30/01/2015 - Jacques Audiard, Stéphane Brizé, Eugène Green, Diane Kurys, Eric Gravel and Jean-Stéphane Bron are also among the selected directors

Nine feature films will benefit from production aid from the Ile-de-France Region’s Support Fund for Film and Audiovisual Technical Industries. Standing out among the titles selected during the first session of 2015 is Chocolat [+see also:
trailer
making of
film profile], which will be Roschdy Zem’s fourth feature as a director, following Bad Faith [+see also:
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film profile] (nominated for the César Award for Best Debut Film in 2007), Omar Killed Me [+see also:
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film profile] (nominated for the César Award for Best Writing – Adaptation and Best Actor in 2012) and Bodybuilder [+see also:
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film profile] (2014).

Chocolat (set to be supported by Ile-de-France to the tune of €480,000), which began shooting this week, stars Omar Sy (winner of the César Award for Best Actor in 2012 for Untouchable [+see also:
film review
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film profile] and popular recently in Samba [+see also:
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film profile]), James Thiérrée (Love Battles [+see also:
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film profile]), Noémie Lvovski (Camille Rewinds [+see also:
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film profile]) and Frédéric Pierrot (Poliss [+see also:
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interview: Maïwenn
film profile]). Written by Cyril Gély, and adapted by Gérard Noiriel, Olivier Gorce and Roschdy Zem, the film tells the story of a pair of clowns, Footit and Chocolat, and their swift rise to fame at the beginning of the 20^th century; this was then followed by disappointment for Chocolat, the first black performer on the French stage. Produced by Éric and Nicolas Altmayer for Mandarin Cinéma, the feature is co-produced by M6 Films and by Gaumont, which will distribute it in France and is handling international sales; these will get under way at the European Film Market during the 65th Berlinale (5-15 February 2015)  

Ile-de-France will also be backing Erran [+see also:
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Q&A: Jacques Audiard
film profile] (working title – aka Dheepan) by Jacques Audiard (read the news – Why Not Productions – €480,000 in support – sales by Celluloid Dreams and Wild Bunch), A Simple Man [+see also:
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interview: Stéphane Brizé
film profile] by Stéphane Brizé (read the news – with Vincent Lindon toplining – produced by Nord-Ouest Films – €200,000 – sold by MK2), C'est le métier qui rentre [+see also:
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film profile] by Diane Kurys (Alexandre Films – €410,000), Le fils de Joseph by Eugène Green (Coffee and Films – €440,000) and the feature debut Crash Test Aglaé [+see also:
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film profile] by Eric Gravel (Novoprod – €230,000). The list is rounded off by three feature documentary projects: L'Opéra de Paris by Jean-Stéphane Bron (Les Films Pelléas – €90,000), Ladrillo by Quentin Ravelli (Survivance – €60,000) and Dormez petites merveilles, il fera jour demain by Rossella Schillaci (De Films en aiguille – €72,000).

In addition, it is worth pointing out that the Ile-de-France region has also granted five instances of post-completion aid to Les Rois du monde [+see also:
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film profile] by Laurent Laffargue (Mezzanine Films – read the article), Lac noir by Jean-Baptiste Germain (La 25^ème Heure), Je suis le peuple by Anna Roussillon (Haut Les Mains Productions), Exotica Erotica by Evangelia Kranioti (Aurora Films) and Pauline s’arrache [+see also:
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film profile] by Emilie Brisavoine (Bathysphère Productions).

(Translated from French)