COL•COA fest to open with a Danièle Thompson comedy

March 27, 2013 by

One of my favorite film festivals starts in a few weeks. The City of Lights, City of Angels (COL•COA) film festival, a week of premieres in Hollywood, runs April 15-22. Last night, at the French Consulate, the Franco-American Cultural Fund announced the program for the fest, now in its 17th year.

“We are proud to offer the biggest and most exclusive program ever, including, for the first time, a new series that highlights the French film industry’s support of world cinema,” said François Truffart, COL•COA executive producer and artistic director.

COL•COA will feature 38 features and 19 shorts. It opens on Monday, April 15, with the North American premiere of “It Happened in Saint-Tropez,” a Danièle Thompson comedy, starring Kad Merad and Monica Bellucci. The film will be released in France on April 10.

Closing the fest on Sunday, April 22, is the recent French box-office success, “Jappeloup,” directed by Christian Duguay.

Of course, I am most looking forward to the film noir series, which will include “Armed Hands,” co-written and directed by Pierre Jolivet.

More on the fest later; meanwhile be sure to check the COL•COA site and snag your tickets – they will sell quickly!

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COL•COA French film fest in Los Angeles announces lineup

March 28, 2012 by

François Truffart announces the COL•COA program.

With five Oscar wins by “The Artist” still fresh in people’s minds, Los Angeles is gearing up to welcome more French film talent to the city. The City of Lights, City of Angels (COL•COA) festival, a week of French film premieres in Hollywood, runs April 16-23.

Last night, at the French Consulate in Beverly Hills, the Franco-American Cultural Fund announced the program for the fest, now in its 16th year.

“The historic triumph of ‘The Artist’ reflects a remarkable year for French cinema and we are glad to introduce a broad spectrum of new films to Hollywood that reveal both the quality and diversity of recent French productions,” said François Truffart, COL•COA executive director and artistic director.

COL•COA will feature 34 features and 21 shorts. It opens on Monday, April 16, with the North American premiere of “My Way” (“CloClo”), a biopic about French pop star Claude François, directed and co-written by Florent-Emilio Siri. The film, already a critical and commercial success in France, stars Jérémie Renier (“The Kid with a Bike”).

Closing the fest on Sunday, April 22, is a hit comedy called “The Intouchables” by writing/directing team Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano. François Cluzet and Omar Sy star.

Of course I am most looking forward to the film noir series on Friday, April 20, which will include “Paris By Night” (“Une nuit”) by Philippe Lefebvre; Olivier Marchal’s “A Gang Story” (“Les Lyonnais”) and “Early One Morning” (“De bon matin”) from Jean-Marc Moutout.

More on the fest later; meanwhile be sure to check the COL•COA site and snag your tickets – they will sell quickly!

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COL•COA Festival offers first-rate lineup, mais oui!

April 11, 2011 by
Tickets are going fast for the 15th annual City of Lights, City of Angels (COL•COA) Film Festival that runs today through April 18 in Los Angeles.
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In addition to 26 shorts, the festival will present 34 features, including several premieres. “The relationship between COL•COA and our audiences has evolved into a genuine love story over the last 15 years,” says Director and Programmer François Truffart. “We are thrilled that for this 15th anniversary year, we will bring an equally exclusive and high-profile lineup, keeping the passion for French cinema alive.”
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And Friday, April 15, is the film noir series featuring:
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At 5:45 p.m.: In “The Night Clerk” Vincent Rottiers plays Frédéric, a young man trying to return to society after his release from prison. He finds work in a mountain hotel owned by the bad-tempered Jacques (Jean-Pierre Bacri). Though Frédéric suspects Jacques may be involved in the mysterious disappearance of a hotel client, he remains silent to protect him. But police inspector Sylvie Poncet (Sylvie Testud) makes it harder and harder for Frédéric to keep quiet. Directed by Raphaël Jacoulot.

Romain Duris and Marina Foïs star in "The Big Picture."

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At 7:45 p.m.: “The Big Picture” stars Romain Duris as a successful lawyer who seems to lead an enviable life. When he learns his wife is having an affair, he accidentally kills her lover. His orderly life now in ruins, he assumes the dead man’s identity and flees to the former Yugoslavia. Supporting actors include Catherine Deneuve, Branka Katic and Niels Arestrup. Based on a novel by Douglas Kennedy; directed by Eric Lartigau.

At 10:15 p.m.: “The Long Falling” tells the story of a battered woman (Yolande Moreau) who kills her husband of 30 years, tries to reunite with her estranged son and ends up on the run. Based on a novel by Keith Ridgway; directed by Martin Provost.
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Other highlights include the following; see the site for details:
*CLASSIC REVIVAL: “Cold Cuts” (Bertrand Blier, 1977) With Gerard Depardieu, Bernard Blier, Jean Carmet. Classic black comedy about three inept murderers. Cast member Bernard Blier, a famous French actor, is director Bertrand Blier’s father.
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*CLASSIC REVIVAL: “Les Bonnes Femmes” (Claude Chabrol, 1960). With Bernadette Lafont, Stephane Audran and Claude Berri. Noir master Chabrol’s classic New Wave tale of four Parisian shopgirls and their lives and dreams.

Catherine Deneuve

*“His Mother’s Eyes,” a drama starring Catherine Deneuve as a celebrity news anchor and Nicolas Duvauchelle as a troubled young author who wants to write her unauthorized biography and seduces her estranged daughter (Géraldine Pailhas) as a means of gathering information. Directed by Thierry Klifa.
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*“The Clink of Ice,” Bertrand Blier’s new film; Blier will appear for discussion.
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*Also be sure to check out: New films by well-known French directors Claude Lelouch, Guillaume Cantet, Catherine Breillat, Cedric Klapisch, Nicole Garcia, Jean Becker and Benoit Jacquot.
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*To celebrate the announcement and recipients of the 2011 COL•COA awards, two of the winning films will be re-screened for free on Monday, April 18 at 7:30 p.m.
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All films are screened at the Directors Guild Theater Complex, 7920 Sunset Blvd., in Los Angeles (half a block west of Fairfax Avenue and two blocks east of Crescent Heights). Free parking is available at the Directors Guild. Enter on Hayworth Avenue.
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“The Big Picture” image from www.indiewire.com; Catherine Deneuve photo by Brigitte Lacombe, from www.altfg.com.
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