Family 14 + – The American French Film Festival in Los Angeles https://theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org The American French Film Festival in Los Angeles Wed, 29 Jan 2025 01:24:30 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1 THE 400 BLOWS https://theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org/the-400-blows/ https://theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org/the-400-blows/#comments Mon, 19 Aug 2024 15:29:56 +0000 https://theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org/?p=18276

THE 400 BLOWS

| 1959 – 100′ –  Drama, Coming of Age, Classic.
Written by: François Truffaut, Marcel Moussy.
Directed by: François Truffaut.
Starring: Jean-Pierre Léaud, Claire Maurier, Albert Rémy, Guy Decomble, Jeanne Moreau, Jean-Claude Brialy, Jacques Demy, Patrick Auffray, Henri Virlojeux, Jean Douchet.
Official selection Cannes International Film Festival 1959. Winner Palme d’Or.
In French with English subtitles.
A The Criterion Collection release. |

 

François Truffaut’s first feature, The 400 Blows, is also his most personal. Told through the eyes of Truffaut’s life-long cinematic counterpart, Antoine Doinel (Jean-Pierre Léaud), The 400 Blows sensitively re-creates the trials of Truffaut’s own difficult childhood, unsentimentally portraying aloof parents, oppressive teachers, petty crime, and a friendship that would last a lifetime.

WATCH NOW

]]> https://theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org/the-400-blows/feed/ 3 THE YOUNG AND PRODIGIOUS T.S. PIVET https://theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org/the-young-and-prodigious-t-s-pivet/ https://theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org/the-young-and-prodigious-t-s-pivet/#comments Mon, 19 Aug 2024 15:26:18 +0000 https://theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org/?p=18273

THE YOUNG AND PRODIGIOUS T.S. PIVET

| 2015 – 105′ –  Drama, Adventure.
Written by: Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Guillaume Laurant.
Based on the Book by: Reif Larsen
Directed by: Jean-Pierre Jeunet.
Starring: Kyle Catlett, Helena Bonham Carter, Robert Maillet, Callum Keith Rennie, Judy Davis, Julian Richings, Niamh Wilson, Dominique Pinon.
Official selection San Sebastian International Film Festival 2013. 3 César Award nominations.
In English.
A Tribeca Shortlist release. |

 

T.S. is invited to the Smithsonian to receive an award for inventing a perpetual motion machine. Without telling any of his family, he boards a freight train heading to Washington, D.C., to attend the ceremony.

]]> https://theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org/the-young-and-prodigious-t-s-pivet/feed/ 1 FAMILY PACK https://theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org/family-pack/ https://theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org/family-pack/#comments Tue, 16 Jul 2024 03:02:16 +0000 https://theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org/?p=17349

FAMILY PACK

| 2024 – 90′ – Adventure, Comedy, Mystery, Fantasy.
Based on the Game Board by: Hervé Marly, Philippe des Pallières.
Directed by: François Uzan.
Starring: Franck Dubosc, Suzanne Clément, Jean Reno, Jonathan Lambert, Bruno Goueri, Grégory Fitoussi, Lisa Do Couto Teixeira, Raphaël Romand.
In English or in French with English subtitles.
A Netflix Original release. |

 

After discovering a mysterious Card game, a family is thrust back in time to a medieval village where they must fend off dangerous werewolves each night.  

watch now

]]> https://theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org/family-pack/feed/ 1 AU REVOIR LES ENFANTS (GOODBYE CHILDREN) https://theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org/au-revoir-les-enfants-goodbye-children/ https://theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org/au-revoir-les-enfants-goodbye-children/#respond Fri, 05 Jul 2024 15:42:33 +0000 https://theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org/?p=17215

AU REVOIR LES ENFANTS (GOODBYE CHILDREN)

| 1987 – 104′ – Drama, History, War, Classic.
Written by: Louis Malle.
Directed by: Louis Malle.
Starring: Gaspard Manesse, Raphael Fejtö, Francine Racette, Stanislas Carré de Malberg, Philippe Morier-Genoud, François Négret, Irène Jacob, François Berléand.
Official Selection Venice International Film Festival 1987. Two Academy Awards nominations: Best Foreign Language film & Best Screenplay. Nine César Awards nominations. Winner of seven César Awards including Best Film, Best Director, Best Cinematography.
In French with English subtitles.
An Orion Classic / HBO Max release. |

 

In 1943, Julien (Gaspard Manesse) is a student at a French boarding school. When three new students arrive, including Jean Bonnett (Raphael Fejto), Julien believes they are no different from the other boys. What Julien doesn’t know is that the boys are actually Jews who are evading capture by the Nazis. While Julien doesn’t care for Jean at first, the boys develop a tight bond — while the head of the school, Père Jean (Philippe Morier-Genoud), works to protect the boys from the Holocaust.

WATCH NOW

]]> https://theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org/au-revoir-les-enfants-goodbye-children/feed/ 0 ONCE IN A LIFETIME https://theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org/once-in-a-lifetime/ https://theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org/once-in-a-lifetime/#comments Mon, 01 Jul 2024 15:59:07 +0000 https://theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org/?p=17194

ONCE IN A LIFETIME

| 2016 – 105′ – Drama, History, Coming of Age, War.
Written by: Ahmed Dramé, Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar.
Directed by: Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar.
Starring: Ariane Ascaride, Ahmed Dramé, Noémie Merlant, Geneviève Mnich, Wendy Nieto, Aïmen Derriachi, Mohamed Seddiki, Stéphane Bak.
César Award 2016 Nomination for Best Promising Actor (Ahmed Dramé).
Official Competition COLCOA 2015 (Audience Special Prize winner).
In French with English subtitles.
A Menemsha Films release. |

 

At the Leon Blum High School, history teacher Anne Gueguen has to face her worst nightmare, a classroom full of distracted and unruly school “rejects” – the ones other teachers have given up on. This racially and religiously diverse group of struggling but tough inner-city kids seem to only agree on one thing: history is a boring subject with no relevance in their everyday lives.  Anne has a quality that these students don’t encounter often – she actually cares about them, and she has an idea that she hopes will inspire them.  Over the objections of the head of the school, she challenges the class to enter a national history contest with a project on Children and Teenage victims of the Nazi Regime. It’s a long shot at best, because the contest is usually won by more dedicated students from better schools, but a visit from a special guest gives them a fighting chance. Based on a true story, this inspirational drama was co-written by twenty-one year old Ahmed Dramé, who was part of the original class, and plays Malik in the film.

WATCH NOW

]]> https://theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org/once-in-a-lifetime/feed/ 2 THE RABBI’S CAT https://theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org/the-rabbis-cat/ Mon, 10 Jun 2024 17:06:46 +0000 https://theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org/?p=16967

THE RABBI’S CAT

| 2012 – 100′ – Animation, Adventure.
Written by: Joann Sfar, Sandrina Jardel (based on the Graphic Novel by: Joann Sfar).
Directed by: Joann Sfar, Antoine Delesvaux.
Starring (Voices): François Morel, Maurice Bénichou, Hafsia Herzi, François Damien, Mathieu Amalric, Jean-Pierre Kalfon, Mohamed Fellag.
Official Selections: Annecy International Film Festival 2011, San Sebastian International Film Festival 2011. Nomination César Award for Best Animated Feature 2012.
In French with English Subtitles.
A Gkids Films release. |

Based on the best-selling graphic novel by Joann Sfar, The Rabbi’s Cat tells the story of a rabbi and his talking cat – a sharp-tongued feline philosopher brimming with scathing humor and a less than pure love for the rabbi’s voluptuous teenage daughter. Algeria in the 1930s is an intersection of Jewish, Arab and French culture. A cat belonging to a widowed rabbi and his beautiful daughter, Zlabya, eats the family parrot and miraculously gains the ability to speak. Along with the power of speech comes unparalleled sardonic wit, and the cat – and filmmaker Sfar – spare no group or individual as they skewer faith, tradition and authority in a provocative exploration of (among other things) God, lust, death, phrenology, religious intolerance, interspecies love, and the search for truth. Rich with the colors, textures, flavors and music of Mediterranean Africa, the film embarks on a cross continent adventure from the tiled terraces, fountains, quays and cafes of colonial Algiers to Maghrebi tent camps, dusty trading outposts, and deep blue Saharan nights in search of a lost Ethiopian city.

WATCH NOW

]]> THE BELIER FAMILY https://theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org/the-belier-family/ https://theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org/the-belier-family/#respond Fri, 24 May 2024 17:44:54 +0000 https://theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org/?p=16636

THE BELIER FAMILY

| 2014 – 106′ – Comedy, Drama, Coming of Age.
Written by: Stanislas Carré de Malberg, Eric Lartigau, Victoria Bedos, Thomas Bidegain.
Directed by: Eric Lartigau.
Starring: Louane Emera, Karin Viard, François Damiens, Eric Elmosnino, Roxane Duran, Luca Gelberg, Ilian Bergala, Stephan Wojtowicz.
6 César Awards nominations including Best Film, Best Screenplay, Best Actress (Karin Viard) and Best Actor (François Damiens). Winner Best Promising Actress (Louane Emera).
In French with English subtitles.
A Lionsgate release. |

In the Bélier Family, everybody is deaf. Except Paula, who is a young high-school girl. Suddenly she discovers that she has a gift for singing. Despite the hardship of being a teenager, and the handicap of her family, she will follow her dream. In 2022, Coda, the US remake of The Bélier Family, won 3 Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay.

WATCH NOW

 

 

 

 

 

 

]]> https://theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org/the-belier-family/feed/ 0 THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO https://theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org/the-comte-of-monte-cristo/ https://theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org/the-comte-of-monte-cristo/#comments Tue, 21 May 2024 14:36:08 +0000 https://theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org/?p=16490

NOW PLAYING IN US THEATRES. AVAILABLE ON DIGITAL ON JANUARY 31, 2025.

THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO

| 2024 – 178′ – Drama, Adventure.
Written by: Matthieu Delaporte, Alexandre De La Patellière.
Based on the Novel by: Alexandre Dumas.
Directed by: Matthieu Delaporte, Alexandre De La Patellière.
Starring: Pierre Niney, Bastien Bouillon, Anaïs Demoustier, Anamaria Vartolomei, Laurent Lafitte, Vassili Schneider, Julien De Saint-Jean, Pierfrancesco Favino, Oscar Lesage, Patrick Mille.
Official Selection: Cannes International Film Festival 2024.
Official Competition TAFFF 2024.
In French with English subtitles.
A Samuel Goldwyn Films release. |

Directors Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de La Patellière, the dynamic screenwriting duo behind last year’s Three Musketeers blockbusters, now take on Alexandre Dumas’s swashbuckling 19th century epic of lost love and single-minded vengeance and bring it to the big screen with a stellar ensemble cast and lavish production values. The tale begins with a heroic young first mate, Edmond Dantès (consummate French film star Pierre Niney), freshly promoted to ship’s captain and finally in a position to marry his secret love. However, on the very morning of their wedding day, Edmond is wrongfully arrested for a crime he knows nothing of — a plot hatched by three of the most ruthless of rivals— and shipped off to the formidable Château d’If prison, off the coast of Marseille… But the story certainly doesn’t end there, as filmmakers and author, alike, delve into a microscopic examination of the nature of revenge, justice, mercy and forgiveness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

]]> https://theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org/the-comte-of-monte-cristo/feed/ 1 THE MAGNIFICENT LIFE OF MARCEL PAGNOL https://theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org/the-magnificent-life-of-marcel-pagnol/ Fri, 10 May 2024 20:00:30 +0000 https://theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org/?p=16399

COMING NEXT TO US THEATRES.

THE MAGNIFICENT LIFE OF MARCEL PAGNOL

| 2025 – 90′ – ANIMATION, BIOPIC.
Written by: Sylvain Chomet.
Directed by: Sylvain Chomet.
Starring: TBA
In English and In French with English subtitles.
A Sony Pictures Classics release. |

In 1955, 60-year-old Marcel Pagnol is a well-known and acclaimed playwright and filmmaker. When the editor-in-chief of ELLE magazine commissions a weekly column about Pagnol’s childhood, he sees this as a great opportunity to go back to his artistic roots: writing. Realizing his memory is failing him and deeply affected by the disappointing results of his last two plays, Pagnol starts doubting his ability to pursue his work. That is until Little Marcel – the young boy he used to be – appears to him as if by magic. Together, they will explore Marcel Pagnol’s incredible life and bring back to life his most cherished encounters and memories. From the director of the Academy Awards nominated The Triplets of Belleville and The Illusionist.

]]> POLINA https://theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org/polina-2/ Fri, 10 May 2024 16:54:10 +0000 https://theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org/?p=16391

POLINA

| 2017 – 108′ – Drama, Coming of Age, Music & Dance.
Written by: Valérie Müller-Preljocaj.
Based on a Graphic Novel by: Bastien Vivès.
Directed by: Valérie Müller-Preljocaj, Angelin Preljocaj.
Starring: Anastasia Shevtsova, Niels Schneider, Academy Award Winner Juliette Binoche, Jérémie Bélingard, Veronika Zhovnytska.
Official Selection Venice International Film Festival 2016.
Official Competition COLCOA 2017 (American Students Award Winner).
In French with English subtitles.
An Oscilloscope release. |

This love-letter to the world of ballet and dance follows a young dancer’s initiation into adulthood and her journey to find her place as an artist.  Based on the popular Bastien Vivès graphic novel, this artful adaptation begins in Moscow, where the gifted Polina studies ballet under the dictatorial tutelage of Professor Bojinsky. His standards for technique border on the sadistic, but the pugnacious ballerina sticks it out and is rewarded with an opportunity to join the world famous Bolshoi. Polina’s years of grueling effort, not to mention the sacrifices of her parents, are put into jeopardy however, when she meets the charming French dancer Adrien and discovers contemporary dance. Transformed, Polina questions everything she has worked for. Given a chance to study under the famed modern-dance guru Liria Elsaj (Binoche), Polina must face the first major crossroads in her life. Graced with sublime dancing set-pieces performed by Jérémie Bélingard, star of the Paris National Opera, and mesmerizing newcomer Anastasia Shevtosa.  

]]>