15/03/2010

Encouraged by the $25m grossed in seven weeks in Japan by Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud’s Oceans [+see also:
trailer
film profile], French cinema will hit Tokyo this Thursday for the 18th French Film Festival in Japan, organised by Unifrance (see video interview with managing director Régine Hatchondo).

The event, which will last from March 18-22, will screen 15 features, including nine that have already been bought by local distributors. The line-up is headed by several films launched at Cannes, including Jacques Audiard’s A Prophet [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jacques Audiard
interview: Jacques Audiard and Tahar R…
film profile]; Laurent Cantet’s The Class [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Carole Scotta
interview: Laurent Cantet
film profile] (to be released in Japanese theatres in June); Alain Resnais’ Wild Grass [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]; Arnaud Desplechin’s A Christmas Tale [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]; Gaspard Noé’s Enter the Void [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]; and Mia Hansen-Love’s Father of My Children [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Mia Hansen-Løve
film profile].

The programme also includes Hadewijch [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Bruno Dumont (who will give a Cinema Lesson); Radu Mihaileanu’s The Concert [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Radu Mihaileanu
film profile]; Catherine Corsini’s Leaving [+see also:
trailer
film profile]; Jean-Pierret Jeunet’s Micmacs [+see also:
trailer
film profile]; and Cédric Kahn’s Regrets [+see also:
trailer
film profile].

Finally, the line-up is completed by Christopher Thompson’s Bus Palladium [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (to be released in France this Wednesday); Nicolas Boukhrief’s Sphinx [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (release date: April 7); Stijn Coninx’s Sister Smile [+see also:
trailer
film profile]; and Benoît Pétré’s Thelma, Louise and Chantal [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (launched in France ten days ago).

Presided by Jane Birkin, the artistic delegation will comprise 12 of the 15 directors and several actors, including Cécile de France, Matthieu Amalric and Anne Consigny. They intend to win over Japanese audiences, in a country where French cinema admissions picked up last year after a difficult 2008 season (€7.5m in takings). In 2009, 49 French features were distributed in Japanese theatres (amassing €26.2m in takings), including hits like Coco Before Chanel [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (almost 600,000 admissions).

(Translated from French)