40 new films, including 20 features (all premieres) and 20 new shorts, will be shown at the 11th Annual City of Lights, City of Angels (COL•COA). Acclaimed Berlin Film Festival opening film, “La Vie En Rose,” writer-director Olivier Dahan’s masterful biopic of Edith Piaf, starring Marion Cotillard and Gérard Depardieu, will open the showcase on Monday, April 16, 2007. Picturehouse will release the film on June 8th in New York and Los Angeles. The U.S. Premiere of “Michou D’Auber” (also starring Depardieu) written and directed by Thomas Gilou, will be the closing night film on April 21st.
COL•COA’s program will feature a bevy of performances by popular actors, including Marion Cotillard, Audrey Tautou, Cécile de France, Emmanuelle Béart, Nathalie Baye and Catherine Deneuve, as well as two of Britain’s popular bi-lingual stars, Kristin Scott Thomas and Charlotte Rampling. Some of the most representative filmmakers of the new generation will present their films, including Olivier Dahan, Olivier Assayas, Bruno Dumont, Guillaume Canet, Pierre Salvadori, Roschdy Zem, Antoine de Caunes and Thomas Gilou.
“Following the goal of its producer, the Franco-American Cultural Fund, COL•COA is now a well established event which facilitates exchange among American
and French filmmakers. It has become an important showcase for the promotion of talent and new films, not only in Hollywood, but also in the U.S.,” stated Festival Director and Programmer François Truffart. “2007 should be a good year for French cinema in the U.S., as more films have recently been bought. Our line up emphasizes this trend with several premieres of soon-to-be-released films. COL•COA is also a unique platform for distributors and exhibitors to test French language films with an audience,” he added.
City of Lights, City of Angels is funded by the Franco-American Cultural Fund, a unique collaboration of the Directors Guild of America (DGA); the Motion Picture Association (MPA); France’s Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music (SACEM) and the Writers Guild of America West (WGAW); with the vital support of the Los Angeles Film and TV Office of the French Embassy, L’ARP (France’s Association of Directors and Producers) and Unifrance.
An added attraction is the West Coast premiere of “Paris, je t’aime,” a multi-segment love letter to Paris by multiple writer-directors, hosted by Olivier Assayas. First Look Pictures will release the film in May 2007. COL•COA is also proud to present the U.S. Premiere of “Priceless” (Hors de prix), a new Pierre Salvadori comedy with Audrey Tautou and Gad Elmaleh, set for a U.S. fall release by Samuel Goldwyn Films. Audrey Tautou also stars in the new Claude Berri film, “Hunting and Gathering” (Ensemble, c’est tout) a COL•COA North American premiere.
Other highlights: the U.S. Premiere of “Mon Colonel,” a new Costa-Gavras production directed by Laurent Herbiet, the West Coast Premiere of multi-César winner “Tell No One” (Ne le dis à personne) directed by Guillaume Canet and starring François Cluzet (2006 César for Best Director and Actor) and adapted from a Harlan Coben novel, the Cannes Film Festival Grand Prix du Jury winner, “Flanders” (Flandres), written and directed by Bruno Dumont, opening in Los Angeles June 8th by International Film Circuit, as well as the special 11th Anniversary screening, “The Singer” (Quand j’étais chanteur) written and directed by Xavier Giannoli, starring Gérard Depardieu and Cécile de France.
The Friday evening Film noir series returns with two North American Premieres and one U.S. Premiere, as well as the popular Free Sunday Special including the Audience Choice Award re-run, and “A Short Afternoon,” the compilation screening of all 20 shorts, served with a COL•COA birthday cake. The featured documentary film will be “The General Store,” (Alimentation générale), a moving study of a multi-ethnic population that frequents a local convenience store in a poor suburban Paris neighborhood. The film will be screened in the established Thursday early evening program.
Coming this year is a series of three panel discussions in association with Variety: “The Happy Hour Talks.” From Tuesday through Thursday, the audience and industry professionals are invited to lively exchange on the future of foreign cinema in theaters, distribution strategy for foreign films, as well as the influence of American cinema on French filmmakers. All panels are followed by a wine & cheese reception with the French delegation and guest speakers, just before the screenings. (Free access with same-day film ticket)
City of Lights, City of Angels is sponsored by KTLA, TV5MONDE, Air France (Premier Sponsors), LA Weekly, Sunset Marquis Hotel and Villas (Official Sponsors), Mumm Cordon Rouge, Club Culinaire of French Cuisine, AirStar, Variety (Major Sponsors) and Agnès B, Arthouse Marketing, Éclair, EMI Classics, Evelyne Ustarroz, Film Commission Ile de France, Hollywood Blonde, IndieWIRE, Laemmle Theatres, Matisse, Media Concepts, MSI Music, Regency Wines, The Hollywood Reporter, Vivendi Games and Volvic-Badoit (Supporting Sponsors).
All screenings are in French with English subtitles. Tickets are available for advance purchase online at www.colcoa.org and at the Directors Guild of America, 7920 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles CA 90046 (cash or checks only). Please refer to web site for box office days and hours. Ticket prices are $10 for adults ($7 for documentary), $7 tickets for seniors (+62) and members of: American Cinematheque, ASC, ICG, Film Independent, IFTA, LACMA, SAG, Women in Film. New this year: Half Price tickets ($5) for students and under 21. Sunday is free as well as The Happy Hour Talks with same-day film ticket.