From November 23 through 27 this year, Unifrance President Margaret Menegoz will lead a delegation of 25 French creative crew members and industry professionals attending the 3rd Franco-Mexican Film Festival, to be held simultaneously in two multiplexes belonging to the Cinepolis chain.
This is the second year that Cinepolis (one of Mexico's two largest exhibition chains) is a partner in the event. After the popular success of the 2004 festival (13,000 spectators registered in 3 days at the 8 theaters of the Diana multiplex on the Paseo de la Reforma), Cinepolis made the request to Unifrance to extend the event by one day, and to expand to a second multiplex, located in the heart of the student quarter.
The festival is organized by Unifrance, with support from the French Embassy, the IMCINE (Instituto Mexicano de Cinema), the EFM (an organization of French companies based in Mexico), and Cinepolis. As in 2004, the French feature films presented will be preceded by screenings of Mexican short films. Last year, the short film selection included "El otro sueno Americano," which three months later won the Grand Prize at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival.
The French selection this year includes 7 films already acquired by Mexican distributors and 18 films that are yet to find a buyer in this territory. Titles include "36 quai des Orfèvres," "Backstage," "The Light," "Ghost River," "Speak to Me of Love," "Works," and "Live & Become," screened in the presence of their directors and two leading cast members.
Emmanuelle Bercot, Olivier Dahan, Maud Forget, Judith Godrèche, Philippe Lioret, Radu Mihaileanu, and Brigitte Rouän will make the trip to Mexico to present their films and take part in the promotional campaign together with their respective distributors.
Mexican audiences will have the chance to discover a rich palette of French films this year, with the program also showcasing the following titles: "The Little Lieutenant" by Xavier Beauvois, "Zaïna, Rider of the Atlas" by Bourlem Guerdjou, "Heading South" by Laurent Cantet, "No Limits" by Cheyenne Caron, "Never Say Never" by Eric Civanyan, "Words in Blue" by Alain Corneau, "Paint or Make Love" by Arnaud and Jean-Marie Larrieu, "13th District" by Pierre Morel, "Nice Girl" by Sophie Fillières, "Mon Ange" by Serge Frydman, "Boudu" by Gérard Jugnot, "Empire of the Wolves" by Chris Nahon, "De Profundis" by Antoine Santana, "Saint-Jacques… La Mecque" by Coline Serreau, "Camping à la ferme" by Jean-Pierre Sinapi, "Changing Times" by André Téchiné, "Thirtyfive-Something" by Cécile Telerman, and "By the Pricking of My Thumbs" by Pascal Thomas.
Fourteen companies - Celluloïd Dreams, EuropaCorp, Films Distribution, Les Films du Losange, Gaumont, Gemini Films, Pyramide, Pathé International, Rezo International, TF1 International, UGC International, Vision International, Wide Management and Exception - Wild Bunch – will also be in town to meet with their Mexican partners.
Mexico represents the largest theatrical market in Latin America. French films attracted 2.7 million spectators in this territory in 2004. The Top 5 French films of the year were "Ruby & Quentin," "Monsieur Ibrahim et les fleurs du Coran," "Invasion of the Barbarians," "Swimming Pool" and "Jet Lag." 2005 looks set to be a promising year, with French fare already registering 2.3 million admissions.
Officiel website : www.cinefrances.com.mx/
