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May 14, 2015
MOVIE | Four days of happiness and artistry! The 20th COLCOA French Film Festival opens.
MOVIE | Four Happy & Artful Days
The 20th French Film Festival Opens
The French Film Festival, organized by UniFrance, an organization dedicated to the revival of French cinema, began in 1993. This year, it will be held from Thursday, June 21st, at the Yurakucho Asahi Hall and TOHO Cinemas Yurakucho. Featuring 17 films in total, including the opening film "The Intouchables" by directors Éric Toledano and Olivier Nakache.
Text by FUJITA Mayu (OPENERS)
Drama, Comedy, Animation... A Diverse Program of 12 Selections
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the French Film Festival. The opening film for this milestone year is "The Intouchables" by Éric Toledano and Olivier Nakache, winner of the Sakura Grand Prix at the 27th Tokyo International Film Festival.
This highly anticipated film, which drew over 19 million viewers in France and became a social phenomenon, was the top-grossing film in France in 2011.
The heartwarming human drama also surpassed one million viewers in South Korea within two weeks of its release and will be screened nationwide in Japan starting in September. The French Film Festival offers an early chance to see this film, and the directors themselves will be visiting Japan! This is an opportunity no film fan should miss.
"The Intouchables" © 2011 SPLENDIDO / GAUMONT / TF1 FILMS PRODUCTION / TEN FILMS / CHAOCORP
Other highlights include "The Players," a new comedy starring Jean Dujardin, winner of the Best Actor Oscar at the 84th Academy Awards; the trending dramas "Happy Event (tentative title)" and "Our Declaration of War," which explore the universal themes of childbirth and marital relationships; the epic 276-minute work "Mysteries of Lisbon (tentative title)" by the late master Raoul Ruiz, featuring distinctive French actors Melvil Poupaud and Léa Seydoux; and the animated film "Ernest & Celestine," selected for the Directors' Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival.
Additionally, the lineup features thrilling and hard-boiled action films, new installments of French horror with its long-standing cult following, and an art documentary focusing on Japanese filmmaker Masao Adachi. The diverse selection comprises 11 feature films and 6 short films, presented across 12 programs during the festival. This 20th anniversary promises a "supremely happy and artful" program suitable for all ages.
The 20th French Film Festival
Dates | June 21 (Thu) - 24 (Sun)
Venues | Yurakucho Asahi Hall, TOHO Cinemas Yurakucho
*Late shows only
http://unifrance.jp/festival/
Opening Film: "The Intouchables"
Directors | Éric Toledano, Olivier Nakache
Starring | François Cluzet, Omar Sy
Distributor | Gaga
Screening from September 2012 at TOHO Cinemas Chante and other theaters nationwide
© 2011 SPLENDIDO / GAUMONT / TF1 FILMS PRODUCTION / TEN FILMS / CHAOCORP
<Story>
Based on a true story, this film depicts the relationship between a wealthy aristocrat paralyzed from the neck down and a young man from the projects hired as his caregiver. Their worlds collide—Vivaldi versus Earth, Wind & Fire, refined speech versus street slang, suits versus sweatpants—but they eventually accept each other, forging an unexpectedly silly and hilarious, yet unbreakable, friendship. Their unique bond makes them "untouchable." The episodes created by this unlikely pair blend laughter and tears with exquisite balance, further enhanced by the actors' natural performances.
Short Film Lineup (6 films total)
"The Blind Man's Spectacles" *Animation
Director | Jean-Claude Rozec
Narration | Dominique Pinon
"Attack of the Giant Monster from Outer Space"
Director | Guillaume Levil
Starring | Julie Durand
"Winter Frog"
Director | Slony Sow
Starring | Gérard Depardieu
"The Crossing Keeper" *Animation
Director | Hugo Frassetto
"Human Cargo"
Director | Antares Bazile
Starring | Victor Catala, Renaud Cestor
"Coming Soon"
Director | Fabrice Maruca
Starring | Thierry Simon, Agnès Migura
Feature Film Lineup (11 films total)
"Happy Event"
Director | Valérie Donzelli
Starring | Valérie Donzelli, Jérémie Elkaïm
Distributor | Uplink
"The Players"
Directors | Michel Hazanavicius, Fred Cavayé, et al.
Starring | Jean Dujardin, Gilles Lellouche
Distributor | Comstock Group
"Beauty Has Strengthened Our Decisions / Masao Adachi"
Director | Philippe Grandrieux
Starring | Masao Adachi, Toshihiko Onozawa
Distributor | Uplink
"The Intouchables"
Directors | Éric Toledano, Olivier Nakache
Starring | François Cluzet, Omar Sy
Distributor | Gaga
"Livid"
Directors | Julien Maury, Alexandre Bustillo
Starring | Chloé Coulloud, Félix Moati
Distributor | King Records
"And Then, My Friend, We Die Silently"
Director | Olivier Marchal
Starring | Gérard Lanvin, Cheky Karyo
Distributor | Comstock Group
"Mysteries of Lisbon (English Title)"
Director | Raoul Ruiz
Starring | Melvil Poupaud, Léa Seydoux, Maria João Bastos, Ricardo Pereira
Distributor | Alcine Terran
"Sleepless Night (tentative title)"
Director | Frédéric Jardin
Starring | Tomer Sisley, Joey Starr, Julien Boisselier
Distributor | Transformer
"Silent Voices (tentative title)"
Director | Léa Fenech
Starring | Farida Rahouadj, Reda Kateb, Pauline Etienne
Distributor | Bitters End
"Happy Event (tentative title)"
Director | Rémi Bezançon
Starring | Louise Bourgoin
Distributor | Earth Star Entertainment