Deauville American Film Festival Turns Up the Star Power for 38th Edition
The Deauville American Film Festival will roll out its red, white and blue carpets for a very star-spangled ode to U.S. cinema in its 38th year. Organizers unveiled this years lineup at a press conference in the Normandy town Wednesday.
While the quiet seaside town may have been lacking in star power in recent years, organizers are pulling out all stops to attract major Hollywood talent to its shores for this years event.
Hollywood royalty including Paula Wagner, Jeremy Renner, Edward Norton and Rachel Weisz are among the talents expected to make appearances along with actress and Princess Clotilde Courau and other A-list Gallic talents like jury president Sandrine Bonnairedirectors Christophe Honore, Florent Emilio Siri and Joann Sfar.
The fest will kick off with a roll in the Mud for Jeff Nichols Festival de Cannes competition title. Nichols Take Shelter won the jurys top grand prize at last years fest.
Other notable premieres include Leslye Headland! s Ba chelorette starring Kirsten Dunst, Isla Fisher andJames Marsden; Olivier Megatons Taken 2 starring Liam Neeson; Tony Gilroys The Bourne Legacy complete with appearances from the films director and castmembersWeisz, Renner and Norton; Stefan Ruzowitzkys Deadfall with Eric Bana, Olivia Wilde andSissy Spacek; William Friedkins Killer Joe starring Mud star Matthew McConaughey alongside Emile Hirsch and Gina Gershon; John Hillcoats Cannes Competition title Lawless; Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris Ruby Sparks; Oliver Stones Savages; Pascal Laugiers The Tall Man; Sarah Polleys Take This Waltz with Michelle Williams and Seth Rogen; and Seth MacFarlanes recent U.S. release Ted plus a kids screening in French of Peggy Holmes Secret of the Wings.
Benh Zeitlins Sundance and Cannes favorite Beasts of the Southern Wild will head to Northern France for a screening in Competition. The Competition will also feature Matt Ruskins Booster, Marshall Lewys California Solo, Craig Zobels Compliance, Rebecca Thomas Electrik Children, So Yong Kims For Ellen, Brian M. Cassidy & Melanie Shatzkys Francine, Adam Leons Gimme The Loot,Lynn Sheltons Your Sisters Sister,Bobcat Goldthwaits God Bless America, Jake Schreiers Robot and Frank, Jame! sPonsold ts Smashed, Lucy Mulloy's Una Noche and Michel Gondrys The We & the I.
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The films will compete for the Grand Prize, a Jury Prize, the Cartier Revelation Prize and International Critics Award. Bonnaire will preside over the feature films jury alongsideSami Bouajila, Courau, dancer-director-choreographer Philippe Decoufle, actresses Anais Demoustier and Alice Taglioni and directorsHonore, Sfar and Siri.
Author, TV star and director Frederic Beigbeder will be surrounded by rising starlets Melanie Bernier, Ana Girardot and The Well-Diggers Daughter star Astrid Berges-Frisbey to pick the winners of the Cartier Revelation prize.
Documentary sidebar Uncle Sams Docs also features several anticipated nonfiction titles, including Gregg Barsons Method to the Madness of Jerry Lewis, Rodney Aschers Room 237, Lauren Greenfields The Queen of Versailles and Bart Laytons The Imposter.
The New Hollywood prize for an up-and-coming talent, initiated last year, will go to Paul Dano, who stars in two festival titles this year: For Ellen and Ruby Sparks.
Fashion designer and filmmaker Agnes B will be given a Carte Blanche to share seven of her favorite American films with audiences that include Buster Keatons Seven Chances, Martin Scorseses The Big Shave and Quentin Tarantinos Reservoir Dogs.
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The popular vacation town will be getting serious this year with more of a professional angle at the event initially designed for public audiences.Wagner will be honored with a career homage for her work.Industry pros can also perfect the art of le schmooze at the Film Corner that was launched last year to unite French and American buyers and sellers in a relaxed setting.
Organizers hope the initiative will give the U.S. indie titles selected at the fest without French distribution deals to find homes in Gallic theaters. The Film Corner was launched in partnership with Cinando.com, the Marche du Films online database, and LVT.
French and U.S. producers will rendez-vous Sept. 3 for a discussion around the topic Producing in the USA Today. Mandarin CinemasEric Altmayer and Les Productions du Tresors Alain Attal will add their French accents and perspectives to the table and Wagner will also join the dialogue.Professionals in town for the day can also take advantage of both official festival screenings and screenings at the Film Corner in addition to a special lunch and cocktail.
Deauville will also see green when environmental organizations Ecoprod and PGA Green unite for an earthly focus.
The fest will take a break from Frances coveted 7th art form to put the spotlight on the small screen for Deauville Season 3. Homeland, Girls and The Newsroom will all screen for public audiences. U.S. and French screenwriters will also meet and exchange dialogue and ideas.
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In addition to Friedkin and Melvin Van Peebles, the fest said Wednesday that it will pay homage to the careers of Neeson, Hayek, Harvey ! Keitel and composer John Williams. Musicians from the Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra will perform Williams music at a live concert Sept. 8 at Deauvilles famed Casino.
Friedkin will also give a master class Sept. 2 as part of his tribute.
Other confirmed public events include a conference Sept. 6 about Jean-Pierre Melvilles influence on U.S. cinema and a film analysis on Sept. 7 that will focus on last years big festival winner Take Shelter hosted by professor of film at Columbia University David McKenna.
The Deauville American Film Festival will run from Aug. 31-Sept. 9.
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