LADJ LY’S LES MISÉRABLES TO OPEN THE COLCOA FESTIVAL ON MONDAY, SEPT. 23 AT DGA IN WEST HOLLYWOOD, WITH RERUN SEPT. 27.Edit by Karen Ostlund![]() |
| The Franco-American Cultural Fund, a partnership of DGA, MPA, SACEM and WGA West, announced the schedule for the 23rd COLCOA FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL that includes World, International, North American, U.S. and Los Angeles premieres. |
The COLCOA festival will run September 23-28 at the Directors Guild of America in West Hollywood, as part of Awards Season in Hollywood. The festival will open with the U.S. premiere of Ladj Ly’s LES MISÉRABLES on Monday, September 23, with rerun Sept.27, 5pm.
"This high-profile program includes several films from Cannes and Venice programmed for the first time in the U.S., as well as films presented before their release in France,” said François Truffart, COLCOA Executive Producer and Artistic Director. “It shows the faithfulness of distributors, producers and sponsors, who strongly believe that COLCOA has become an established event in West Hollywood.”
COLCOA CINEMA Over 25 films will premiere and compete for the COLCOA Cinema Awards, beginning on Opening Night (Monday, September 23) with Amazon Studios’ LES MISÉRABLES, which won the Jury Prize at the last Cannes Film Festival and the 2019 D’Ornano-Valenti Prize:
Victor Hugo’s magnum opus is both lionized and shaken up in Ladj Ly’s sprawling fresco of his native Montfermeil - a collection of housing projects crawling with sleazy cops, small-time hoods, the Muslim Brotherhood, and a ragtag group of kids left to fend for themselves... all jockeying for turf and struggling to forestall the inevitable. Majestic, stirring, gripping and compassionate, with a musical score that is, at once, moving and thrilling, the film follows an upright cop on his first day on the job, as he learns the ropes and struggles to hold onto his principles. It opens with a rousing rendition of La Marseillaise and a joyous eruption of fraternité and concludes with a resounding eleventh-hour alarm and powerful plea to diffuse the tinderbox and somehow resolve all this anger and violence.
The festival showcases both established and exciting new directors. Veteran filmmakers include Academy Award® winner writer/director Costa Gavras’ political thriller, ADULTS IN THE ROOM (North American Premiere); w/d Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne’s drama YOUNG AHMED (North American Premiere); w/d Cédric Klapisch’s new pursuit of love, SOMEONE, SOMEWHERE (North American Premiere); w/d Cédric Kahn’s dysfunctional family portrait, HAPPY BIRTHDAY (North American Premiere), starring Catherine Deneuve; and w/d Nicolas Boukhrief’s thriller based on Pierre Lemaitre’s novel, THREE DAYS AND A LIFE (International Premiere).
Newcomers include w/d Antoine Raimbault’s courtroom drama, CONVICTION (Los Angeles Premiere) and w/d Mikhaël Hers post-traumatic stress disorder drama, AMANDA (Los Angeles Premiere), as well as several films written and directed by women including Andréa Bescond’s autobiographical feature (made with w/d Eric Métayer) about her sexual abuse as a child, LITTLE TICKLES (Los Angeles Premiere); w/d Mounia Meddour’s Algerian civil war drama, PAPICHA (North American Premiere and Algeria’s official entry for the Oscars); w/d Claire Burger’s family drama, REAL LOVE (Los Angeles Premiere), director Fabienne Godet’s powerful drama about recovery, OUR WONDERFUL LIVES (U.S. Premiere); w/d Marie-Sophie Chambon’s debut feature film on how it feels to be an outsider, STARS BY THE POUND (North American Premiere); and w/d Sarah Suco’s autobiographical film, THE DAZZLED (International Premiere).
Amazon Studios’ LES MISÉRABLES, COLCOA is working with several U.S. distributors to present films in Hollywood before their U.S. release including Netflix’s anticipated animated film, I LOST MY BODY, by w/d Jérémy Clapin (presented in association with Animation is Film); Strand Releasing’s ON A MAGICAL NIGHT (North American Premiere) by w/d Christophe Honoré; Roadside Attraction’s CYRANO, MY LOVE (U.S. Premiere), a comedy by w/d Alexis Michalik, based on his hit play, Distrib Films US’s adoption drama IN SAFE HANDS (Los Angeles Premiere) by w/d Jeanne Herry; and Kino Lorber’s THE TROUBLE WITH YOU (Los Angeles Premiere), the new comedy by w/d Pierre Salvadori.
I LOST MY BODY and five animation shorts at the festival will offer the audience an opportunity to experience the new technology in the DGA’s renovated theater with the Los Angeles Premiere of w/d Hélène Giraud and Thomas Szabo’s animated 3D delight MINUSCULE: MANDIBLES FROM FAR AWAY.
The COLCOA CLASSICS will include an homage to late writer/director Agnès Varda and French composer Michel Legrand with a special presentation of the1962 breakout film, CLEO FROM 5 TO 7 (in association with Rialto Pictures); w/d Jean Renoir’s 1932 digitally-restored drama, TONI (International Premiere), about a real life love triangle that went awry; as well as w/d Jacques Becker’s 1954 digitally-restored mobster film, TOUCHEZ PAS AU GRISBI (Los Angeles Premiere). TONI and TOUCHEZ PAS AU GRISBI are presented in association with Janus Films.
The popular COLCOA High School screening program will run for five days during the festival with the Los Angeles Premiere of the musical coming-of-age tale IN YOUR HANDS w/d by Ludovic Bernard.
The Television section includes five series, four TV movies, one documentary and six international premieres:The French TV films are presented in association with TITRAFILM and TV France International, with the support of : Federation, Film & Pictures, Lagardère Studios, Newen, Playtime, SND Groupe M6, StudioCanal and TF1 Studio.
The 16 Shorts are presented by Unifrance.
All programs, including the Television and Shorts sections, will compete for the 2019 COLCOA Awards.
Television Competition (in association with TITRAFILM): APNEA / Une Île (TV Series) – International Premiere. Drama, fantasy. A Mediterranean island is rocked by a lack of fishing and a series of suspicious deaths. Strangely, these events coincide with the arrival of a stranger on the island, who will throw the young Chloé into deep confusion. A highly anticipated mini-series and a fantasy creation that revisits the myth of mermaids. Created and written by Gaia Guasti and Aurelien Molas, directed by Julien Trousselier. Actors: Laetitia Casta, Noée Abita, Sergi Lopez, Manuel Severi, Alba Gaia Bellugi. Broadcast on Arte in France and sold by Lagradere Studios.
FAMILY SHAKE / Le Grand Bazar (TV Series – Season 1) – North American Premiere. Comedy. Samia and Nicolas want to have a peaceful family life with the birth of their first baby and their respective children from previous relationships. They can’t escape their parents, siblings, ex-partners and coworkers who all play a part in their lives. Meet the Rousseau-Bensaïds, a mixed and blended family as offbeat as it is complicated! Created by Baya Kasmi, written by Baya Kasmi, Michel Leclerc, Sarah Kaminsky, Lyès Salem, Directed by Baya Kasmi. Actors: Nailia Harzoune, Grégory Montel, Lyès Salem, Julia Piaton, Biyouna, Djemel Barek, Christiane Millet, François Levantal. Broadcast on M6 in France and sold by SND Group M6
HOSTAGE(S) / Otage(s) (Documentary) – North American Premiere
Tourists, relief workers, corporate employees, journalists… All these men and women were taken hostage at one point or another by infamous groups such as FARC, AQMI, AlQaeda, Al-Nusra and the Taliban. They all suffered through the living hell of captivity then experienced the rebirth of being released and taking up their lives again back home. For the very first time, they open up and share things they’ve never been able to say before. Written and directed by Michel Peyrard and Damien Vercaemer. A Canal+ original creation. Broadcast on Canal+ in France and sold by Newen.
HUNGRY FOR LOVE / Connexion Intime (TV Movie) – International Premiere
Drama. In her new school, 15-year-old Chloé soon becomes a close friend of charismatic free spirit Luna. She also falls in love with Luna’s ex-boyfriend Félix, a bad boy with a poisonous charm who is also a porn addict. Written by Laure de Colbert, directed by Renaud Bertrand. Actors: Lucie Carpiaux, Marilyn Lima, Jules Houplain, Mahia Zrouki. Broadcast on France 2 in France and being sold by Film & Pictures.
THE INSIDE GAME / Jeux d’influence (TV Series – Season 1) – International Premiere. Drama, thriller. Inspired by a true story. Farmer Michel Villeneuve is diagnosed with leukemia after collapsing in a field he just sprayed with a weed killer made by the agrochemical giant Saskia. His childhood friend Guillaume Delpierre, a principled politician, crusades to get the pesticide banned, with help from his ambitious assistant Romain Corso. Written by Antoine Lacomblez, Jean-Xavier de Lestrade, Sophie Hiet, Pierre Linhart, directed by Jean-Xavier de Lestrade. Actors: Alix Poisson, Laurent Stocker, Jean-François Sivadier, Pierre Perrier, Marilou Aussiloux. Broadcast on Arte in France and sold by Newen.
JACQUELINE SAUVAGE, IT WAS HIM OR ME / Jacqueline Sauvage (TV Movie) – North American Premiere. Drama. Based on a true story. In 2012, Jacqueline shot three bullets into her husband's back. She gets convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison. With the unfaltering support of her daughters, and the work of dedicated lawyers, Jacqueline manages to come out of silence and little by little to tell the story of her personal hell. Will she be able to rise above her court conviction and win over public opinion? Written and directed by Yves Regnier, starring Murielle Robin and Olivier Marchal. Broadcast in France on TF1 being sold by TF1 Studio.
LAST DANCE / La Fin de l’été (TV Movie) – International Premiere. Drama. Ali, 15, and Selim, 11, are spending their summer holidays in Dordogne with their grandparents André and Françoise. For Ali, it’s time to leave childhood behind and experience his first summer love. For Françoise, now reaching the end of her life, this summer will be the last moments of happiness shared with her loved ones: a last dance. Written and directed by Helene Angel, starring Bernard Lecoq, Christiane Millet, Talid Ariss, Maël Rouin Berrandou, Alexia Chardard. Broadcast in France on Arte and being sold by Film & Pictures.
MENTAL / HP (TV Series – Season 1) – North American Premiere. Comedy, drama. Sheila is a young intern in psychiatry. She believes she can define, contain and heal madness and she is convinced that there are clear and defined boundaries between what is socially acceptable and what is not. But her bearings will slowly change; the cruelty of the psychiatric hospital will turn out to be far more welcoming than the harshness of a life way too standard. Created by Angela Soupe, Sarah Santamaria-Mertens, written by Angela Soupe Sarah Santamaria-Mertens, Camille Rousset, directed by Emilie Noblet, starring Tiphaine Daviot, Marie Sohna Conde, Eric Naggar. Broadcast in France on Canal+ and being sold by Playtime.
THE SILVER FOREST / La Forêt d'argent (TV Movies) – International Premiere. Drama. Roxana is a young Romanian nanny looking after 8-year-old Georges, the son of David and Elizabeth. David is a financier at the European Bank of Strasbourg. Working on a project for a motorway across Romania, David asks Roxana for some help. This offer, far superior to anything she expected, sounds like a dream to her. But she doesn’t suspect the implacable machine that David has set in motion or the nightmare it will become. Written and directed by Emmanuel Bourdieu, based on Gaspard Koenigs novel “ Kidnapping”. Starring Nicolas Duvauchelle, Marina Palii and Julia Faure. Broadcast in France on Arte and sold by Film & Pictures.
VERNON SUBUTEX (TV Series) – North American Premiere. Drama. Vernon Subutex, the unemployed former owner of legendary record shop Revolver, is evicted from his apartment in Paris. In his search for a place to stay, Vernon contacts his former friends who were involved in the music world with him in the 1990s. One of them is rock star Alex Bleach, who dies of an overdose shortly after they reunite, leaving behind three mysterious video tapes. Vernon collects them and slips anonymously into the city, where he soon becomes the most wanted man in Paris. Written by Cathy Verney and Benjamin Dupas, based on Virginie Despentes’ novel, directed by Cathy Verney, starring Romain Duris, Céline Sallette. Broadcast in France on Canal+ and sold Studio Canal.
Shorts Competition (Presented by Unifrance):ADAM’S SKIRT / La Jupe d’Adam, comedy written/directed by Clément Tréhin-Lalanne (produced by Films Grand-Huit)
BARKING DOGS / Les Chiens aboient, drama w/d by Grégory Montel (Fulldawa)
BRAZIL, comedy w/d by Mathilde Elu (Films Grand-Huit)
DON’T ASK FOR YOUR WAY / Ne Demande pas ton chemin, comedy w/d by Déborah Assoun (Les Films du Cygne)
FIRE ME IF YOU CAN / Vire-moi si tu peux, comedy w/d by Camille Delamarre (Fulldawa Films)
I’M GOING OUT FOR CIGARETTES / Je sors acheter des cigarettes, animation, drama w/d by Osman Cerfon (Miyu Productions)
INVISIBLE HEROE / Invisible héros, drama w/d by Cristèle Alves Meira (Kinology)
MEMORABLE / Mémorable, animation, drama w/d by Bruno Collet (Vivement Lundi!)
MODERN JAZZ, drama w/d by Anaïs Tellene (Caméra Subjective)
MY BRANCH SO THIN / Ma branche toute fine, drama w/d by Dinara Droukarova (Rouge International)
MY GENERATION, animation, drama w/d by Ludovic Houplain (H5, Les Productions 50/50)
MY LADY OF THE CAMELLIA / Ma dame au camélia, comedy w/d by Édouard Montoute (Aldabra Films)
ONE AFTER THE OTHER, animation, drama w/d by Nicolas Pegon (Miyu Productions)
PILE POIL, comedy, drama w/d by Lauriane Escaffre and Yvonnick Muller (Qui Vive!)
SPEECHLESS / La Maman des poissons, comedy, drama w/d by Zita Hanrot (Fulldawa Films)
WILD LOVE, animation, comedy, horror w/d by Paul Autric, Quentin Camus, Léa Georges, Maryka Laudet, Zoé Sottiaux, Corentin Yvergniaux (Ecole des Nouvelles Images)
Other programs throughout the festival include: After 10 series (September 24 - 28); COLCOA Classics (September 24-27), COLCOA Documentaries (September 24-28); World Cinema Produced by France, French NeWave 2.0, exploring a new generation of filmmakers, and the Happy Hour Talks, a series of panels presented in association with Variety (September 24-28) - that are free to the public.
https://colcoa.org/cinema/colcoa-cinema/happy-hour-talks/All programs are presented with English subtitles or in English. Tickets online at
www.colcoa.org. The online box office and RSVP will be open until the night before each show at the festival. Tickets are also available on site at the Directors Guild of America, 7920 Sunset Boulevard. All screenings and events before 4 pm during weekdays are FREE on a first come, first served basis, with no reservation needed.
The 2019 Colcoa Awards for Cinema, Television, and Shorts will be announced on Sunday, September 29 by the Franco-American Cultural Fund. For the twelfth year, LAFCA will partner with COLCOA Cinema for the Critics’ Awards.
COLCOA FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL 2019 SPONSORS: Air Tahiti Nui, Bank Of The West/ BNP Paribas, Sling & TV5MONDE, Variety (Official Sponsors); Barnes, Barnstormer, France Télévisions, Los Angeles Times, 89.3 KPCC, Los Angeles Times, The Hollywood Reporter (Premier Sponsors); Brumont, Champagne Didier Chopin, ELMA, Sunset Marquis, Titra Film, West Coast Event Productions, Wine Wine Situation (Major Sponsors); Alliance Française de Los Angeles, Cinando, D’Alessio Law Group, French American Chamber of Commerce, Gaumont, Karine & Jeff, Laemmle, LA Philharmonic, Marché du Film/Festival de Cannes, Miraval/Vineyard Brands/La Vielille Ferme, Paul M. Young Fine Wines, Saint Germain, Vital Proteins (Platinum Sponsors); Avène, Cinelife, France-Amérique, French Morning, Gayot, Gaumont, Klorane, La Chouquette, Lycée International Los Angeles, Le Pain Quotidien, MAC, René Furterer, Rosenthal, RS Eyeshop, Snowdonia, Vizo (Supporting Sponsors), Alan Rosenbach, Black Flour, Brûlée Château de Berne, Holy Quiche, International Services For Artists, La Boulisterie and Mulholland Distilling.
