The 31st edition of Rendez-Vous with French Cinema, a New York festival co-organized by promotion org Unifrance and Film at Lincoln Center, has unveiled its 22-title lineup which will kick off with François Ozon’s “The Stranger” on March 5.
Featuring works by contemporary French filmmakers, from emerging directors to celebrated auteurs, the festival’s lineup highlights movies that premiered at Cannes, Venice, and Locarno, some of which will have their North American or U.S. premiere at the Rendez-Vous. Over 20 directors and film talent are slated to attend select screenings for post-screening Q&As.
Ozon will be on the ground for the New York premiere of “The Stranger” on opening night of Rendez-Vous, alongside rising star Rebecca Marder, who plays Marie Cardona in the adaptation of Albert Camus’s classic novel. The film world premiered at Venice and went on to win three top prizes at the Lumières Awards, including best film, cinematography and actor for Benjamin Voisin.
The other anticipated highlights of the Rendez-Vous include “Alpha,” Julia Ducournau’s bold follow up to her Palme d’Or-winning “Titane” which is headlined by a haunting performance by Tahar Rahim and will close the festival; as well as Olivier Assayas’s Venice-premiering “The Wizard of the Kremlin” starring Jude Law as a fictionalized Vladimir Putin opposite Paul Dano as his mysterious strategist Vladislav; Dominik Moll’s “Case 137,” a Cannes-premiering, Cesar-nominated gripping procedural set during the Yellow Vests protests and starring Léa Drucker; Pauline Loquès’s Cesar-nominated feature debut “Nino,” which bowed at Cannes Critics’ Week and stars Unifrance “10 to Watch” honoree Théodore Pellerin; Arnaud Desplechin’s melodrama “Two Pianos;” Valérie Donzelli’s Venice-prizewinning “At Work” starring Bastien Bouillon as an aspiring writer who struggles to make ends meet; and Stéphane Demoustier’s Cesar-nominated historical epic “The Great Arch,” which premiered in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard and stars Claes Bang as Danish architect Johan Otto von Spreckelsen who came to Paris in the early 1980’s to oversee a daunting project.
The Wizard of the Kremlin
carole bethuel
New York premieres include Hafsia Herzi’s Cesar-nominated queer coming-of-age film “The Little Sister,” featuring Cannes best actress winner Nadia Melliti as a young girl on a journey of self-discovery; the late Laurent Cantet’s final project, directed by Robin Campillo, “Enzo,” which opened Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight; and Cédric Klapisch’s “Colors of Time,” about four distant cousins reuniting at a family home in Normandy who retrace the steps of their 19th-century ancestor to Paris.
“It is such an honor to open the new edition of Rendez-Vous with French Cinema with ‘The Stranger,’ the adaptation of Albert Camus’s classic French novel, in the presence of director François Ozon and actress Rebecca Marder,” said Daniela Elstner, Unifrance’s executive director. “This remarkable film, along with this year’s selection, is a powerful testament to the diversity and creativity of French cinema today.”
Elstner added, “Rendez-Vous with French Cinema continues to serve as a cultural bridge between France and the United States, bringing filmmakers and audiences together through a shared love of cinema.”
“At a time of global uncertainty,” Elstner said, “we are deeply grateful for the strong and solid relationship we have built with our partners at Film at Lincoln Center.”
Florence Almozini, Film at Lincoln Center’s VP of programming, said “The 31st edition of Rendez-Vous with French Cinema reflects the ever-impressive vitality and artistic ambition of contemporary filmmaking in France.”
Almozini pointed out this year’s roster brings together “acclaimed auteurs such as Olivier Assayas, François Ozon, Claire Simon, Pascal Bonitzer, and many exciting new filmmakers including Leyla Bouzid, Hubert Charuel, and Pauline Loquès to name a few.”
She said “Film at Lincoln Center is proud to continue this long-standing collaboration with Unifrance, presenting the best of new French cinema to New York audiences.”
Besides “The Wizard of the Kremlin,” the Rendez-Vous will host the U.S. premiere of a second film, Jean-Paul Salomé’s “The Money Maker,” a crime drama starring Reda Kateb as a master French counterfeiter during and after WWII.
A jury of six students pursuing film and French studies degrees from New York City colleges will choose their favorite feature for the best emerging filmmaker award, while all moviegoers attending the festival will also be able to vote for their favorite movie. The two awards will be announced shortly after the close of the festival.
The Rendez-Vous with French Cinema, backed by Villa Albertine, TV5 Monde and Maison Occitanie, will take place March 5-15.
