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TORONTO 2015 France

French film takes Toronto by storm

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- The 40th edition of the festival will feature 44 majority productions, including ten world premieres, and will be attended by 68 French exporters

French film takes Toronto by storm
Bang Gang (A Modern Love Story) by Eva Husson

Always very well-represented at the Toronto Film Festival, the informal market of which is a point of encounter for sellers and buyers of films from all over the world, this year is no exception for French productions, which will be taking the 40th edition of the Festival (which kicks off today) by storm, with 44 majority productions and 28 minority productions being screened in the various sections. The films will be accompanied by 57 artists and UniFrance, the agency that promotes French film on the international stage, which is stepping up its efforts to showcase French talent (with French Night on 12 September and a ‘lounge space’ for the 68 exporters that have travelled from France, etc.). 

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Out of the 10 French films that will have their world premieres at the Festival, three are being shown in the brand new Platform section: Bang Gang (A Modern Love Story) [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Eva Husson
film profile
]
by Eva Husson (see news article - sales: Films Distribution), Sky [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
by Fabienne Berthaud (see news article - sales: The Bureau Sales) and Belgian-French co-production The White Night [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Joachim Lafosse
film profile
]
by Joachim Lafosse (see news article - sales: Indie Sales). Also worth pointing out is that French Blood [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
by Diastème (sales: Indie Sales) has also been selected for this competition, which also features Full Contact [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
by Dutch filmmaker David Verbeek (being sold by Bac Films) and Venetian film Neon Bull [+see also:
film review
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film profile
]
by Brazilian director Gabriel Mascaro (being sold by Memento via Artscope). 

The Gala section will be hosting Lolo [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Julie Delpy, Dany Boon
film profile
]
by Julie Delpy (see interview) and Disorder [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Alice Winocour
film profile
]
by Alice Winocour.

The Special Presentations line-up features 13 French productions and co-productions including Families [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
by Jean-Paul Rappeneau (see news article), Un plus une [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
by Claude Lelouch (starring Jean Dujardin in the leading role), the winner of the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival Dheepan [+see also:
film review
trailer
Q&A: Jacques Audiard
film profile
]
by Jacques Audiard, Summertime [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
by Catherine Corsini and majority French production Mustang [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Deniz Gamze Ergüven
film profile
]
by Turkish filmmaker Deniz Gamze Ergüven, along with co-productions by Nanni Moretti, Joachim Trier, Paolo Sorrentino, Yorgos Lanthimos, Julio Medem, Florian Gallenberger, Jonas Cuaron and Jia Zhang-ke. 

Meanwhile, the Contemporary World Cinema programme includes, among others, As I Open My Eyes [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Leyla Bouzid
film profile
]
by Leyla Bouzid, Parisienne [+see also:
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film profile
]
by Danielle Arbid (see news article), Much Loved [+see also:
film review
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]
by Nabil Ayouch, Let Them Come [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
by Salem Brahimi, Story of Judas [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
by Rabah Ameur-Zaimeche, Lamb [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
by Yared Zeleke, The Fear [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
by Damien Odoul and 3,000 Nights [+see also:
trailer
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]
 by Mai Masri, as well as co-productions by Emin Alper, Corneliu Porumboiu, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Oliver Hermanus, Radu Muntean, Ariel Rotter, Federico Veiroj, Naomi Kawase, Sandra Kogut and Florin Serban. 

Turning to the Masters section, the films that stand out in particular are In The Shadow of Women [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
by Philippe Garrel, Venetian competitors Francofonia [+see also:
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by Alexandre Sokurov (a majority French production), Rabin, the Last Day [+see also:
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by Amos Gitaï and Blood of my Blood [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Marco Bellocchio
film profile
]
by Marco Bellocchio, and minority French co-productions by Weerasethakul, Wenders and Guzman.

Last but not least is the world premiere of Evolution [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
by Lucile Hadzihalilovic (see news article), being shown in the Vanguard section along with Love [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
by Gaspar Noé, Les Cowboys [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
by Thomas Bidegain in the Discovery section (which will also feature minority productions Keeper [+see also:
film review
trailer
making of
interview: Guillaume Senez ­
interview: Kacey Mottet Klein
film profile
]
by Guillaume Senez, Ixcanul [+see also:
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trailer
interview: Jayro Bustamante
film profile
]
by Jayro Bustamante, Dégradé [+see also:
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film profile
]
by the Abunasser brothers and The Here After [+see also:
film review
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interview: Magnus von Horn
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]
by Magnus Von Horn), five films in the Wavelengths section (Eva Doesn’t Sleep [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
by Pablo Agüero, the Arabian Nights [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Miguel Gomes
film profile
]
trilogy by Miguel Gomes and The Other Side [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Roberto Minervini
film profile
]
by Roberto Minervini) and animated film Phantom boy [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
 by duo Jean-Loup Felicioli - Alain Gagnol in the TIFF Kids section. All without forgetting season 2 of the successful TV series Les Revenants by Fabrice Gobert, documentaries and short films, a vast ensemble which will give the many dynamic French sellers at the Festival different options to try their luck with until 20 September at Toronto.

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(Translated from French)

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