COLCOA French Film Festival, Held at the DGA, Opens September 23 and Runs Until September 28

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The Franco-American Cultural Fund has announced the programs for the Television section and the films that will be featured in the Shorts section at the 23rd edition of the COLCOA French Film Festival as part of Hollywood Awards Season.

The festival runs from September 23-28 at the Directors Guild of America. The Television section includes 11 selections comprised of five series, four TV movies and one documentary, with one additional title to be announced in August, and features six international premieres.

The section is presented in association with TITRAFILM and TV France International, with the support of the following studios: Federation, Film & Pictures, Lagardère Studios, Newen, Playtime, SND Groupe M6, StudioCanal, TF1 Studio. The 16 Shorts section is presented in with the support of Unifrance. All programs, including the Television and Shorts sections, will compete for the 2019 COLCOA Awards.


Once Upon A Time in Hollywood - Four Stars, Mesmerizing, Magical

Television Competition (in association with TITRAFILM):

APNEA / Une Île (TV Series) – International Premiere. Drama, fantasy. A Mediterranean island is rocked by a lack of fishing and a series of suspicious deaths. Strangely, these events coincide with the arrival of a stranger on the island, who will throw the young Chloé into deep confusion. A highly anticipated mini-series and a fantasy creation that revisits the myth of mermaids. Created and written by Gaia Guasti and Aurelien Molas. directed by Julien Trousselier, with Laetitia Casta, Noée Abita, Sergi Lopez, Manuel Severi, Alba Gaia Bellugi. Broadcast on Arte in France and being sold by Lagradere Studios.

FAMILY SHAKE / Le Grand Bazar (TV Series – Season 1) – North American Premiere. Comedy. Samia and Nicolas want to have a peaceful family life with the birth of their first baby and their respective children from previous relationships. But they can’t escape their parents, siblings, ex-partners and coworkers who all play a part in their lives. Meet the Rousseau-Bensaïds, a mixed and blended family as offbeat as it is complicated! Created by Baya Kasmi, written by Baya Kasmi, Michel Leclerc, Sarah Kaminsky, Lyès Salem, Directed by Baya Kasmi, with Nailia Harzoune, Grégory Montel, Lyès Salem, Julia Piaton, Biyouna, Djemel Barek, Christiane Millet, François Levantal. Broadcast on M6 in France and being sold by SND Group M6

HOSTAGE(S) / Otage(s) (Documentary) – North American Premiere

Tourists, relief workers, corporate employees, journalists… All these men and women were taken hostage at one point or another by infamous groups such as FARC, AQMI, AlQaeda, Al-Nusra and the Taliban. They all suffered through the living hell of captivity then experienced the rebirth of being released and taking up their lives again back home. For the very first time, they open up and share things they’ve never been able to say before. Written and directed by Michel Peyrard and Damien Vercaemer. A Canal+ original creation. Broadcast on Canal+ in France and being sold by Newen.

HUNGRY FOR LOVE / Connexion Intime (TV Movie) – International Premiere

Drama. In her new school, 15-year-old Chloé soon becomes a close friend of charismatic free spirit Luna. She also falls in love with Luna’s ex-boyfriend Félix, a bad boy with a poisonous charm who is also a porn addict. Written by Laure de Colbert, directed by Renaud Bertrand, with Lucie Carpiaux, Marilyn Lima, Jules Houplain, Mahia Zrouki. Broadcast on France 2 in France and being sold by Film & Pictures.


SKIN Review - Powerful Character Driven Hypnotic Performances, Mesmerizing

THE INSIDE GAME / Jeux d’influence (TV Series – Season 1) – International Premiere. Drama, thriller. Inspired by a true story. Farmer Michel Villeneuve is diagnosed with leukemia after collapsing in a field he just sprayed with a weed killer made by the agrochemical giant Saskia. His childhood friend Guillaume Delpierre, a principled politician, crusades to get the pesticide banned, with help from his ambitious assistant Romain Corso. Written by Antoine Lacomblez, Jean-Xavier de Lestrade, Sophie Hiet, Pierre Linhart, directed by Jean-Xavier de Lestrade, with Alix Poisson, Laurent Stocker, Jean-François Sivadier, Pierre Perrier, Marilou Aussiloux. Broadcast on Arte in France and being sold by Newen.

JACQUELINE SAUVAGE, IT WAS HIM OR ME / Jacqueline Sauvage (TV Movie) – North American Premiere. Drama. Based on a true story. In 2012, Jacqueline shot three bullets into her husband's back. She gets convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison. With the unfaltering support of her daughters, and the work of dedicated lawyers, Jacqueline manages to come out of silence and little by little to tell the story of her personal hell. Will she be able to rise above her court conviction and win over public opinion? Written and directed by Yves Regnier, with Murielle Robin, Olivier Marchal. Broadcast in France on TF1 being sold by TF1 Studio.

LAST DANCE / La Fin de l’été (TV Movie) – International Premiere. Drama. Ali, 15, and Selim, 11, are spending their summer holidays in Dordogne with their grandparents André and Françoise. For Ali, it’s time to leave childhood behind and experience his first summer love. For Françoise, now reaching the end of her life, this summer will be the last moments of happiness shared with her loved ones: a last dance. Written and directed by Helene Angel, with Bernard Lecoq, Christiane Millet, Talid Ariss, Maël Rouin Berrandou, Alexia Chardard. Broadcast in France on Arte and being sold by Film & Pictures.

MENTAL / HP (TV Series – Season 1) – North American Premiere. Comedy, drama. Sheila is a young intern in psychiatry. She believes she can define, contain and heal madness and she is convinced that there are clear and defined boundaries between what is socially acceptable and what is not. But her bearings will slowly change; the cruelty of the psychiatric hospital will turn out to be far more welcoming than the harshness of a life way too standard. Created by Angela Soupe, Sarah Santamaria-Mertens, written by Angela Soupe Sarah Santamaria-Mertens, Camille Rousset, directed by Emilie Noblet, with Tiphaine Daviot, Marie Sohna Conde, Eric Naggar. Broadcast in France on Canal+ and being sold by Playtime.

THE SILVER FOREST / La Forêt d'argent (TV Movies) – International Premiere. Drama. Roxana is a young Romanian nanny looking after 8-year-old Georges, the son of David and Elizabeth. David is a financier at the European Bank of Strasbourg. Working on a project for a motorway across Romania, David asks Roxana for some help. This offer, far superior to anything she expected, sounds like a dream to her. But she doesn’t suspect the implacable machine that David has set in motion or the nightmare it will become. Written and directed by Emmanuel Bourdieu, based on Gaspard Koenigs novel "Kidnapping", with Nicolas Duvauchelle, Marina Palii, Julia Faure. Broadcast in France on Arte and being sold by Film & Pictures.

VERNON SUBUTEX (TV Series) – North American Premiere. Drama. Vernon Subutex, the unemployed former owner of legendary record shop Revolver, is evicted from his apartment in Paris. In his search for a place to stay, Vernon contacts his former friends who were involved in the music world with him in the 1990s. One of them is rock star Alex Bleach, who dies of an overdose shortly after they reunite, leaving behind three mysterious video tapes. Vernon collects them and slips anonymously into the city, where he soon becomes the most wanted man in Paris. Written by Cathy Verney and Benjamin Dupas, based on Virginie Despentes’ novel, directed by Cathy Verney, with Romain Duris, Céline Sallette. Broadcast in France on Canal+ and being sold Studio Canal.


The Fall of the American Empire Review – Riveting, A Race Against Time Thriller

Shorts Competition (Presented with the support of Unifrance)

ADAM’S SKIRT / La Jupe d’Adam, comedy written/directed by Clément Tréhin-Lalanne (produced by Films Grand-Huit)

BARKING DOGS / Les Chiens aboient, drama w/d by Grégory Montel (Fulldawa)

BRAZIL,comedy w/d byMathilde Elu (Films Grand-Huit)

DON’T ASK FOR YOUR WAY / Ne Demande pas ton chemin, comedyw/d by Déborah Assoun (Les Films du Cygne)

FIRE ME IF YOU CAN / Vire-moi si tu peux, comedy w/d by Camille Delamarre (Fulldawa Films)

I’M GOING OUT FOR CIGARETTES / Je sors acheter des cigarettes, animation, dramaw/d by Osman Cerfon (Miyu Productions)

INVISIBLE HEROE / Invisible héros, drama w/d by Cristèle Alves Meira (Kinology)

MEMORABLE / Mémorable, animation, dramaw/d by Bruno Collet (Vivement Lundi!)

MODERN JAZZ, dramaw/d by Anaïs Tellene (Caméra Subjective)

MY BRANCH SO THIN / Ma branche toute fine,dramaw/d by Dinara Droukarova (Rouge International)

MY GENERATION, animation, drama w/d by Ludovic Houplain (H5, Les Productions 50/50)

MY LADY OF THE CAMELLIA / Ma dame au camélia, comedy w/d by Édouard Montoute (Aldabra Films)


Burn Out Review - Gritty, Edgy, A High Octane Thrill Ride

ONE AFTER THE OTHER, animation, drama w/d by Nicolas Pegon (Miyu Productions)

PILE POIL, comedy, dramaw/d by Lauriane Escaffre and Yvonnick Muller (Qui Vive!)

SPEECHLESS / La Maman des poissons, comedy, dramaw/d by Zita Hanrot (Fulldawa Films)

WILD LOVE, animation, comedy, horror w/d by Paul Autric, Quentin Camus, Léa Georges, Maryka Laudet, Zoé Sottiaux, Corentin Yvergniaux (Ecole des Nouvelles Images)

 

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, TV France International, and Unifrance.

For additional information visit: www.colcoa.org