONDE, Variety (Official Sponsors); Admirable Malibu Wines, Airstar America, Barnstormer, France Télévisions, KPCC 89.3, Los Angeles Times, Champagne Trésor de France, The Hollywood Reporter (Premier Sponsors); Club Culinaire of Southern California, ELMA, LA Confidential, Sunset Marquis, Titra Film (Major Sponsors); Alliance Française de Los Angeles, Cinando, D’Alessio Law Group, Discover Hollywood, Duverger, Laemmle, Marché du Film/Festival de Cannes, Miraval/Vineyard Brands/La Vielille Ferme, Office de Tourisme Epernay, Paul M. Young Fine Wines, (Platinum Sponsors); Cinelife, Delair Labs, France-Amérique, French Morning, Gayot, Hénaff Gonidec, La Chouquette, Le Grenouille Selections/The Source Imports, Locations Wines, Lycée International Los Angeles, Mademoiselle M, MAC, Petit Pot, Rosenthal, Samsung, Sharingbox, Tealeaves (Supporting Sponsors).

For additional information visit:  www.colcoa.org

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