The 30th edition of the Rendez-Vous With French Cinema in New-York, organised by Unifrance and Film at Lincoln Center, is unspooling 6 to 16 March. Having proven its great efficiency over time, both in terms of promotion and from an industry perspective, the event played to a full house last year, selling a total of 8,400 tickets. This year, the opening taking place today falls to Venetian competitor Three Friends [+leggi anche:
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scheda film], which is directed by Emmanuel Mouret (who’ll be attending the event accompanied by actress India Hair).

In all, 22 feature films and one documentary series (the latter broadcast in a single block) are all jostling on the agenda, and 15 directors are set to attend screenings of their films in New York, followed by Q&A sessions with audiences. Stealing focus among these is an incredibly promising new generation of French filmmakers wielding five first feature films, three of which were previously screened in Cannes (Louise Courvoisier’s phenomenon Holy Cow [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Louise Courvoisier
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intervista: Jonathan Millet
intervista: Pauline Seigland
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intervista: Agathe Riedinger
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intervista: Koya Kamura
scheda film] by Koya Kamura (well-received in Toronto’s Platform section and in San Sebastian’s New Directors line-up) and Arenas [+leggi anche:
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A total of 12 films previously unveiled in Cannes are gracing the agenda, which also includes Souleymane’s Story [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Boris Lojkine
scheda film] by Boris Lojkine (whose lead actor, Abou Sangare, won the Un Certain Regard Prize, the European Film Award and the César for Best Male Newcomer), The Marching Band [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Emmanuel Courcol
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intervista: Arnaud e Jean-Marie Larrieu
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intervista: Jessica Palud
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intervista: Patricia Mazuy
scheda film] by Patricia Mazuy, This Life of Mine [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Thierry de Peretti
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Likewise in on the action are three additional titles discovered in Venice, namely the festival competitors The Quiet Son [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Delphine e Muriel Coulin
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intervista: Aude Léa Rapin
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The line-up will be rounded off by François Ozon’s When Fall is Coming [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Claire Burger
scheda film] by Claire Burger and Suspended Time [+leggi anche:
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The event will also see an Audience Award and a trophy for Best Emerging Filmmaker up for grabs (courtesy of a jury comprising six Film and French Studies students).

In addition to screenings, a Professional Day taking place on 7 March will see a dozen French international sales agents presenting their line-ups to American distributors and programmers. There’ll also be a panel discussion entitled “Producers Shaping the Future of Film”, involving French representatives Flore Biet (360 Creative -DJ Mehdi: Made in France) and Muriel Meynard (Agat Films & Ex Nihilo – Holy Cow) and, on the American side, Alex C. Lo (co-producer of Maria) and Gabriel Mayers (A Different Man). Equally noteworthy is a meeting entitled "Frames of Change: Judith Godrèche and Me Too".

Last but not least, on the fringes of the event, six masterclasses led by French filmmakers attending the Rendez-Vous are set to unfold in a variety of New York universities (Columbia University, NYU, Hunter College, Fordham University...).