The yearly Rendez-Vous is the Film Society of Lincoln Center and UniFrance films' annual showcase spotlighting the latest in contemporary French cinema, taking place at the Film Society, IFC Center, and BAMcinématek, March 6 – 15.
"Rendez-Vous is the biggest French film festival in North America. France makes a lot of movies every year—about 200-plus, so we have a lot of great films to choose from," said Film Society of Lincoln Center Senior Programmer Florence Almozini. "France invented cinema and there's a long tradition of the country supporting its filmmakers. In France, it's not just about the box office. Directors are allowed to be creative and develop their stories, and schoolchildren are exposed early on to the diversity of cinema."
Other special events highlights coinciding with Rendez-Vous include a photo exhibit of influential French filmmakers, live musical performances, a retrospective of director Benoît Jacquot, and more.
As previously announced, the U.S. premiere of Benoît Jacquot's 3 Hearts will open the 20th anniversary edition of the Rendez-Vous with French Cinema. This year's lineup includes 22 features and four short films making their New York, U.S., or North American premieres. Director Quentin Dupieux will close out the festival with his latest film, Reality, a comedy shot in L.A.
This anniversary year marks a special acknowledgment in support of French cinema with the appointment of two festival Co-Chairs, Nathalie Baye and Martin Scorsese. In addition, the Film Society and UniFrance films have added special events to the lineup, as well as partnered with the Cultural Services of the French Embassy NY and the French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF) on programs around town. Details of all special events can be found below.
Free Talks (Sponsored by HBO®)
The 21st Century Cinephile
In a world where images circulate ever faster and instant access is the norm, what place is there for the love of cinema? With the growth of the Internet and the preponderance of smartphones, new viewing habits have appeared. More and more, people do their watching on smaller and smaller screens, and the content itself has seen radical changes: from six-second Vines to 10-hour YouTube videos and Netflix binge-watching. Have these new practices led to a different rapport with the moving image? Can we see in this the birth of a new kind of cinephilia, fueled by new media and how younger viewers relate with the images they consume? Join a group of French and American journalists to discuss the role of cinephilia today and how France and the United States have approached fostering the love of movies in future generations.
Participants: Melissa Anderson (journalist), Thierry Lounas (SO FILMmagazine), Florence Ben Sadoun (ELLE magazine) and Serge Toubiana (Cinémathèque Française)
Moderators: Isabelle Giordano, Executive Director of UniFrance films and Dennis Lim, Director of Programming for the Film Society of Lincoln Center.
Saturday, March 7, 5:30pm
Venue: Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center’s Amphitheater
Actress on Actress: Nathalie Baye & Mélanie Laurent
SK1 star Nathalie Baye, who started her career with François Truffaut, Maurice Pialat, and Jean-Luc Godard, will sit down with Breathe director Mélanie Laurent, well known for her roles in Inglourious Basterds, Beginners, and Enemy, and discuss their career, working with U.S. directors, and much more. SK1 and Breathe are official selections in the 20th Anniversary Rendez-Vous with French Cinema lineup, for more information, visit filmlinc.com.
Sunday, March 8, 5:00pm
Venue: Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center’s Amphitheater
Guillaume Canet
French actor/screenwriter/director Guillaume Canet will sit down with Varietycritic Scott Foundas to discuss his latest films, In the Name of my Daughter by master filmmaker André Téchiné and the crime thriller Next Time I’ll Aim for the Heart by former Cahiers du Cinéma critic Cédric Anger. Both will premiere at Rendez-Vous with French Cinema and will yet again showcase Canet’s impressive acting skills and the layers of complexity he brings to his roles. A major figure in French cinema today, Canet will cover his career, his vision as a director, and his love of American cinema.
Tuesday, March 10, 5:30pm
Venue: Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center’s Amphitheater
Free tickets to the talks will be distributed at the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center box office (144 West 65th Street, between Broadway and Amsterdam) on a first-come, first-served basis starting one hour prior to the conversations. Limit one complimentary ticket per person, subject to availability.
Special Closing Night Live Musical Performance
A special live musical performance will take place on Closing Night of Rendez-Vous with French Cinema, Sunday, March 15 in the Furman Gallery, comprised of a trio of musicians from LoW Entertainment, responsible for the scores of Hippocrates and Party Girl. The performance will be held as part of a celebration of composing in the films of the French New Wave, with all its eclecticism and dynamism and represented in the Closing Night selection of Reality from director Quentin Dupieux (also known as Mr Oizo in the music world) to Para One (Girlhood) to Hit & Run (responsible for the Love at First Fight score) to Flairs (The French Kissers) and Syd Matters (Heartbeat Detector). Ticket holders for the Closing Night film, Reality, can attend the event. For more information, visit filmlinc.com.
The Cultural Services of the French Embassy in New York to house pop-up Galerie Cinema created by Parisian producer Anne-Dominique Toussaint from March 10 – April 10
The Cultural Services of the French Embassy in New York will host a group photo exhibition featuring works by film directors, cinematographers, photographers, and actors such as Raymond Depardon, Agnès Godard, and Ed Lachman from March 10 to April 10, transporting the Parisian concept of the Galerie Cinema—an art gallery devoted to cinema—to a new American audience.
The French Embassy’s Stanford White-designed mansion will showcase the work of directors Cédric Klapisch, Atiq Rahimi, cinematographers Ed Lachman and Agnès Godard, actors James Franco and Vincent Perez, photographers Kate Barry and Harry Gruyaert, and director-photographer Raymond Depardon. An opening reception will take place on March 9. Parisian producer Anne-Dominique Toussaint opened the first Galerie Cinema in Paris’ Marais district in September 2013. The inaugural New York Galerie Cinema exhibition reinforces the French Embassy’s mission to promote French-American intellectual and creative exchange. The temporary New York exhibition organized with the Cultural Services of the French Embassy is made possible by Le Fonds Culturel Franco-Américain (DGA/MPA/SACEM/WGAW), Natixis, and the optics manufacturer Angénieux. Support is provided by the Aperture Foundation. The exhibit is free and open to the public, visit www.frenchculture.org for more information.
French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF) will present Benoît Jacquot: Leading Ladies
The French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF) will present the retrospective Benoît Jacquot: Leading Ladies in conjunction with the 20th Anniversary of Rendez-Vous with French Cinema. Jacquot’s latest film, 3 Hearts, will open the festival on March 6 at Alice Tully Hall, followed by a nationwide release.
Director Benoît Jacquot’s signature is undeniably his talent for directing actresses. From Léa Seydoux as Marie Antoinette’s maid, to Viginie Ledoyen as a pregnant 19-year-old, Jacquot creates vivid portraits of singular women on the brink of change. This homage to Jacquot opens with a special appearance by the director himself, introducing The Disenchanted on Tuesday, March 3. Screenings will take place every Tuesday throughout March, and will be followed by a free wine reception. Admission is free for FIAF Members, $13 for Non-Members, and $7 for students. Visit www.fiaf.orgfor more information.
Education
The 2015 edition of Rendez-Vous will also focus on extending special offers and collaborations with local high schools and colleges. On Monday, March 9 at 11:30am director Cédric Kahn will present to students his latest film, Wild Life, which will have its North American Premiere at this year’s festival and also received a special jury prize at the San Sebastian International Film Festival. Kahn has created a riveting true story (based on the case of Xavier Fortin) of a father’s reckless but all-consuming love, and stars Mathieu Kassovitz, who gives the performance of his career, while Céline Sallette is extraordinary as the desperate mother fighting to reunite with her sons. For more information on the screening, contact Adeline Monzier, adeline.monzier@unifrance.org. The New School has also collaborated with the Film Society and UniFrance to include director Cédric Anger’s film Next Time I’ll Aim for the Heart in their class syllabus and will attend a screening of the film at the festival, study the filmmaking, and then write about it for their current college course.
20x24 Exhibit
To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the festival, the Film Society and the 20x24 Project have partnered to host an exhibit in the Furman Gallery, which will consist of influential French filmmakers and talent captured over the course of the last four years at the Film Society. The exhibit will include such notables as Olivier Assayas, agnès b., Isaach De Bankolé, Juliette Binoche, Bertrand Bonello, Catherine Breillat, Claire Denis, Jean Dujardin, Isabelle Huppert, François Ozon, Abderrahmane Sissako, and many more. Photographer Myrna Suarez has been the primary portraitist with occasional guest appearances by Chuck Close and Elsa Dorfman. These images grace the walls of the Elinor Bunin Munroe and Walter Reade theaters year-round, and the collection continues to grow. The exhibit will be up for the entirety of the festival, March 6-15, and will be open during regular theater hours. Check filmlinc.com for more information.
General Public Tickets for the 2015 Rendez-Vous series at all three locations will go on sale Thursday, February 19. Tickets are available online for each participating venue at filmlinc.com, ifccenter.com, and BAM.org/BAMcinematek respectively, as well as directly from the box offices. Tickets for Opening Night at Alice Tully Hall will be available online at filmlinc.com.
Rendez-vous With French Cinema on Filmlinc.com
The full schedule of the festival
