THE 25th ANNUAL COLCOA FRENCH FILM & SERIES FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES DOCUMENTARY LINE UP
Documentaries to be Included in the Festival’s Program this Year Take on Such Diverse Subject Matter as the Environment, Extinction, Transgender Inclusion, Holocaust Revelations and More
Los Angeles, California – September 8, 2021 – Climate change, immigration, transgender inclusion, holocaust revelations, centenary celebration …. These and many more contemporary and historical topics are explored in the diverse and exclusive documentary line up scheduled to premiere at the 25th Annual COLCOA French Film & Series Festival. Six feature documentary films and one TV documentary make up the non-fiction part of the program that will be on offer when COLCOA comes to the DGA Theaters as a live event November 1-7. These films will also be eligible for the 2021 COLCOA Best Documentary Award. The full line-up of the 25th edition will be announced on October 5.
“Documentary films have grown in prominence in France in the past few years, with more than a hundred fifty released in theaters in 2019 and strong sales worldwide. We are showing seven of the most innovative documentaries coming out of France today that cover the gamut of style, approach, and artistic vision” said Anouchka van Riel, Deputy Director.
The film documentaries chosen for premiere exhibition at COLCOA include:
Above Water / Marcher sur L’eau (2021 – North American Premiere) – Fourteen-year-old Houlaye lives in Tatiste, Niger and travels several kilometers every day to fetch water. The village got together to obtain construction of a well. This is the promise of a new life for these men and women who have literally been walking on water since birth. Written and directed by Aïssa Maïga. Presented in association with Orange Studio.
Birds of America (2021 – North American Premiere) – At the beginning of the 19th century, the discovery of the wide-open spaces of the United States and its incredible wildlife was key in the political development of the country. Intent on painting all the birds of America, John-James Audubon became a central figure of America’s national identity. But as these birds started disappearing with the dawn of the industrial age, so did the original American dream. In this “river movie” shot along the banks of the Mississippi, political, environmental and human rights issues are interwoven with the tales, myths and ghosts of these now extinct birds. Written and directed by Jacques Loeuille. Presented in Association with MK2 Films.
From Where They Stood / A Pas Aveugles (2021 – North American Premiere) – A handful of prisoners in WWII camps risked their lives to take clandestine photographs and document the hell the Nazis were hiding from the world. In the vestiges of the camps, director Christophe Cognet retraces the footsteps of these courageous men and women in a quest to unearth the circumstances and the stories behind their photographs, composing as such an archeology of images as acts of defiance. Presented in Association with U.S. distributor Greenwich Entertainment.
Gallant Indies / Indes Galantes (2021 – North American Premiere) – This film documents a first for 30 break, hip hop, krumping and voguing dancers; a first for director Clément Cogitore and choreographer Bintou Dembélé; and a first for the Opéra de Paris. By creating a dialogue between urban dance and lyrical song, together they reinvent Rameau’s baroque masterpiece, Les Indes Galantes. From rehearsals to public performances, it is a human adventure and a meeting with the political issues we follow. Can a new generation of artists take the Bastille today? Written and directed by Philippe Béziat. Presented in association with Pyramide International.
Jane By Charlotte (2021 – West Coast Premiere). The spare, delicate portrait of a fascinating, now-75-year-old mother (singer Jane Birkin) by a daughter (actor/singer Charlotte Gainsbourg), who clearly cherishes her. A very frank portrayal of two very human, insecure, talented women, as they take stock of both the joys and the tragedies they have shared over the years. Presented in association with U.S. distributor Utopia.
Little Girl / Petite Fille (2021 – Special Presentation COLCOA Awards) – Seven-year-old Sasha has always known she was a little girl, even though she was born a boy. As society fails to treat her like the other children her age – in her daily life at school, dance lessons or birthday parties – her supportive family lads a constant battle to make her difference understood and accepted. Written and directed by Sebastien Lifshitz. Presented in association with U.S. distributor Music Box Films.
Television documentary set to premiere at COLCOA:
All About Yves Montand / Montand est a nous (2021 – North American Premiere). Celebrating the centenary of iconic singer-actor-public figure Yves Montand, the film is a touching homage by writer/director Yves Jeuland full of restored and unpublished archives, concerts and film extracts. It plunges us into a 50-year career of probably the most popular after-war French artist in the world. The film was part of the Official Selection of the last Cannes Film Festival. Written and directed by Yves Jeuland. Presented in association with Zelig Films.
About COLCOA
Now one of the oldest and most well-established Film Festivals in Hollywood, COLCOA, has become a prestigious and widely publicized event. It offers a unique platform to promote French films and series at the beginning of the Awards Season in Hollywood. Annually, the festival brings the highest-caliber French filmmakers and talent to Los Angeles for red carpet premieres, numerous panels and screenings, as well as the opportunity for high-profile collaborations between French and American professionals. In addition, more than 20,000 audience members – including journalists, industry professionals, the general public and students – attend the festival annually.
COLCOA French Film Festival was created and is produced by the Franco-American Cultural Fund, a unique collaboration between the Directors Guild of America (DGA), the Motion Picture Association (MPA), France’s Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music (SACEM) and the Writers Guild of America West (WGAW). COLCOA is also supported by Unifrance, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, France’s Society of Authors, Directors and Producers (l’ARP), by TVFI, Air Tahiti Nui, Bank of the West/BNP Paribas, TV5 Monde/Sling and Variety. The COLCOA Education Program is supported by ELMA.
For additional information visit: www.theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org
Media Contact:
In Los Angeles:
Patricia Frith Marketing
310 490-2368
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In Paris:
Vanessa Jerrom
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