18/10/2005

The director general of the National Film Centre (CNC), Veronique Cayla, ratified at the end of last week the amounts set aside for eight features selected within the framework of the Advance On Receipts, for pre-production and production. A total of almost 1,8 million was awarded to mainly first and second films. Among them, 450 000 euros were set aside for Andalucia by Alain Gomis (Mille et une productions), the second feature from the Senegalese-French director, following L'Afrance (2002), winner of the Leopard for Best First feature at Locarno. An advance of 400 000 euros was also awarded to Très bien, merci by Emmanuelle Cuau, writer notably of Secret défense by Jacques Rivette (1998) who will make his first feature, produced by Gémini Films with Sandrine Kiberlain and Gilbert Melki in the principal roles.

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Also on CNC’s list are the documentariesLe Théâtre des opérations by Benoît Rossel (produced by Everybody on deck), and Sur la grâce by Vincent Dieutre (Celluloïd Dreams) who will receive, respectively, 90 000 and 150 000 euros. Also receiving an advance, of 100 000 euros, is Jour après jour by Jean-Paul Fargier, produced by Ex Nihilo which is the final screenplay by Jean-Daniel Pollet, who died in September 2004. And the project L’Intouchable from Benoît Jacquot (production company Sangsho) was credited with 290 000 euros for a shoot which starts in November for three weeks in Delhi, India then heads to Vanarasi.

As for post-production Advance On Receipts, two first features were granted an advance. Muetter by Dominique Lienhard, interpreted by Agathe De La Boulaye, Stanislas Merhar, Sophie Quinton and Aurélien Recoing received 152 000 euros. First feature project from Butterfly Productions, the film will be seen on French screens, distributed by Eurozoom from the 11th January 2006. An advance of 152 000 euros went to 13 – Tzameti by Gela Babluani (Les Films de la Strada). Winner of the Lion of the Future awarded to Best First Feature at the recent Mostra in Venice, the film form the young French-Georgian (read la critique) will be distributed in theatres by MK2 from the1st February 2006.

(Translated from French)