26/04/2012 - Veteran filmmakers Bruno Podalydès and Noémie Lvovsky will screen their films at the Directors’ Fortnight alongside newcomers Elie Wajeman and Rachid Djaidani

With five majority productions and four minority productions, as well as an opening film by French director Michel Gondry (American-British co-production The We and the I), French cinema is out in force in the programme of the 44th Directors’ Fortnight (article), to be held from May 17 to 27 at the 65th Cannes Film Festival.

Among the selected films, two comedies by experienced film directors shine.

Bruno Podalydès will unveil Granny’s Funeral [+see also:
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Noémie Lvovsky, another well-known actress and filmmaker will close the 2012 Fortnight with Camille Rewinds (article). After winning a Silver Leopard in Locarno in 1999 and competing in Venice in 2003, the director will make her debut in Cannes with her fifth feature in which she also acts. India Hair, Judith Chemla, Yolande Moreau, Jean-Pierre Léaud, Anne Alvaro, Mathieu Amalric, Vincent Lacoste, and Antony Sonigo will also be in the cast, alongside a trio to appear twice at the Fortnight: Denis Podalydès, Michel Vuillermoz, and Samir Guesmi. Produced by F comme Film and Ciné@ on a budget of €6.69m, the film was also co-produced by France 2 Cinéma with pre-acquisitions from Canal+ and Ciné+. Gaumont will release the film on October 17 and lead international sales.

Two first features from France are also in the line-up at the Directors’ Fortnight.

Alyah [+see also:
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And then there is the very mysterious Rengaine, actor and screenwriter Rachid Djaidani’s first feature, filmed over nine years and featuring Slimane Dazi, Stéphane Soo Mongo, and Sabrina Hamida (an Or Productions production with Nord-Ouest Films).

Finally, animation will also be on offer with a co-production from France, Belgium, and Luxembourg, Ernest & Celestine [+see also:
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France also participated in four other features to be screened at the Directors’ Fortnight: two via JBA Productions (Le repenti by Algerian director Merzak Allouache and A Respectable Family by Iranian director Massoud Bakhshi), La Sirga by Colombian director William Vega (co-produced by Ciné-Sud Promotion) and La noche de enfrente [+see also:
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(Translated from French)