The Cinéfondation, by looking out for creative talent wherever it arises, can be seen as a laboratory that enables the Festival de Cannes to play its forward-looking role to the full. Applying the same principles of artistic excellence and geographical diversity, the Cinéfondation performs its role upstream of the Festival selection processes.
This year, the Selection of the Cinéfondation is screening 16 graduate films including two animated movies, representing eleven countries and three continents 1,589 films were viewed, originating from 360 film schools in 82 countries. Four new schools are represented this year and, for the first time, the selection features an Italian fiction entry! The jury, headed by Michel Gondry, will announce the three Cinéfondation Prizes on 20 May. Both sessions of the Résidence 2011 (21 and 22) will be represented at the Festival and the films will
be screened by Cannes Short Films. The residents will present their scripts at a session held in the CNC pavilion and meetings will be organised with industry professionals who are interested in their projects
This year, the Atelier has selected 15 projects from 15 countries.The directors will take part in the Festival de Cannes along with their producers and individual meetings will be organised to help them arrange additional funding to complete their films. Escafandra by Pablo Reyero (Argentina) – Now is the Future of the Past by Huang Weikai (China) – Augustine by Alice Winocour (France) – Khibula by George Ovashvili (Georgia) – Luton by Michalis Konstantatos (Greece) – Hier by Bálint Kenyeres (Hungary) – The Train Station by Mohamed Al-
Daradji (Iraq) – Of Our Economical Situation by Elad Keidan (Israel) – Il Sud è Niente by Fabio Mollo (Italy) – La delgada línea amarilla by Celso García (Mexico) – Full Contact by David Verbeek (Netherlands) – El Mudo by Daniel & Diego Vega (Peru) – Wolf by Bogdan Mustata (Romania) – Kings by Deniz Ergüven (Turkey) – Mr Kaplan by Alvaro Brechner (Uruguay)
Pablo Reyero presented La Cruz del Sur in Un Certain Regard in 2003.
Bálint Kenyeres was in competition with his short film Before Dawn in 2005
Elad Keidan received the First Prize of the Cinéfondation in 2008 for Anthem
David Verbeek showed R U There in Un Certain Regard in 2010
Daniel and Diego Vega showed Octubre in Un Certain Regard in 2010
Deniz Gamze Ergüven participated in the Cinéfondation Selection in 2006 with Bir Damla Su
The Cinéfondation was created in 1998. Its mission is based on three complementary strategies: The Cinéfondation Selection, which presents movies from film schools in the framework of the Official Selection, The Cinéfondation Résidence, which hosts twelve young directors in Paris each year to help them finalise the script of their first or second film, The Cinéfondation Atelier, which invites around fifteen international directors and their producers to Cannes to help them arrange additional funding to complete their projects. The filmmakers are selected on the merit of their projects.