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Actor-director Daniel Auteuil and key “Emilia Perez” collaborator Jean-Baptiste Pouilloux have set up their next features with Les Films Velvet, the auteur-focused production outfit behind this year’s Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Paris opener “The Musicians” as well as Rebecca Zlotowski’s upcoming, Jodie Foster-led thriller “Vie Privée.”

After last year’s Cannes-launched legal thriller “An Ordinary Case,” Auteuil will step back behind the camera for the World War II drama “Une Nuit” (“One Night”). Co-written by Auteuil and filmmaker Camille Lugan (“The Book of Joy”), the film follows the incredible true story of a 1942 effort to rescue more then one hundred Jewish children from a deportation camp just outside of Lyon. Les Films Velvet’s Frederic Jouve will produce alongside Adrien Nussenbaum.

An in-demand assistant director who has worked closely with Jacques Audiard, Zlotowski and Nadav Lapid, Pouilloux most recently led second unit on “Emilia Perez” before directing the Canal Plus series “Iris.

Netflix has dropped the trailer for “Standing-Up,” the new show by Fanny Herrero, the creator of French hit series “Call My Agent!”

“Standing-Up” follows Aïssatou, Nezir, Bling and Apolline, four artists from different backgrounds who are trying to break into the world of stand-up comedy. They meet every day at the Drôle, a Parisian comedy club, where they come to practice their art: making people laugh. All of them want to make a living from comedy. But it is humor that allows them to live. The cast is headlined by fresh talents, including Mariama Gueye, Younes Boucif, Elsa Guedj and Jean Siuen.

The show will debut on Netflix on March 18. Herrero created the series with Hervé Lassïnce, and also co-wrote the series with Lassïnce, Eliane Montane, Judith Havas, Camille De Castelnau and Lison Daniel. The show’s stand-up writers are Jason Brokerss, Fanny Ruwet, Shirley Souagnon and Thomas Wiesel.

Les Films Du Kiosque,...

One woman’s fight against a toxic chemical factory becomes a beguiling battleground for familial strife in a suspenseful film with hints of Erin Brockovich

Co-produced by the Dardenne brothers, this eco-thriller from French-Algerian director Farid Bentoumi smartly sidesteps the didacticism of its environmental advocacy. Interwoven into the suspenseful whistleblower tale is a tortuous father-daughter relationship, making this compact film a heartbreaking watch.

Arkalu, a giant chemical factory and the film’s “villain”, is an ominous yet unavoidable presence in a modest French town. The glue that binds Nour (Zita Hanrot), a young staff nurse, to this edifice extends beyond her office hours. Not only does her brother-in-law work there, but her father Slimane (Sami Bouajila) also acts as the workers’ veteran representative. Thus, when Nour discovers the plant’s toxic dumping ground, which causes numerous workers to develop cancer, her struggles to bring the company to justice are at once internal and external.

Zita Hanrot and Sami Bouajila in Farid Bentoumi’s toxic Red Soil (Rouge)

During the 2021 UniFrance and Film at Lincoln Center’s Rendez-Vous with French Cinema there were two virtual live panels. How Music Makes the Film (with composers Jean-Benoît Dunckel of François Ozon’s Summer Of 85; Evgueni Galperine of Fanny Liatard and Jérémy Trouilh’s Gagarine; Nicolas Weil and Sylvain Ohrel of Charlène Favier’s Slalom; Aska Matsumiya (Aska) of Crystal Moselle’s Skate Kitchen, and Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch of Sarah Gavron’s Rocks).

Melvil Poupaud and Benjamin Voisin in François Ozon’s cool Summer Of 85 (Eté 85)

The Vive la Résistance panel had directors Farid Bentoumi on his Red Soil (Rouge); Reinaldo Marcus Green on Monsters And Men; Kitty Green on The Assistant, and Fanny Liatard and Jérémy Trouilh, moderated by Maddie Whittle.

At the César Awards on March 12, Filippo Meneghetti’s Oscar-shortlisted Two Of Us (Deux), starring...

Caroline Vignal’s “My Donkey, My Lover and I,” Chloé Mazlo’s “Skies of Lebanon” and Aurel’s “Josep” are among the nine French features that will play in the U.S. as part of the 7th edition of the Young French Cinema Program. Seven shorts have also been selected.

The initiative, which is organized by the French Embassy in the U.S. and the promotion org UniFrance, aims at showcasing films and shorts from rising French filmmakers, which have played at major film festivals, including Cannes, Venice, Rome, NYFF and Annecy. Six out of the nine films were part of Cannes 2020’s Official Selection.

“My Donkey, My Lover and I,” sold by Playtime, was a box office hit in France where it sold more than 700,000 admissions before the shutdown of theaters in October. The comedy follows “Call My Agent!” star Laure Calamy as she embarks on a road trip...

Festival spearheaded by Cannes chief Thierry Frémaux set to run in Lyon October 10 to 18.

France’s Lumière Film Festival will host 23 titles from the Cannes Film Festival’s special 2020 Official Selection at its 12th edition running October 10 to 18 in Lyon.

The festival spearheaded by Cannes delegate general Thierry Frémaux, in his other role as head of the Institut Lumière, is pushing on with the 2020 edition in the face of rising Covid-19 restrictions in France following a surge in cases in the country.

The Lumière showcase represents just under half the 56 titles selected for Cannes’s special 2020 Official Selection that it...

A modest French cousin to Erin Brockovich and Todd Haynes’ recent Dark Waters, Red Soil (Rouge) once again pits a tireless underdog against the forces of corporate greed and looming environmental catastrophe. The hook this time is that the underdog, played by the talented Zita Hanrot (Fatima), is fighting too close to home, with her own father a longtime worker at the factory that’s been dangerously polluting their region.

The second feature from actor turned filmmaker Farid Bentoumi (Good Luck Algeria), this well-played if somewhat familiar drama works best when it gives Hanrot and co-star Sami Bouajila the chance to go tête-à-tête as ...

A modest French cousin to Erin Brockovich and Todd Haynes’ recent Dark Waters, Red Soil (Rouge) once again pits a tireless underdog against the forces of corporate greed and looming environmental catastrophe. The hook this time is that the underdog, played by the talented Zita Hanrot (Fatima), is fighting too close to home, with her own father a longtime worker at the factory that’s been dangerously polluting their region.

The second feature from actor turned filmmaker Farid Bentoumi (Good Luck Algeria), this well-played if somewhat familiar drama works best when it gives Hanrot and co-star Sami Bouajila the chance to go tête-à-tête as ...

Also picks up true horror ‘Red Soil’.

UK distributor Signature Entertainment has acquired rights to four genre titles.

What Lies Below (formerly Viscous) is a thriller from writer-director Braden R. Duemmler, starring Mena Suvari. The film follows a teenager who begins to encounter otherworldly happenings when her mother introduces her to her mysterious new fiancé. Signature acquired the film from XYZ Films.

Red Soil, acquired from Wtf Films, is inspired by the true story of a young nurse who uncovers hidden secrets about her dad’s chemical factory. Farid Bentoumi directs the French-Belgian co-production, which stars Zita Hanrot and Sami Bouajila.

One of the rare festivals to be hosting physical edition in the coronavirus era, the Deauville American Film Festival is set to world premiere 10 anticipated movies that are part of Cannes’s 2020 Official Selection.

The Deauville roster of Cannes pics was curated by the Normandy-set festival’s artistic director Bruno Barde out of the 56 films selected by Cannes’ director Thierry Fremaux.

These include many prestige French films, notably Maïwenn’s “Adn,” Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar’s “A Good Man,” Lucas Belvaux’s “Home Front,” Bruno Podalydès’ “French Tech,” Charlène Favier’s “Slalom,” alongside Farid Bentoumi’s “Rouge,” Ludovic & Zoran Boukherma’s “Teddy” and Farid Bentoumi’s “Red Soil.”

Other non-u.S. pics from Cannes set for Deauville include Francis Lee’s British film “Ammonite” and Yeon Sang-ho’s South Korean movie “Peninsula.” The only American movie of the pack, Jonathan Nossiter’s “Last Words,” will play in competition.

“A town, beaches, views?...

The September festival will be one of the public film events to take place in France for four months.

The Deauville American Film Festival has announced that it will screen 10 of the 56 titles selected for the Cannes Film Festival’s special 2020 Official Selection, at its upcoming edition running September 4-13 in France.

The titles include UK director Francis Lee’s period drama Ammonite, French filmmaker Maïwenn’s semi-autobiographical tale DNA and Korean director Yeon Sang-ho’s zombie horror Peninsula, which is already proving a smash hit at home and in other Asian territories.

The Cannes Film Festival, which was forced...

2020 has seen the cancellation of many film festivals around the world due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Even though Cannes, one of the most prestigious festivals, won’t be going ahead they have compiled 2020’s Official Selection.

Comprising of 56 films that would have been selected to play at this year’s festival, the selection is made up of features from filmmakers that have been selected at least before, newcomers, documentary’s and animations.

Amongst the line-up is Steve McQueen’s ‘Lovers Rock’ and ‘Mangrove’ which McQueen has dedicated to George Floyd.

“I dedicate these films to George Floyd and all the other black people that have been murdered, seen or unseen, because of who they are, in the U.S., U.K. and elsewhere,” said McQueen. “‘If you are the big tree, we are the small axe.’ Black Lives Matter.”

Others amongst the line-up include Wes Anderson’s highly anticipated ‘The French Dispatch,...

The selection includes films from Wes Anderson, Naomi Kawase and two Steve McQueen projects.

The Cannes Film Festival has announced its special 2020 Official Selection.

Festival President Pierre Lescure and General Delegate Thierry Frémaux revealed the line-up at a press conference in Paris, held without journalists this year.

With the 2020 physical festival cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, Official Selection titles will be “supported” by Cannes as they screen in autumn festivals and beyond.

The 56-strong line-up includes Wes Anderson’s French Dispatch; two Steve McQueen projects - Mangrove and Lovers Rock; Maïwenn’s DNA; Naomi Kawase’s True Mothers; Thomas Vinterberg...

Summer of 85The Festival de Cannes has announced 56 films selected for their 2020 Festival, scheduled to have taken place between May 12—23 and cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.Films with the official Cannes 2020 label set for a theatrical release before spring 2021 will receive additional support from the Festival when theaters reopen. Films that were predicted to play at the festival and not included in the Cannes 2020 Official Selection—including Leos Carax's Annette, Mia Hansen-Løve's Bergman Island, and Apichatpong Weerasethakul's Memoria—may premiere elsewhere, while, as previously announced, Paul Verhoeven's Benedetta has delayed its premiere to summer 2021.Official SELECTIONThe French Dispatch (Wes Anderson)Passion Simple (Danielle Arbid)Josep (Aurel)Au Crépuscule (Sharunas Bartas)Les hommes (Lucas Belvaux)Rouge (Farid Bentoumi)Here We Are (Nir Bergman)Teddy (Ludovic & Zoran Boukherma)Un triomphe (Emmanuel Courcol)9 jours à Raqqa (Xavier de Lauzanne)Soul (Pete Docter)Vaurien (Peter Dourountzis)Slalom (Charlène Favier)The Real...

Updated With Lineup: The Cannes Film Festival has revealed its 2020 lineup, which includes new movies from Wes Anderson, Steve McQueen, Pixar, Francois Ozon, Naomi Kawase, Thomas Vinterberg and Maiwenn. Scroll down for lineup.

Despite its cancellation due to the coronavirus, Cannes has revealed the 56 movies chosen for its Official Selection as a badge of honor for the movies and in a bid to boost their distribution credentials. Details about the makeup of the lineup, including a record number of women directors and debuts, were revealed yesterday.

The festival didn’t differentiate movies by section this year, instead announcing all 56 movies in one list, only demarcating some by thematic category.

Artistic director Thierry Frémaux had previously said that Spike Lee’s Netflix film Da 5 Bloods would have played Out of Competition. Lee was set to chair the jury. The movie would have marked Netflix’s return to the festival after a three year absence,...

The show is going on for the 2020 Cannes Film Festival, even though by now in a normal year we would have known which film would succeed Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite” as the new Palme d’Or winner. The original 2020 festival was scheduled to run May 12-23 but was canceled in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Cannes is living on this year as festival president Pierre Lescure and general delegate Thierry Frémaux are announcing the 56 films that made the cut for the 2020 Official Selection. Selected films will be branded with an official Cannes 2020 label that they can take to additional festivals later this year and use when they open in theaters.

The Official Selection at Cannes usually includes the following sections: Competition, Un Certain Regard, Out of Competition, Special Screenings, and Midnight Screenings. The Palme d’Or contenders premiere in the Competition category. Last year’s Cannes Competition section...

Cannes Film Festival will not take place this year, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but the official selection has still been unveiled. While no distinct sections were revealed, Thierry Frémaux and Pierre Lescure took the stage of an empty theater to share the 50-plus films that were accepted to screen at the festival. While those Cannes world premieres will not happen in person or digitally, these films will be able to show the prestigious laurels as they head to other festivals this fall and beyond–except Venice Film Festival, who have said they will not be part of their event.

“This Selection is here, and it’s a beautiful one,” Frémaux said. “Even though movie theatres have been shut for three months – for the first time since the invention of film screening by the Lumière Brothers on December 28, 1895 – this Selection reflects that cinema is more alive than ever. It remains unique,...

Pixar’s “Soul,” Wes Anderson’s star-packed “The French Dispatch” and Steve McQueen’s “Mangrove” and Lover’s Rock” are among the 56 movies which will receive a Cannes 2020 label as part of the festival’s eclectic Official Selection.

Also included in this year’s lineup, are Cannes regulars such as Francois Ozon’s anticipated “Summer 85,” Naomi Kawase’s “True Mothers” and Maiwenn’s “DNA.”

The other celebrated filmmakers who will receive the Cannes 2020 label are Jonathan Nossiter with “Last Words,” Im Sang-soo with “Event” and Thomas Vinterberg with “Another Round.” As many other titles on this year’s lineup, these films were initially tipped for the festival before it canceled its physical edition in April and sticked with the French Riviera-set fest for various reasons, ranging from loyalty to distribution/marketing strategy. For instance, “Summer 85,” which marks Ozon’s follow up to his Berlin Golden Bear winning “By The Grace of God,...