07/11/2024 - Unspooling between 8 and 17 November, the event's 25th edition will feature focuses on the Czech Republic and Italy, and guests of honour Cécile de France, Sandrine Kiberlain and Miki Manojlovic

Emmanuel Courcol's The Marching Band [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Emmanuel Courcol
film profile] (unveiled in Cannes and handed San Sebastián’s Audience Award) is due to open the 25th Arras Film Festival tomorrow, an event wrapping on 17 November, which will offer up an abundant programme of 115 feature films, enhanced by the presence of numerous talents who’ll be accompanying their works, notably the event’s guests of honour: Belgium’s Cécile de France (Call of Water [+see also:
film review
interview: Élise Otzenberger, Cécile d…
film profile] by Élise Otzenberger), French actress Sandrine Kiberlain (The Divine Sarah Bernhardt [+see also:
film review
film profile] by Guillaume Nicloux) and Serbia’s Miki Manojlovic (Emir Kusturica’s fetish actor). Similarly poised to make the journey to Arras, among many others, are Vincent Lindon, Michel Hazanavicius, Louis Garrel, Anthony Bajon, Carine Tardieu, Fabrice du Welz and Muriel Coulin.

Alongside the nine European pretenders for the Golden Atlas (read our article), which will be assessed by a jury presided over by Abel and Gordon, the line-up includes seven feature films in the Eastern Selection: The Trap [+see also:
film review
film profile] by Bulgaria’s Nadejda Koseva, The Hungarian Dressmaker [+see also:
film review
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interview: Iveta Grófová
film profile] by Slovakia’s Iveta Grófová, Block 5 [+see also:
film review
film profile] by Slovenia’s Klemen Dvornik, Maria’s Silence [+see also:
film review
interview: Dāvis Sīmanis
film profile] by Latvia’s Davis Simanis, Raw Material [+see also:
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film profile] by Hungary’s Martin Boross, Crossing Istanbul [+see also:
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interview: Levan Akin
film profile] by Sweden’s Levan Akin and U Are The Universe [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Pavlo Ostrikov
film profile] by Ukraine’s Pavlo Ostrikov. A Czech Republic Focus is also on the agenda, foregrounding Vojtěch Strakatý’s After Party [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Vojtěch Strakatý
film profile], Jiri Havelka’s The Gardener’s Year [+see also:
film review
film profile] and Veronika Lisková’s Year of the Widow [+see also:
film review
film profile].

An Italy Focus steals focus in the European Discoveries section, featuring Venice’s Grand Prize winner Vermiglio, The Mountain Bride [+see also:
film review
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interview: Maura Delpero
film profile] by Maura Delpero, Sicilian Letters [+see also:
film review
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interview: Fabio Grassadonia and Anton…
film profile] by the duo composed of Fabio Grassadonia and Antonio Piazza, The Time it Takes [+see also:
film review
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interview: Francesca Comencini
film profile] by Francesca Comencini, and The Buddy Killer [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Gianluca Santoni. Joining them in the showcase are When the Light Breaks [+see also:
film review
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interview: Rúnar Rúnarsson
film profile] by Iceland’s Rúnar Rúnarsson, Wishbone [+see also:
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trailer
film profile] by Greece’s Penny Panayotopoulou, Stormskerry Maja [+see also:
film review
film profile] by Finland’s Tiina Lymi, From Hilde, With Love [+see also:
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interview: Andreas Dresen
film profile] by Germany’s Andreas Dresen, The Glory of Life [+see also:
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film profile] by fellow Germans Judith Kaufmann and Georg Maas, Julie Keeps Quiet [+see also:
film review
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interview: Leonardo van Dijl
film profile] by Belgium’s Leonardo Van Dijl, The Girl with the Needle [+see also:
film review
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interview: Magnus von Horn
film profile] by Sweden’s Magnus von Horn, and Eternal [+see also:
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interview: Ulaa Salim
film profile] by Denmark’s Ulaa Salim.

It's an overview of European cinema in all its diversity, which is also set to pay tribute to French production by way of 23 feature films screening in premieres, including Joli Joli by Diastème, All for One by Houda Benyamina, The Quiet Son [+see also:
film review
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interview: Delphine and Muriel Coulin
film profile] by Muriel and Delphine Coulin, The Most Precious of Cargoes [+see also:
film review
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interview: Michel Hazanavicius
film profile] by Michel Hazanavicius, The Ties that Bind Us [+see also:
film review
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interview: Carine Tardieu
film profile] by Carine Tardieu, and Maldoror [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Fabrice Du Welz
film profile] by Belgium’s Belge Fabrice Du Welz, not to mention Pablo Aguëro’s Saint-Ex [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] which is set to close the festival.

Equally deserving of a mention is the French Film Perspectives section, foregrounding Bonjour l'asile by Judith Davis, In the Name of Blood [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Akaki Popkhadze
film profile] by Akaki Popkhadze, Little Jaffna [+see also:
film review
interview: Lawrence Valin
film profile] by Lawrence Valin, Across the Sea [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Saïd Hamich Benlarbi
film profile] by Saïd Hamich and Holy Cow [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Louise Courvoisier
film profile] by Louise Courvoisier, without forgetting the World Cinema line-up (notably showcasing the European co-productions Aïcha [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Mehdi M. Barsaoui, In the Land of Brothers [+see also:
film review
interview: Raha Amirfazli, Alireza Gha…
film profile] by Raha Amirfazli and Alireza Ghasemi, Winter in Sokcho [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Koya Kamura
film profile] by Koya Kamura, and Mexico 86 [+see also:
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interview: César Díaz
film profile] by César Diaz), two retrospectives ("Love, Wigs & Music" and "Once Upon a Time in Yugoslavia"), special screenings (notably of Jonathan Schörning’s German documentary Einhundertvier), the Kid’s Festival (showcasing nine films, including Jean-François Laguionie’s A Boat in the Garden [+see also:
film review
film profile] and Gints Zibalodis’ Flow [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Gints Zilbalodis
film profile]) and two film-concerts.

That’s without forgetting the industry sidebar, taking the form of the 18th Professional Northern Film Meetings (running 12 – 15 November), and the pitching sessions for the Arras Days Development Grant (on 16 November), alongside a bonus focus session, the following day, on a selection of Czech projects.

(Translated from French)