Festivals - The American French Film Festival 2024: A rich and diverse program unveiled

By Mulder, 02 october 2024

October 29, 2024 marks the launch of the new edition of The American French Film Festival (TAFFF), a major event taking place in Los Angeles until November 3. The program was unveiled at the Residence of France in Beverly Hills, in the presence of such emblematic figures as Julie Duhaut-Bedos, Consul General of France in Los Angeles, Cécile Rap-Veber, Director General of SACEM and President of the Fonds Culturel Franco-Américain (FCFA), director Michael Mann and screenwriter Eric Heisserer. Celebrating its 28th year, the festival is organized by the FCFA, a collaboration between the Directors Guild of America (DGA), the Motion Picture Association (MPA), SACEM and the Writers Guild of America West (WGAW). Its aim is to promote French cinema on the international scene, particularly to American audiences.

This year's program includes 60 films and series, 59 of which are in competition. Among them, many works will be screened as world, North American or American premieres. Screenings will take place at the Director's Guild of America complex in Hollywood, offering an exceptional platform to discover the best of contemporary French cinema.

The festival opens with Jacques Audiard's latest film, Emilia Perez, a musical-dramatic work that also represents France at the Oscars. The closing ceremony will be marked by the screening of Le Comte de Monte-Cristo by Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de La Patellière, a highly anticipated adaptation of Dumas' literary classic, which will also be at the heart of the High School Screenings Program, designed to introduce over 3,000 Californian students to French cinema.

This year's competition is particularly rich and varied, with films covering a wide range of genres, from comedy and horror to drama and biopic. Here's an overview of the film selection:
A toute allure / In the sub for love (romantic comedy - North American premiere) by Lucas Bernard.
L'Attachement / The Ties that bind us (drama/romance - North American premiere) by Carine Tardieu.
Boléro (biopic/drama - U.S. premiere) directed by Anne Fontaine.
Le Comte de Monte-Cristo / The Count of Monte Cristo (drama/adventure - Côté Ouest premiere) by Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de La Patellière.
Le Dernier des Juifs / A Nice Jewish Boy (comedy - North American premiere) directed by Noé Debré.
Le Deuxième acte / The Second Act (comedy - Côté Ouest premiere) by Quentin Dupieux.
Les Dames au balcon / The Balconettes (horror/comedy/drama - North American premiere) by Noémie Merlant.
Diamant Brut / Wild Diamond (coming of age/drama - Los Angeles premiere) by Agathe Riedinger.
L'Empire / The Empire (comedy/science fiction - North American premiere) by Bruno Dumont.
En Fanfare / The Marching Band (drama/comedy - North American premiere) by Emmanuel Courcol.
Et plus si affinités / Maybe more (comedy - U.S. premiere) by Olivier Ducray and Wilfried Méance.
L'Histoire de Souleymane / Souleymane's story (drama - U.S. premiere) by Boris Lojkin.
Maria / Being Maria (biopic/drama - North American premiere) directed by Jessica Palud.
Mort d'un pourri / Death of a corrupt man (political thriller - special screening) by George Lautner, in homage to Alain Delon.
La Plus Précieuse des marchandises / The Most Precious of Cargoes (animated drama - North American premiere) by Michel Hazanavicius.
Le Procès du Chien / Dog on trial (comedy - North American premiere) by Laetitia Dosch.
Quitter la nuit / Through the night (drama/film noir/thriller - Côté Ouest premiere) by Delphine Girard.
Rabia (drama - international premiere) by Mareike Engelhardt.
Le Roman de Jim / Jim's Story (drama - North American premiere) by Arnaud and Jean-Marie Larrieu.
Le Royaume / The Kingdom (drama - special screening) by Julien Colonna.
Saint-Ex / Saint-Exupéry (biopic/drama/adventure - North American premiere) by Pablo Agüero.
Survivre / Survive (horror/action/drama - North American premiere) by Frédéric Jardin.
Le Tableau volé / Auction (drama/comedy - Los Angeles premiere) by Pascal Bonitzer.
Trois amies / Three Friends (drama/romance - North American premiere) by Emmanuel Mouret.
Une vie rêvée / Somewhere in love (drama - international premiere) by Morgan Simon.
Vingt dieux / Holy Cow (drama/coming of age - Los Angeles premiere) by Louise Courvoisier.

In addition to this vast selection of films, the festival also offers an exceptional selection of TV single films:
A l'épreuve / The Test (drama - North American premiere) directed by Akim Isker.
Les Enchantés / The Blissful (drama - North American premiere) by Stanislas Carré de Malberg.
Georges Clémenceau, la force d'aimer / Georges Clémenceau, The Tiger's Last Love (drama/romance - North American premiere) directed by Lorraine Levy.

The selection of short films is just as varied, with 14 works showcasing the talent of new French directors. These include :
Anechoic (comedy) by Enzo Croisier.
Beurk ! / Yuck ! (animated comedy) by Loïc Espuche.
Ce qui appartient à César / Changing Room (coming of age) by Violette Vuitton.
Cult / Cult (horror) by David Padilla.
L'Homme qui ne se tais pas / The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent (drama) by Nebojša Slijepčević.
Je rentre / See You Soon (comedy) by Julia Renault.
Maitighar (coming of age) by Marc Gurung.
Me Too (drama) by Judith Godrèche.
Nous les Griots / We Are Griots (drama) by Demba Konate.
La Rivière / The River (coming of age) by Élise Levy.
Suzanne (drama) by Émilie de Montsabert.
Tout feu tout flamme / Fired Up (comedy) by Romain and Thibault Lafargue.
Le Voyage immobile / A Stand Still Journey (animated drama) by Izù Troin.
Wander to Wonder (animated comedy) by Nina Gantz.

In addition to screenings, festival-goers will be able to take part in meetings with French film professionals. These sessions will be held from Thursday to Saturday, followed by a convivial aperitif with wine and cheese, allowing participants to exchange ideas in an informal setting.

As well as being a showcase for French works, the festival also plays a crucial role in facilitating exchanges between professionals from both countries, thanks to numerous workshops organized in partnership with key players in the film industry such as the DGA and SACEM, and French institutions like Unifrance and the French Consulate General in Los Angeles.

One of the highlights of this year's event will be the presentation of the first-ever TAFFF Impact Award to Richard Lorber, CEO of Kino Lorber, for his outstanding contribution to the dissemination of French cinema in the United States. Other awards will also be presented at a special ceremony in Paris on November 8, 2024, including the Audience Award, the Best Series Award, and the Critics' Awards, presented in collaboration with the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.

With such a rich and diverse program, The American French Film Festival 2024 promises to be a must-attend event for all French film fans, offering a unique platform to discover outstanding works, take part in fascinating discussions and celebrate talent from both sides of the Atlantic.

(Source: press release)