COLCOA French Film Festival Announces Nine Awards for Cinema, Television, and Shorts at the 23nd Edition of the Festival

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Category: Entertainment News
Published on Monday, 30 September 2019 11:32
Written by Janet Walker

I Lost My Body from Netflix and Les Miserables from Amazon Studios took the top prizes at the 23rd edition of the COLOCA French Film Festival held over the past week at the Director's Guild of America.

The Franco-American Cultural Fund, a collaboration between the Directors Guild of America, the Motion Picture Association, The Writers Guild of America West and France's Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music (SACEM), announced today the awards for the 23rd edition of COLCOA French Film Festival.

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This year's Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA) film jury was comprised of David Ehrenstein, Annlee Ellingson, Sheri Linden and Luke Y. Thompson.

COLCOA Cinema – Five Awards

I LOST MY BODY / J'ai perdu mon corps (Netflix) written and directed by Jérémy Clapin was awarded the COLCOA LAFCA Critics Award by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Jury. I LOST MY BODY Trailer

LAFCA awarded writer/director Ladj Ly's LES MISÉRABLES / Les Misérables the Best First Film Award. France's 2020 Oscar submission for Best International Feature film, was presented for the first time in the U.S., in association with Amazon Studios.

Jury Statement

"To serve on the COLCOA jury is to take a deep dive into contemporary French cinema, which is always a tremendous pleasure but especially so this year with a lineup of titles that are artfully crafted, narratively innovative, and socially urgent. We are particularly delighted to honor two first features that demonstrate the dynamic present and future of French film. With macabre whimsy, I Lost My Body deconstructs romantic tropes and expands the idea of what animated features can do, while Les Misérables masterfully leverages genre and a powerful sense of place to confront difficult modern realities."

I LOST MY BODY / J'ai perdu mon corps was also awarded the Audience Award. This is the first time that a film won both the COLCOA Audience Award and the COLCOA Critics' Awards.

CYRANO MY LOVE / Edmond (Roadside Attraction), written and directed by Alexis Michalik, was awarded the American Students Award. This award was voted on exclusively by a jury of seven students from local area high schools and colleges. The film will be released in the U.S. on October 18, 2019.

FORWARD / Demain est à nous, written and directed by Gilles de Maistre, was awarded Best Documentary Award.

Annual COLCOA French Film Festival Announces 2019 Documentary Section

COLCOA Television – Two Awards

Presented in association with TITRAFILM, the COLCOA Television competition awarded two programs the following awards:

JACQUELINE SAUVAGE, IT WAS HIM OR ME / Jacqueline Sauvage, written and directed by Yves Regnier, received the Best TV Movie Award.

THE INSIDE GAME / Jeux d'influence, written by Antoine Lacomblez, Jean-Xavier de Lestrade, Sophie Hiet, Pierre Linhart and directed by Jean-Xavier de Lestrade, was awarded the Best TV Series Award.

COLCOA Shorts – Two Awards

Presented in association with Unifrance, the COLCOA Shorts competition awarded two shorts the following awards:

MY LADY OF THE CAMELLIA / Ma dame au camélia, written/directed by w/d by Édouard Montoute, won the Best Short Film Award.

MEMORABLE / Mémorable, written and directed by Bruno Collet,was awarded the Best Animated Short.

This year's festival opened on Monday, September 23 with the U.S. premiere of writer/director Ladj Ly's LES MISÉRABLES and closed with the U.S. premiere of writer/director Nicolas Bedos' LA BELLE EPOQUE. Writer/director Claire Burger was honored as the "Focus on a Filmmaker" with screenings of PARTY GIRL and REAL LOVE, as well as a Happy Hour Talk with Variety's Peter Debruge.

COLCOA French Film Festival, Held at the DGA, Opens September 23 and Runs Until September 28

LoW Entertainment, a collective of three composers - Alexandre Lier, Nicolas Weil and Sylvain Ohrel were honored with a "Focus on Film Composers" by the festival with screenings of THE FRESHMAN, PARTY GIRL and VERNON SUBUTEX, Happy Hour Talk panel moderated by Alex Wurman.

The festival's Happy Hour Talks also included "Film Festivals in the Digital Era. Why are they still Indispensable," moderated by Variety's Patricia Saperstein with panelists including TV5Monde's Patrice Courtaban, Lober Media's Richard Lorber, the Director of South East European Film Festival Vera Mijojlick, Unifrance's Edeline Monzier and Newport Beach Film Festival's CEO & Executive Director Gregg M. Schwenk, "Meet the Talent" moderated by KPCC's Wade Major with panelists including w/d Ludovic Bernard (IN YOUR HANDS), w/d Jeanne Herry (IN SAFE HANDS), actor Vincent Lacoste (ON A MAGICAL NIGHT, AMANDA, THE FRESHMAN), w/d Eric Métayer (LITTLE TICKLES), actor Grégory Montel (FAMILY SHAKE, LITTLE TICKLES), actor Pablo Pauly (THREE DAYS AND A LIFE) and "Women's Representation on Screen in French Cinema UPDATE – w/d Mounia Meddour (PAPICHIA), w/d Hélène Giraud (MINUSCULES: FAR AWAY) and w/d Cathy Verney (VERNON SUBUTEX).

Other festival guests included actor Rosanna Arquette, actor/producer David Atrackhi (BARKING DOGS, CYRANO MY LOVE, FIRE ME IF YOU CAN, PARTY GIRL and SPEECHLESS), producer Toufik Ayad (LES MISÉRABLES), w/d Kasmi Baya (FAMILY SHAKE), lyricist Alan Bergman (paid tribute to Michael LeGrand), actor Jacqueline Bisset, actor Damien Bonnard (LES MISÉRABLES), w/d Jérémy Clapin (I LOST MY BODY), musician Mitch Forman (tribute to Michel LeGrand), w/d Jean-Xavier De Lestrade (THE INSIDE GAME), Costa Gavras (ADULTS IN THE ROOM), w/d Bernard Ludovic (IN YOUR HANDS), w/d Ladj Ly (LES MISÉRABLES), w/d Alexis Michalik (CYRANO MY LOVE), w/d Anastasia Mikova (WOMAN), actor Robert Pattinson, composer Laurent Perez del Mar (THE DAZZLED),Thierney Sutton (paid tribute to Michel LeGrand), w/d Thomas Szabo (MINUSCULES: MANDIBLES FROM FAR AWAY), actor Doria Tillier (LA BELLE EPOQUE), actor Suki Waterhouse, composer Paul Williams (paid tribute to Michel LeGrand), actor Djebril Zonga (LES MISÉRABLES), and Franco-American Cultural Fund members including Andrea Berloff (WGAW), Charles Rivkin (MPA), Howard Rodman (WGAW), Jean-Noël Tronc (SACEM), Michael Mann (DGA) and Taylor Hackford (DGA).

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With an audience mainly made of industry members, the new COLCOA dates offered more visible exposure for French Films and Series in Hollywood, at the beginning of the Awards Season.

COLCOA FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL is sponsored by Air Tahiti Nui, Bank Of The West/ BNP Paribas, Sling & TV5MONDE, Variety (Official Sponsors); Barnes, Barnstormer, France Télévisions, Los Angeles Times, 89.3 KPCC, Los Angeles Times, The Hollywood Reporter (Premier Sponsors); Brumont, Champagne Didier Chopin, ELMA, Sunset Marquis, Titra Film, West Coast Event Productions, Wine Wine Situation (Major Sponsors); Alliance Française de Los Angeles, Cinando, D'Alessio Law Group, French American Chamber of Commerce, Gaumont, Karine & Jeff, Laemmle, LA Philharmonic, Marché du Film/Festival de Cannes, Miraval/Vineyard Brands/La Vielille Ferme, Paul M. Young Fine Wines, Saint Germain, Vital Proteins (Platinum Sponsors); Avène, Cinelife, France-Amérique, French Morning, Gayot, Gaumont, Klorane, La Chouquette, Lycée International Los Angeles, Le Pain Quotidien, MAC, René Furterer, Rosenthal, RS Eyeshop, Snowdonia, Vizo (Supporting Sponsors), Alan Rosenbach, Black Flour, Brûlée Château de Berne, Holy Quiche, International Services For Artists, La Boulisterie, Mulholland Distilling  (Community Sponsors).

COLCOA FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL is presented by the Franco-American Cultural Fund, a unique collaboration between the Directors Guild of America, the Motion Picture Association, the Writers Guild of America West, and France's Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music (SACEM). COLCOA is also supported by France's Society of Authors, Directors and Producers (L'ARP) the Film and TV Office of the French Embassy in Los Angeles, TV France International, and Unifrance.

For additional information visit: www.colcoa.org

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