10/01/2003

Preparation is already underway for the 42nd edition of Critics’ Week organised by the French film critics guild during the Cannes Film Festival, scheduled to run this year from 14-25 May.
Since 1962 Critics’ Week has been a traditional launch pad for new directing talent with two categories, short and feature films. Many of the directors launched here went on to become worldwide celebrities : Leos Carax (Boy Meets Girl, 1984), Wong Kar Wei (As tears go by, 1989), Arnaud Desplechin (La vie des morts, 1991), Jacques Audiard (Regarde les hommes tomber, 1994), Gaspard Noé (Seul contre tous) and François Ozon (Sitcom, 1998).
Over the years Critics’ Week has gained ground with film buyers who flock to Cannes in ever-growing numbers (the 2002 edition saw a 21 per cent increase in attendance). The after-effects of the 2002 edition confirmed this widely held impression after Emanuele Crialese’s feature Respiro won the best film award, and his career took off in a big way in France where this film was released on New Year’s Day 2003 and attracted 70,000 spectators in one week. Filles perdues, cheveux gras by Claude Duty and Intacto by Juan Carlo Fresnadillo also made headway with French audiences after their participation in Critics’ Week.
The submissions list to this year’s edition was opened this week, and the selection committee of five guild members, assisted by four film critics, has already been decided : Arno Gaillard, Sylvain Garel, Jean Rabinovici and Gregory Valens. The short film submissions list will be opened later this month.
If you would like to submit a film for selection, check out the official web site or send an email to mguillon@lasemaine@wanadoo.fr.

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(Translated from French)