News

To say that French director Emmanuel Mouret has had one thing on his mind since he started making features two decades ago would probably be an understatement. If you take the English-language titles alone of his prolific oeuvre — 11 features, including the latest — you get a fairly good idea of the subject dearest to him: Shall We Kiss, Please, Please Me, The Art of Love, Lovers, Caprice, Love Affairs, Diary of a Fleeting Affair…

The question, perhaps, is whether anything but love and sex actually interests Mouret. After making a few slapstick-style comedies early on, he’s decided to focus almost exclusively on people falling in and out of affairs and relationships. And if his first few films were inspired by both Buster Keaton and Jacques Tati, his work since then draws heavily from the worlds of both Eric Rohmer and middle-period Woody Allen — up to using the Woodster’s trademark...

Stars: William Moseley, Kyle Rowe, Callum Woodhouse, Michael Guest, Mathis Landwehr, Oberon K.A. Adjepong, David Hayman, Kate Dickie, Callum McGowan, Melanie Zanetti | Written by Christopher Hatton, Chuck Reeves | Directed by Christopher Hatton

1830, just outside the town of Raven’s Hollow, five West Point cadets, Edgar Allan Poe, yes the writer, Lawrence Bishop (Kyle Rowe; The Brothers Grimsby), Will Taylor, Thomas Cricke (Michael Guest; Balance) and Lutz Becker come across a man disemboweled and hung up like a scarecrow.

In true cinematic fashion, he has just enough life left in him to utter a single word, “Raven”, before dying. Poe convinces the others it’s their duty to bring his body to town for proper burial. What they find is a town that is almost deserted, its inhabitants in the middle of a funeral for a girl we saw die a most unnatural death in the film’s prologue. It quickly...

The word rang out this morning in the world of laughter. A member of comedy royalty had taken his last well-deserved bow.

Here’s how the AP news service spread the word:

New York (AP) — Carl Reiner, the ingenious and versatile writer, actor and director who broke through as a “second banana” to Sid Caesar and rose to comedy’s front ranks as creator of “The Dick Van Dyke Show” and straight man to Mel Brooks’ “2000 Year Old Man,” has died. He was 98.

Reiner’s assistant Judy Nagy said he died Monday night of natural causes at his home in Beverly Hills, California.

While he made significant contributions to the worlds of live theatre, television, recordings, and literature, we at Wamg would like to applaud his body of work in motion pictures: acting, writing and directing. But in order to begin, lets’ double back to TV. Carl first achieved worldwide...

We've lost one of Hollywood's brightest talents as legendary filmmaker Carl Reiner has sadly passed away. A director, producer, and actor with over 400 credits to his name, Reiner's career spanned over seven decades, making him one of the most prolific entertainers in history. Sadly, TMZ is reporting that Reiner died on Monday evening at his home in Beverly Hills with his family by his side, though an exact cause wasn't revealed. He was 98 years old.

Carl Reiner was born on March 20, 1922, in The Bronx, New York. Taking an interest in acting as a teenager, Reiner was later performing on stage for troops during his stint with the Army Air Forces in the 1940's. He'd follow this up with performances in Broadway musicals, including a lead role in the show Call Me Mister. By 1950, he was appearing on television when he was cast in the sketch comedy series Your Show of Shows.

Netflix has acquired Emmanuel Mouret’s critically acclaimed French period drama “Mademoiselle de Joncquières,” which world-premiered at Toronto. The deal for most rights worldwide excludes France, Switzerland, Canada and the Benelux countries.

Represented in international markets by Indie Sales, “Mademoiselle de Joncquières” competed in Toronto’s Platform section. The 18th-century love-triangle drama is inspired by Didier Diderot’s classic work “Jacques the Fatalist and His Master,” and stars Cecile de France, Edouard Baer and Alice Isaaz.

De France plays Madame de la Pommeraye, a young and reclusive widow who falls in love with the seductive libertine Marquis des Arcis (Baer) against her better judgment. Feeling betrayed by his fading love, she orchestrates an intricate plan for revenge involving the seemingly pious Mademoiselle de Joncquières. Variety’s review called it “a shrewdly choreographed roundelay of scheming, seduction and revenge in the spirit of ‘Les Liaisons Dangereuses.'”

Frédéric Niedermeyer at Paris-based...

Plus first image of project starring Edouard Baer, Cécile de France and Alice Isaaz released.

Source: Indie Sales

Mademoiselle De Joncquières

Paris-based Indie Sales has boarded French director Emmanuel Mouret’s upcoming 18th century, love triangle costume drama Mademoiselle de Joncquières, starring Edouard Baer, Cécile de France and Alice Isaaz.

The sales company, which will kick-off sales on the film at Unifrance’s Rendez-vous with French Cinema in Paris this week (Jan 18-22), has released an exclusive first image of Baer and Isaaz in the costume drama.

The film is inspired by a tale in French Enlightenment writer and philosopher Didier Diderot’s classic picaresque work Jacques The Fatalist exploring ideas of fate and free will.

Baer plays the libertine figure of the Marquis des Arcis opposite de France in the role of Madame de la Pommeraye, an attractive, reclusive widow he seduces.

When their relationship comes to a messy end the spurned Madame de la Pommeraye...

The idea of Phil Lord and Chris Miller going off and making a romantic dramedy is pretty quaint considering how in demand they are for Hollywood blockbuster. And given that they've just been handed the "Star Wars" Young Han Solo spinoff, it's likely they're not going to be out of the tentpole world for a while. But last fall, they flirted with "The Rosie Project," and while they are no longer involved, another big name has become attached. THR reports that Jennifer Lawrence will star in the movie. Penned by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber ("The Spectacular Now," "The Fault In Our Stars"), and based on Graeme Simsion's bestselling book, the screwball story follows a scientist who thinks he's put together the formula for the perfect match until he meets someone who turns his whole theory upside down. Here's the book synopsis: The art of love is never a science: Meet Don Tillman,...

Given the year they've had, thanks to "The Lego Movie" and "22 Jump Street," Phil Lord and Chris Miller can afford to be choosy. Indeed, they looked at "Ghostbusters 3" and decided it wasn't for them, and now they're taking a look at bringing one of the buzziest books of the year to the multiplex. Deadline reports that Lord and Miller are developing Graeme Simsion's "The Rosie Project," with and the possibility they could direct. Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber ("The Spectacular Now," "The Fault In Our Stars") are working on the latest draft of the script, and here's the Amazon synopsis so you can see why it has attracted this level of talent: The art of love is never a science: Meet Don Tillman, a brilliant yet socially inept professor of genetics, who’s decided it’s time he found a wife. In the orderly, evidence-based manner with which Don approaches all things,...

Earlier in the year Sony optioned the film rights to Graeme Simsion’s breakout debut novel, The Rosie Project. A huge hit in the UK and Australia, the studio’s early dibs may have paid off. Deadline reports that The Lego Movie‘s Phil Lord and Christopher Miller are onboard and currently developing the flick.

The pair have had a stream of wins on their hands, following the success of the aforementioned block-inspired comedy, 21 Jump Street and its sequel. They’ve not committed to directing the flick (yet), but will work alongside Sony producers Matt Tolmach and Michael Costigan during the development process. The talent involved so far indicate that this is shaping up to be the next dramedy hit. The Fault In Our Stars and 500 Days Of Summer writing duo Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber will be tackling the screenplay.

The book hasn’t even hit U.S.

Welcome to Screen Rant’s “Geek Picks,” where we collect the finest movie-related geekery from around the Web. Today you’ll find everything wrong with Goonies in 8 minutes or less; Dredd with puppets; the idiot’s guide to smart people: music; if Google was a guy (part 2); 8 bit Happy Gilmore; and The Art Of Love. All that and more on this edition of Sr’s Geek Picks!

If you have any Geek Picks of your own, please send them to srgeekpicks(at)gmail(dot)com and you could be featured in a future post!

-

The Idiot’s Guide to Smart People: Music (Ep. 2 of 3)

Only smart people can love music in a way that takes all the fun out of it.

-

Everything Wrong With Goonies In 8 Minutes Or Less

Click to continue reading Sr Geek Picks: Everything Wrong With ‘Goonies,’ ‘Dredd’ With Puppets, & More!

The post Sr...

The term “art house” takes on new meaning with a special theatrical series of events as Ncm Fathom Events, By Experience and PhilGrabskyFilms.com bring the world’s greatest art exhibitions to U.S. cinemas this year. The “Exhibition” cinema series will feature high-definition tours of fine art exhibitions created for movie theater audiences. The series will celebrate the 150th anniversary of Edvard Munch in “Munch: Munch 150” on Thursday, June 27 as the National Museum and the Munch Museum in Oslo host this “once-in-a-lifetime” exhibition of the greatest number of Munch’s works ever. The final exhibition in the series, “Vermeer and Music: The Art of Love and Leisure” on Thursday, Oct. 10, comes from the National Gallery in London where audiences will see a unique perspective on the masterpieces of Johannes Vermeer. Each cinema event is hosted by art historian Tim Marlow who will go beyond each gallery with exclusive behind-the-scenes footage.

Haven’t had the time to visit the museums of London and Oslo yet? Well, you’re in luck, coming this year, you’ll get to experience the world’s greatest art exhibitions from the comfort of your local cinema. Our Exhibition Museum Series features Manet: Portraying Life on April 11, Munch: Munch 150 on June 27, and Vermeer and Music: The Art of Love and Leisure on October 10th.

Date – Thursday, April 11, 2013, the Royal Academy of Arts presentation Manet: Portraying Life will be presented on cinema screens worldwide.

Synopsis - This eagerly awaited exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts will be the first ever major exhibition in the UK devoted to the portraiture of Edouard Manet. Spanning the entire career of this enigmatic, and at times controversial, artist, Manet: Portraying Life will bring together great works from across Europe, Asia and the USA.

For More info go to:

http://www.fathomevents.

Sneak Peek director Douglas Hickox' 1979 action adventure "Zulu Dawn", prequel to the classic feature "Zulu", now available in a re-mastered HD Blu Ray/DVD Combo Pack from Severin Films.

The film stars stars Burt Lancaster, Peter O’Toole, Simon Ward, Bob Hoskins and Sir John Mills :

"...the shocking true story events of 'The Battle of Isandlwana', started January 1879, when arrogant officials of the British colony of Natal, Africa issued a list of unauthorized ultimatums to the 'Zulu Nation'.

"When the 'Zulu King' refused their demands, the Empire declared war.

"And in a series of grave tactical blunders, a garrison of 1,500 British soldiers faced an army of 25,000 enraged Zulu warriors in what would become the most horrifying disaster in British military history..."

Special features include short films with Zulu War expert Ian knight, the film's historical advisor Midge Carter, a visit to the actual locations of the battle of...

I can't remember a time I went to the Seattle International Film Festival (Siff) press launch and looked over the list of films and saw so many I was interested in seeing. The claim to fame for over the years is to call it the largest and most-highly attended festival in the United States. This is a fact I've often taken issue with as I don't equate quantity with quality. Granted, there has been a large number of quality features to play the fest over the years, including Golden Space Needle (Best Film) winners such as Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985), My Life as a Dog (1987), Trainspotting (1996), Run Lola Run (1999), Whale Rider (2003) and even recent Best Director winner, Michel Hazanavicius's Oss 117: Nest of Spies in 2006. That said, looking over this year's crop of films I see a lot of films I will be doing my absolute best to see.

The 16th Annual City of Lights, City of Angels (Col•Coa) film festival will run April 16-23 in Los Angeles . Sponsored by The Franco-American Cultural Fund (Facf), the festival will present 34 features and 21 shorts, including 10 North American and U.S. Premieres, and 14 West Coast Premieres. “The historic triumph of The Artist (Isa:Wild Bunch) reflects a remarkable year for French cinema and we are glad to introduce a broad spectrum of new films to Hollywood that reveal both the quality and diversity of recent French productions,” stated François Truffart, Col•Coa Executive Director and Artistic Director.

Col•Coa will open with the North American Premiere of My Way (CloClo) (Isa:lgm), a biopic about French pop star icon Claude François, directed by Florent-Emilio Siri, co-written by Siri and Julien Rappeneau and starring Jérémie Renier. Recently released in France , My Way is already a critical and commercial success.

Several U.S. distributors will present their films at Col•Coa before their U.S. release: Cinema Guild – Step up to the Plate (Isa:Jour2Fete); The Cohen Media Group – Farewell My Queen (Isa:Elle Driver): Kino Lorber –The Well Digger’s Daughter (Isa:Pathe); Mpi Media – Americano (Isa:Bac Films); Sundance Selects – Goodbye First Love! (Isa:Films Distribution) and Polisse (Isa:Wild Bunch); Strand Releasing - 17 Girls (Isa:Films Distribution); The Weinstein Company – The Intouchables (Isa:Gaumont), A Gang Story (Isa:Gaumont) and War of the Buttons (Isa:Wild Bunch); and Screen Media for A Happy Event (Isa:Gaumont) from co-writer-director Remi Bezançon, also in competition at Col·Coa for his animated feature Zarafa (Isa:Pathe).

Closing film on Sunday, April 22nd will be a special presentation, in association with The Weinstein Company, of the already third most successful French box office success: The Intouchables (Isa:Gaumont) Starring François Cluzet and César winner for Best Actor Omar Sy, this hit comedy marks the fourth film from writer-directors Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano presented at Col•Coa Cannes Jury Special Prize winner and 13 César-nominated drama, Polisse (Isa:Wild Bunch) co-written and directed by Maïwenn, will be presented at Col•Coa, one day after its U.S. Premiere at Tribeca. Berlin International Film Festival opening film, Farewell My Queen (Isa:Elle Driver) co-written and directed by Col·Coa 2011 Critics Award-winner Benoit Jacquot, will have a special presentation at Col·Coa before opening the San Francisco International Film Festival. Other highlights include César multi-nominated and critically acclaimed film, The Minister (Isa:Doc & Film Interntional), written and directed by Pierre Schoeller; the 3D presentation in English of A Monster in Paris (Isa:EuropaCorp), an animated feature co-written and directed by Bibo Bergeron, starring Sean Lennon and Vanessa Paradis, and produced by Luc Besson; the anticipated thriller, 38 Witnesses (Isa:Films Distrubution), written and directed by Lucas Belvaux; as well as The Art of Love (Isa:Kinology), the new comedy from writer-director Emmanuel Mouret.

Several French high-profile titles will also be introduced in the U.S, such as Early One Morning, (Isa:Les Films Du Losange) written and directed by Jean-Marc Moutout; Cesar winner for Best Documentary Leadersheep (Isa:MK2 S.A.) by writer-director Christian Rouaud Silence of Joan, from writer-director Philippe Ramos; as well as the North American Premiere of Another Woman’s Life (Isa:Kinology), co-written and directed by Sylvie Testud and starring Juliette Binoche.

The program will feature several directorial debut films, including the North American Premieres of Love Lasts Three Years (Isa:Eurocorp), co-written and directed by novelist Frédéric Beigbeder; The Adopted (Isa:Studio Canal), co-written and directed by actress and freshman filmmaker Mélanie Laurent; Freeway (Isa:Sesame), co-written and directed by Christopher Sahr; the West Coast Premiere of Louise Wimmer (Isa:Films Distribution), written and directed by Cyril Mennegun; and Americano (Isa:Bac Films), starring Salma Hayek and co-starring writer-director Mathieu Demy, the son of Agnes Varda and Jacques Demy.

Five popular series will return in 2012, Col•Coa docs will include Michel Petrucciani (Isa:Wild Bunch) written and directed by Michael Radford. After 10 will highlight Best Adaptation César winner Guilty (Isa:Films Distribution), co-written and directed by Vincent Garenq. Col•Coa Classics will pay tribute to actor Yves Montand with a rare presentation of the restored Call me Savage from co-writer-director Jean-Paul Rappeneau. For this year’s Carte Blanche program, writer-director Alexander Payne selected Hotel du Nord directed by Marcel Carné, screenplay by Jean Aurenche and Henri Jeanson. The Film Noir series will include the West Coast Premiere of Paris by Night (Isa:TF1), co-written and directed by Philippe Lefebvre. The Focus on a Filmmaker, this year honoring actress writer-director Julie Delpy, will take place on Thursday, April 19th and will include her new film, Le SkyLab (Isa:Films Distribution).

Col•Coa Educational Program will offer four High School Screenings, one student screening and one Master Class in association with Elma (European Languages and Movies in America). The program will host 3,500 students from over 70 high schools, colleges and universities in California .

To celebrate the announcement and recipients of the 2012 Col•Coa Awards, the festival will close on Monday, April 23rd with the screening of two winning features and two winning shorts.

City of Lights, City of Angels is funded by the Facf, a unique partnership of the Directors Guild of America, the Motion Picture Association, France’s Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music and the Writers Guild of America, West with the vital support of L’Arp (France’s Association of Authors, Directors and Producers), the Los Angeles Film and TV Office of the French Embassy, and Unifrance.

All screenings are in French with English subtitles or, in the case of the family-oriented animated films, dubbed in English. Tickets are available for advance purchase online at www.colcoa.org (cash or checks only). Please visit www.colcoa.org for box office hours. Ticket prices are $10 for adults; $7 tickets for seniors (62+), disabled, and members of American Cinematheque, Asc, Icg, Film Independent, Lacma, SAG or Women in Film; $3 for students and under 21. Tickets are complimentary for DGA and Wgaw guild members. The Happy Hour Talks are free on a first come, first served basis.

For film and press information, including hi-res photos, log onto www.colcoa.org. For public information, call (310) 289-5346.

City of Lights, City of Angels (Col•Coa) was created in 1996 by The Franco-American Cultural Fund, a unique collaborative effort of 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). Col•Coa is also supported by l’Association des Auteurs-réalisateurs-Producteurs (Arp), the Film and TV Office of the French Embassy in Los Angeles and Unifrance.

Col•Coa is committed to promoting new French films in the U.S. and to showcasing the vitality and the diversity of French cinema in Hollywood: comedies and dramas, box office hits in France and specialty films, first features and films from established writer-directors, art house movies as well as mainstream films.

In 15 years, 231 new feature films and 140 new shorts have been selected. Col•Coa has constantly developed to become a showcase of at least 50 films, with a capacity of 20,000 in 2011 and an occupancy rate of 88%.

Its exclusive program has made of Col•Coa an anticipated date in the industry calendar and one of the largest French film festivals in the world. Scheduled a few weeks after the Academy Awards® and one month before the Cannes Film Festival, Col•Coa has become a prestigious event in Los Angeles.

Since 2004, the selection is exclusively composed of premieres. Several high-profile features are presented at Col•Coa for the first time in North America or in the U.S. Col•Coa is also known for presenting successful films a year before their commercial release in the U.S., raising the event’s profile among U.S. distributors who now use the event as a platform to launch and promote their film in Hollywood.

Col•Coa has substantial representation by leading industry professionals, including distributors, exhibitors, directors, writers, producers, Academy members, agents, press members or public filmgoers, as part and parcel to the festival is the cultural exchange involved, as well as the introduction of films that may not have been available to the industry. Col•Coa has developed partnerships with organizations like Ifta, The Cannes Film Market, Film Independent, Women in Film, The American Cinematheque, SAG, and since 2008, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. Col•Coa “A Week Of French Film Premieres In Hollywood”

Col•Coa is more than a film industry event. Many screenings are reserved early due to the festival’s reputation and increased visibility.In 2008, an educational program was also launched to promote foreign films among young American audiences in association with E.L.M.A (European Languages & Movies in America). Close to 7,500 high school students and 70 high schools in Los Angeles County have participated in the program since 2008. In 2010, a master class was introduced for colleges, film schools and universities.

More than 100 French writers, directors and producers have presented their film(s) at Col•Coa. Among them are Costa-Gavras, Alain Corneau, Claire Denis, Michel Hazanavicius, Claude Lelouch, Claude Miller, Bertrand Tavernier, Olivier Assayas, Laurent Cantet, Arnaud Desplechin, Anne Fontaine, Bertrand Blier and Mathieu Kassovitz.

Whereas Col•Coa is not a celebrity-driven event, many artists attend as it is a showcase for their work, a chance to mingle with other artists in a professional, yet relaxed and cordial environment, the true basis of cultural exchange. Among past Col•Coa guests are actors and actresses Rosanna Arquette, Nathalie Baye, Bérénice Bejo, Marion Cotillard, Julie Delpy, Jimmy Jean Louis, Helen Mirren, Gena Rowlands, Sharon Stone, Charlize Theron and Lambert Wilson, as well as prominent American writers and directors: Wes Craven, Taylor Hackford, John Landis, Michael Mann and Alexander Payne.

The 16th Annual City of Lights, City of Angels (Col•Coa) film festival will run April 16-23 in Los Angeles . Sponsored by The Franco-American Cultural Fund (Facf), the festival will present 34 features and 21 shorts, including 10 North American and U.S. Premieres, and 14 West Coast Premieres. “The historic triumph of The Artist (Isa:Wild Bunch) reflects a remarkable year for French cinema and we are glad to introduce a broad spectrum of new films to Hollywood that reveal both the quality and diversity of recent French productions,” stated François Truffart, Col•Coa Executive Director and Artistic Director.

Col•Coa will open with the North American Premiere of My Way (CloClo) (Isa:lgm), a biopic about French pop star icon Claude François, directed by Florent-Emilio Siri, co-written by Siri and Julien Rappeneau and starring Jérémie Renier. Recently released in France , My Way is already a critical and commercial success.

Several U.S. distributors will present their films at Col•Coa before their U.S. release: Cinema Guild – Step up to the Plate (Isa:Jour2Fete); The Cohen Media Group – Farewell My Queen (Isa:Elle Driver): Kino Lorber –The Well Digger’s Daughter (Isa:Pathe); Mpi Media – Americano (Isa:Bac Films); Sundance Selects – Goodbye First Love! (Isa:Films Distribution) and Polisse (Isa:Wild Bunch); Strand Releasing - 17 Girls (Isa:Films Distribution); The Weinstein Company – The Intouchables (Isa:Gaumont), A Gang Story (Isa:Gaumont) and War of the Buttons (Isa:Wild Bunch); and Screen Media for A Happy Event (Isa:Gaumont) from co-writer-director Remi Bezançon, also in competition at Col·Coa for his animated feature Zarafa (Isa:Pathe).

Closing film on Sunday, April 22nd will be a special presentation, in association with The Weinstein Company, of the already third most successful French box office success: The Intouchables (Isa:Gaumont) Starring François Cluzet and César winner for Best Actor Omar Sy, this hit comedy marks the fourth film from writer-directors Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano presented at Col•Coa Cannes Jury Special Prize winner and 13 César-nominated drama, Polisse (Isa:Wild Bunch) co-written and directed by Maïwenn, will be presented at Col•Coa, one day after its U.S. Premiere at Tribeca. Berlin International Film Festival opening film, Farewell My Queen (Isa:Elle Driver) co-written and directed by Col·Coa 2011 Critics Award-winner Benoit Jacquot, will have a special presentation at Col·Coa before opening the San Francisco International Film Festival. Other highlights include César multi-nominated and critically acclaimed film, The Minister (Isa:Doc & Film Interntional), written and directed by Pierre Schoeller; the 3D presentation in English of A Monster in Paris (Isa:EuropaCorp), an animated feature co-written and directed by Bibo Bergeron, starring Sean Lennon and Vanessa Paradis, and produced by Luc Besson; the anticipated thriller, 38 Witnesses (Isa:Films Distrubution), written and directed by Lucas Belvaux; as well as The Art of Love (Isa:Kinology), the new comedy from writer-director Emmanuel Mouret.

Several French high-profile titles will also be introduced in the U.S, such as Early One Morning, (Isa:Les Films Du Losange) written and directed by Jean-Marc Moutout; Cesar winner for Best Documentary Leadersheep (Isa:MK2 S.A.) by writer-director Christian Rouaud Silence of Joan, from writer-director Philippe Ramos; as well as the North American Premiere of Another Woman’s Life (Isa:Kinology), co-written and directed by Sylvie Testud and starring Juliette Binoche.

The program will feature several directorial debut films, including the North American Premieres of Love Lasts Three Years (Isa:Eurocorp), co-written and directed by novelist Frédéric Beigbeder; The Adopted (Isa:Studio Canal), co-written and directed by actress and freshman filmmaker Mélanie Laurent; Freeway (Isa:Sesame), co-written and directed by Christopher Sahr; the West Coast Premiere of Louise Wimmer (Isa:Films Distribution), written and directed by Cyril Mennegun; and Americano (Isa:Bac Films), starring Salma Hayek and co-starring writer-director Mathieu Demy, the son of Agnes Varda and Jacques Demy.

Five popular series will return in 2012, Col•Coa docs will include Michel Petrucciani (Isa:Wild Bunch) written and directed by Michael Radford. After 10 will highlight Best Adaptation César winner Guilty (Isa:Films Distribution), co-written and directed by Vincent Garenq. Col•Coa Classics will pay tribute to actor Yves Montand with a rare presentation of the restored Call me Savage from co-writer-director Jean-Paul Rappeneau. For this year’s Carte Blanche program, writer-director Alexander Payne selected Hotel du Nord directed by Marcel Carné, screenplay by Jean Aurenche and Henri Jeanson. The Film Noir series will include the West Coast Premiere of Paris by Night (Isa:TF1), co-written and directed by Philippe Lefebvre. The Focus on a Filmmaker, this year honoring actress writer-director Julie Delpy, will take place on Thursday, April 19th and will include her new film, Le SkyLab (Isa:Films Distribution).

Col•Coa Educational Program will offer four High School Screenings, one student screening and one Master Class in association with Elma (European Languages and Movies in America). The program will host 3,500 students from over 70 high schools, colleges and universities in California .

To celebrate the announcement and recipients of the 2012 Col•Coa Awards, the festival will close on Monday, April 23rd with the screening of two winning features and two winning shorts.

City of Lights, City of Angels is funded by the Facf, a unique partnership of the Directors Guild of America, the Motion Picture Association, France’s Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music and the Writers Guild of America, West with the vital support of L’Arp (France’s Association of Authors, Directors and Producers), the Los Angeles Film and TV Office of the French Embassy, and Unifrance.

All screenings are in French with English subtitles or, in the case of the family-oriented animated films, dubbed in English. Tickets are available for advance purchase online at www.colcoa.org (cash or checks only). Please visit www.colcoa.org for box office hours. Ticket prices are $10 for adults; $7 tickets for seniors (62+), disabled, and members of American Cinematheque, Asc, Icg, Film Independent, Lacma, SAG or Women in Film; $3 for students and under 21. Tickets are complimentary for DGA and Wgaw guild members. The Happy Hour Talks are free on a first come, first served basis.

For film and press information, including hi-res photos, log onto www.colcoa.org. For public information, call (310) 289-5346.

City of Lights, City of Angels (Col•Coa) was created in 1996 by The Franco-American Cultural Fund, a unique collaborative effort of 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). Col•Coa is also supported by l’Association des Auteurs-réalisateurs-Producteurs (Arp), the Film and TV Office of the French Embassy in Los Angeles and Unifrance.

Col•Coa is committed to promoting new French films in the U.S. and to showcasing the vitality and the diversity of French cinema in Hollywood: comedies and dramas, box office hits in France and specialty films, first features and films from established writer-directors, art house movies as well as mainstream films.

In 15 years, 231 new feature films and 140 new shorts have been selected. Col•Coa has constantly developed to become a showcase of at least 50 films, with a capacity of 20,000 in 2011 and an occupancy rate of 88%.

Its exclusive program has made of Col•Coa an anticipated date in the industry calendar and one of the largest French film festivals in the world. Scheduled a few weeks after the Academy Awards® and one month before the Cannes Film Festival, Col•Coa has become a prestigious event in Los Angeles.

Since 2004, the selection is exclusively composed of premieres. Several high-profile features are presented at Col•Coa for the first time in North America or in the U.S. Col•Coa is also known for presenting successful films a year before their commercial release in the U.S., raising the event’s profile among U.S. distributors who now use the event as a platform to launch and promote their film in Hollywood.

Col•Coa has substantial representation by leading industry professionals, including distributors, exhibitors, directors, writers, producers, Academy members, agents, press members or public filmgoers, as part and parcel to the festival is the cultural exchange involved, as well as the introduction of films that may not have been available to the industry. Col•Coa has developed partnerships with organizations like Ifta, The Cannes Film Market, Film Independent, Women in Film, The American Cinematheque, SAG, and since 2008, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. Col•Coa “A Week Of French Film Premieres In Hollywood”

Col•Coa is more than a film industry event. Many screenings are reserved early due to the festival’s reputation and increased visibility.In 2008, an educational program was also launched to promote foreign films among young American audiences in association with E.L.M.A (European Languages & Movies in America). Close to 7,500 high school students and 70 high schools in Los Angeles County have participated in the program since 2008. In 2010, a master class was introduced for colleges, film schools and universities.

More than 100 French writers, directors and producers have presented their film(s) at Col•Coa. Among them are Costa-Gavras, Alain Corneau, Claire Denis, Michel Hazanavicius, Claude Lelouch, Claude Miller, Bertrand Tavernier, Olivier Assayas, Laurent Cantet, Arnaud Desplechin, Anne Fontaine, Bertrand Blier and Mathieu Kassovitz.

Whereas Col•Coa is not a celebrity-driven event, many artists attend as it is a showcase for their work, a chance to mingle with other artists in a professional, yet relaxed and cordial environment, the true basis of cultural exchange. Among past Col•Coa guests are actors and actresses Rosanna Arquette, Nathalie Baye, Bérénice Bejo, Marion Cotillard, Julie Delpy, Jimmy Jean Louis, Helen Mirren, Gena Rowlands, Sharon Stone, Charlize Theron and Lambert Wilson, as well as prominent American writers and directors: Wes Craven, Taylor Hackford, John Landis, Michael Mann and Alexander Payne.

In addition to the pair of films that were accepted into the Cannes film festival (The Prodigies and Days of Grace), they have Sylvie Testud, Juan Solanas, Quentin Dupieux items in the works. French sales outfit Kinology have got a solid 2012 ahead of them. Cosmopolis by David Cronenberg - Pre-Production His Mother's Eyes (Les Yeux De Sa Mere) by Thierry Klifa - Completed The Prodigies (La Nuit Des Enfants Rois) by Antoine Charreyron - Completed At Gino's (Chez Gino) by Samuel Benchetrit - Completed Days Of Grace (Dias De Gracia) by Everardo Gout - Completed De Force by Frank Henry - Post-Production Dubai Flamingos by Delphine Kreuter - Completed Emergo by Carles Torrens - Post-Production Mon Pere Est Femme De Menage by Saphia Azzeddine - Completed Rebellion (L'ordre Et La Morale) by Mathieu Kassovitz - Completed Small World (Je N'ai Rien OUBLIÉ) by Bruno Chiche - Completed The Art Of Love...