There were no overt boycotts this year, but there were entries about theocracy, Trump and the far right. There was still room for love, though – and sex. Here’s who I think will win, and my alternative ‘Braddies’ awards
This was the Cannes that was supposed to be a break from politics, from campaigning and from causes – aside from the #MeToo-themed short film by Judith Godreche: Moi Aussi. Festival chief Thierry Frémaux had said that political polemic was “something we want to avoid”.
It was a Cannes that was supposed to be getting back to the pure, allegedly apolitical pursuit of cinema. There was no overt boycotting of directors on national grounds. However, the only Israeli contribution to Cannes was student Amit Vaknin’s 14-minute short It’s Not Time For Pop in the La Cinef section.
This was the Cannes that was supposed to be a break from politics, from campaigning and from causes – aside from the #MeToo-themed short film by Judith Godreche: Moi Aussi. Festival chief Thierry Frémaux had said that political polemic was “something we want to avoid”.
It was a Cannes that was supposed to be getting back to the pure, allegedly apolitical pursuit of cinema. There was no overt boycotting of directors on national grounds. However, the only Israeli contribution to Cannes was student Amit Vaknin’s 14-minute short It’s Not Time For Pop in the La Cinef section.
- 5/24/2024
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
And the winner is: “Simon of the Mountain.”
The film, directed by Federico Luis – and marking his feature debut – was awarded Cannes’ Critics Week Grand Prix.
Sold by Luxbox, the Argentina-Chile-Uruguay production stars Lorenzo “Toto” Ferro, the lead in breakout “El Angel,” as Simon, 21, a lonely only son who falls in with a group of discapacitated kids, feigning a discapacity. Thanks to their friendship he flowers, discovering love, sex and a sense of belonging.
“I am thinking not only about what it means to us, but also about what it means to the people in Argentina who, over the course of the next four years, will struggle, trying to make local films,” said Luis, accepting the award.
“At home, there are people who still think we make films no one wants to see. I hope this will change it and that Argentinian people – and then the whole world – will watch Argentinian cinema.
The film, directed by Federico Luis – and marking his feature debut – was awarded Cannes’ Critics Week Grand Prix.
Sold by Luxbox, the Argentina-Chile-Uruguay production stars Lorenzo “Toto” Ferro, the lead in breakout “El Angel,” as Simon, 21, a lonely only son who falls in with a group of discapacitated kids, feigning a discapacity. Thanks to their friendship he flowers, discovering love, sex and a sense of belonging.
“I am thinking not only about what it means to us, but also about what it means to the people in Argentina who, over the course of the next four years, will struggle, trying to make local films,” said Luis, accepting the award.
“At home, there are people who still think we make films no one wants to see. I hope this will change it and that Argentinian people – and then the whole world – will watch Argentinian cinema.
- 5/22/2024
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
So this is what economizing looks like in Cannes.
The rosé still flowed, though not as freely, and it was easier to get a reservation at the Michelin-starred restaurants that are usually booked months in advance of the film festival. There were still rooms to be had at the Hôtel du Cap, the posh resort where studio chiefs and movie stars typically stay. Most troubling, the deals — both for completed films that premiered in Cannes and the packages that hit the Côte d’Azur searching for financing — are taking much longer to close.
Even in the shimmering south of France there’s no escaping that the movie business, having endured Covid shutdowns and two devastating labor strikes, has lost much of its luster. Donna Langley, the chairman of NBCUniversal Studio Group, was blunt during a talk, noting that the domestic box office is down 20% and the global box office has...
The rosé still flowed, though not as freely, and it was easier to get a reservation at the Michelin-starred restaurants that are usually booked months in advance of the film festival. There were still rooms to be had at the Hôtel du Cap, the posh resort where studio chiefs and movie stars typically stay. Most troubling, the deals — both for completed films that premiered in Cannes and the packages that hit the Côte d’Azur searching for financing — are taking much longer to close.
Even in the shimmering south of France there’s no escaping that the movie business, having endured Covid shutdowns and two devastating labor strikes, has lost much of its luster. Donna Langley, the chairman of NBCUniversal Studio Group, was blunt during a talk, noting that the domestic box office is down 20% and the global box office has...
- 5/21/2024
- by Brent Lang and Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
On Sunday night, May 19, under a starry Cannes night, Kering held their Women In Motion dinner bestowing NBCUniversal Studios Group chairman and chief content officer Dame Donna Langley with the Women In Motion Award, and Malaysian director Amanda Nell Eu was presented the Young Talent Award. Langley is the first British woman to run a major Hollywood studio, and Kering awarded these women for their ability to expand opportunities and networks for women and people of color in the film industry.
Held at Place de la Castre in Cannes, the event drew celebrities who attended in the name of women making breakthroughs in film. Notable names in attendance were Julianne Moore, Uma Thurman, Catherine Deneuve, Isabelle Huppert, Michelle Yeoh, Lily Gladstone, Zoe Saldaña, Eva Green, Judith Godrèche and directors Greta Gerwig and Justine Triet.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter before the dinner, actress and producer Salma Hayek, wife of Kering...
Held at Place de la Castre in Cannes, the event drew celebrities who attended in the name of women making breakthroughs in film. Notable names in attendance were Julianne Moore, Uma Thurman, Catherine Deneuve, Isabelle Huppert, Michelle Yeoh, Lily Gladstone, Zoe Saldaña, Eva Green, Judith Godrèche and directors Greta Gerwig and Justine Triet.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter before the dinner, actress and producer Salma Hayek, wife of Kering...
- 5/20/2024
- by Allyson Portee
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The 2024 Cannes Film Festival is still going full steam, with deals and screenings galore. We’ve got the first responses to some highly anticipated projects including the new films from Emma Stone and Nicolas Cage, a filmmaker weighing in on the Harvey Weinstein conviction reversal and a studio going all in on a single filmmaker.
“Kinds of Kindness” Confounds
Yorgos Lanthimos, just a few months since his bizarre, female-empowerment madcap science fiction movie “Poor Things” scooped up four Oscars (including Best Actress for Emma Stone), debuted his new film, “Kinds of Kindness.”
The movie reunites the filmmaker with his frequent writing partner, Efthimis Filippo, and his muse, Emma Stone. The movie is not a straightforward narrative but an anthology film comprised of three loosely connected storylines, where the actors play different characters in each segment. (This is Searchlight’s big summer movie; it’s going up against the new “Quiet Place” prequel.
“Kinds of Kindness” Confounds
Yorgos Lanthimos, just a few months since his bizarre, female-empowerment madcap science fiction movie “Poor Things” scooped up four Oscars (including Best Actress for Emma Stone), debuted his new film, “Kinds of Kindness.”
The movie reunites the filmmaker with his frequent writing partner, Efthimis Filippo, and his muse, Emma Stone. The movie is not a straightforward narrative but an anthology film comprised of three loosely connected storylines, where the actors play different characters in each segment. (This is Searchlight’s big summer movie; it’s going up against the new “Quiet Place” prequel.
- 5/18/2024
- by Drew Taylor
- The Wrap
French cinema’s Judith Godrèche, a former child star-turned-filmmaker and prominent #MeToo activist, weighed in during Cannes Day 4 on the April 25 reversal of Harvey Weinstein’s rape conviction in New York, slamming it as “an absolute nightmare.”
Speaking with TheWrap founder and editor-in-chief Sharon Waxman on Thursday as part of TheWrap Conversations at the Brand Innovators Salon D’Affaires, Godrèche expressed sympathy for the women who may have to testify again if a new trial is held.
“It’s a nightmare, an absolute nightmare. I can’t even imagine,” Godrèche said. “Somehow people [like] him are winning. There is enough pain and hurt that it should not be allowed. It’s insane when you think about it. Listen, I may have to face my abusers [one day]. You have to be so brave to do this.”
She added: “I wondered how [Weinstein] had so much money to keep paying for lawyers. I thought, ‘Wow,...
Speaking with TheWrap founder and editor-in-chief Sharon Waxman on Thursday as part of TheWrap Conversations at the Brand Innovators Salon D’Affaires, Godrèche expressed sympathy for the women who may have to testify again if a new trial is held.
“It’s a nightmare, an absolute nightmare. I can’t even imagine,” Godrèche said. “Somehow people [like] him are winning. There is enough pain and hurt that it should not be allowed. It’s insane when you think about it. Listen, I may have to face my abusers [one day]. You have to be so brave to do this.”
She added: “I wondered how [Weinstein] had so much money to keep paying for lawyers. I thought, ‘Wow,...
- 5/18/2024
- by Sharon Knolle
- The Wrap
Director Yorgos Lanthimos presents the world premiere of Kinds of Kindness reuniting with past collaborators Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, and Margaret Qualley from Poor Things.
Lanthimos was joined on the carpet by cast members Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley, Hong Chau, Mamoudou Athie, Joe Alwyn, and Hunter Schafer on Friday, May 17 at the Grand Théâtre Lumière.
Related: Cannes 2024 in Photos: Parties, Premieres, Pressers & More
Other guests who attended the gala included Lily Gladstone, Eva Green, Pierfrancesco Favino, Kristen Dunst, Demi Moore, Mike Faist, Sophie Wilde, Victoria Justice, Tess Barthélemy, Judith Godrèche, Kelly Rutherford, Eva Longoria and Bebe Vio.
Related: ‘Kinds Of Kindness’ Review: Yorgos Lanthimos’ Latest Is Puzzling, Brilliant, Funny … And Not Easy To Like – Cannes Film Festival
Kinds of Kindness is a triptych fable, following a man without choice who tries to take control of his own life; a policeman who is alarmed that his wife...
Lanthimos was joined on the carpet by cast members Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley, Hong Chau, Mamoudou Athie, Joe Alwyn, and Hunter Schafer on Friday, May 17 at the Grand Théâtre Lumière.
Related: Cannes 2024 in Photos: Parties, Premieres, Pressers & More
Other guests who attended the gala included Lily Gladstone, Eva Green, Pierfrancesco Favino, Kristen Dunst, Demi Moore, Mike Faist, Sophie Wilde, Victoria Justice, Tess Barthélemy, Judith Godrèche, Kelly Rutherford, Eva Longoria and Bebe Vio.
Related: ‘Kinds Of Kindness’ Review: Yorgos Lanthimos’ Latest Is Puzzling, Brilliant, Funny … And Not Easy To Like – Cannes Film Festival
Kinds of Kindness is a triptych fable, following a man without choice who tries to take control of his own life; a policeman who is alarmed that his wife...
- 5/17/2024
- by Robert Lang
- Deadline Film + TV
On the second night of this year’s Cannes Film Festival, Judith Godrèche told the mostly female crowd assembled on a beach next to the Palais, “This film is for you!” The French actor-director was presenting her short “Moi Aussi,” a last-minute addition to the festival lineup that covers sexual misconduct in the French film industry. Godrèche has become something of an ambassador to the fledgling movement after she came forward in February with claims that she was preyed upon and groomed as a minor by directors Benoît Jacquot and Jacques Doillon, allegations they both deny. The beach screening kicked off what many hope will be a sweeping French #MeToo reckoning.
But the festival and its accompanying film market also will feature several men who have been the subject of #MeToo allegations that range from sexual harassment, sexual assault and domestic violence. The awkward presence of such actors as Shia Labeouf and James Franco,...
But the festival and its accompanying film market also will feature several men who have been the subject of #MeToo allegations that range from sexual harassment, sexual assault and domestic violence. The awkward presence of such actors as Shia Labeouf and James Franco,...
- 5/17/2024
- by Tatiana Siegel
- Variety Film + TV
In another sign that the #MeToo movement is transforming the birthplace of cinema, France’s film producers and actors unions on Friday unanimously approved new measures aimed at preventing gender-based and sexual violence and harassment within the industry.
Several French industry associations — including the union of independent producers, the association of independent producers, the union of cinema producers and the professional union of dramatic artists — approved an amendment to their collective agreement which will require mandatory harassment training for producers and enforce the protection of minors on film sets, among other measures.
The new measures follow an announcement by the French film board, the Cnc, that it will make similar requirements a condition for receiving government subsidies. Given the importance of Cnc funding for most French movies, this ensures these #MeToo measures will become standard practice across the French industry. The Cnc will launch harassment training programs this summer.
But...
Several French industry associations — including the union of independent producers, the association of independent producers, the union of cinema producers and the professional union of dramatic artists — approved an amendment to their collective agreement which will require mandatory harassment training for producers and enforce the protection of minors on film sets, among other measures.
The new measures follow an announcement by the French film board, the Cnc, that it will make similar requirements a condition for receiving government subsidies. Given the importance of Cnc funding for most French movies, this ensures these #MeToo measures will become standard practice across the French industry. The Cnc will launch harassment training programs this summer.
But...
- 5/17/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The world premiere of Agathe Riedinger’s Wild Diamond in Cannes Competition is the only one by a first-time filmmaker and heralds Riedinger as part of a new wave of French female directors to arrive en force on the Croisette.
The film explores western society’s obsession with beauty and fame and the omnipresence of social media through the story of a 19 year-old girl who sets out to earn a spot on a reality TV show.
Also in Competitoin is France-born Coralie Fargeat’s second feature The Substance. The body horror is produced by the UK’s Working Title Films and stars Demi Moore,...
The film explores western society’s obsession with beauty and fame and the omnipresence of social media through the story of a 19 year-old girl who sets out to earn a spot on a reality TV show.
Also in Competitoin is France-born Coralie Fargeat’s second feature The Substance. The body horror is produced by the UK’s Working Title Films and stars Demi Moore,...
- 5/17/2024
- ScreenDaily
Léa Seydoux addressed France’s growing #MeToo movement at the Cannes Film Festival press conference for Quentin Dupieux’s comedy “The Second Act,” which opened the fest on Tuesday night.
“It’s a wonderful thing that women are now speaking out. Things are clearly changing and it was high time it did,” she said. “I have the impression that this change has indeed taken place. The film also plays with this idea, it also talks about very current events and this movement, where women are now speaking out, and that was of fundamental importance for this change to take place.”
Seydoux continued, “#MeToo is very important. It’s a very serious issue. However, I think it is also necessary to be able to talk about it with humor. In the film, this is highlighted in a very funny way.”
Addressing the impact of #MeToo on the way actresses are treated on set,...
“It’s a wonderful thing that women are now speaking out. Things are clearly changing and it was high time it did,” she said. “I have the impression that this change has indeed taken place. The film also plays with this idea, it also talks about very current events and this movement, where women are now speaking out, and that was of fundamental importance for this change to take place.”
Seydoux continued, “#MeToo is very important. It’s a very serious issue. However, I think it is also necessary to be able to talk about it with humor. In the film, this is highlighted in a very funny way.”
Addressing the impact of #MeToo on the way actresses are treated on set,...
- 5/15/2024
- by Ellise Shafer and Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Langley Is Woman in Motion in Cannes
Kering’s Women in Motion has unveiled the details for its 2024 program, headlined by a series of A-listers and Universal chairman Donna Langley who will sit for conversations about representation in cinema. The schedule for the invitation-only talks features singer, songwriter and composer Yseult (May 15), actress and filmmaker Judith Godrèche (May 17), Langley ahead of her Women in Motion Award ceremony (May 18), Cannes veteran Julianne Moore (May 19), Cate Blanchett, producer Coco Francini and Dr. Stacy L. Smith (May 20), Emilia Perez star Zoe Saldana (May 20), and Anaïs Demoustier (May 21).
Donna Langley at the 96th Oscars on March 10, 2024. Cannes Vet Kruger Joins “Transcending Borders”
Breaking Through The Lens has booked an afternoon rendezvous in the Campari Lounge at the Palais on May 19, a session that will feature Diane Kruger and the distribution of a special grant that supports directors of marginalized gender.
The event, “Transcending Borders,...
Kering’s Women in Motion has unveiled the details for its 2024 program, headlined by a series of A-listers and Universal chairman Donna Langley who will sit for conversations about representation in cinema. The schedule for the invitation-only talks features singer, songwriter and composer Yseult (May 15), actress and filmmaker Judith Godrèche (May 17), Langley ahead of her Women in Motion Award ceremony (May 18), Cannes veteran Julianne Moore (May 19), Cate Blanchett, producer Coco Francini and Dr. Stacy L. Smith (May 20), Emilia Perez star Zoe Saldana (May 20), and Anaïs Demoustier (May 21).
Donna Langley at the 96th Oscars on March 10, 2024. Cannes Vet Kruger Joins “Transcending Borders”
Breaking Through The Lens has booked an afternoon rendezvous in the Campari Lounge at the Palais on May 19, a session that will feature Diane Kruger and the distribution of a special grant that supports directors of marginalized gender.
The event, “Transcending Borders,...
- 5/15/2024
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Judith Godrèche has been a regular on the Cannes red carpet for close to 30 years for her performances in films such as Patrice Leconte’s 1996 Palme d’Or contender Ridicule and Un Certain Regard cycling drama The Climb in 2019.
The popular French actress-turned-director touches down this edition with a work of her own: the short film Moi Aussi.
Shot under the radar in Paris in March and gathering 1,000 victims of sexual abuse, the work world premieres as part of the opening ceremony of Cannes Un Certain Regard on Wednesday.
Related: Cannes Film Festival 2024 In Photos: Opening Ceremony & ‘The Second Act’ World Premiere
There is no bigger disruptive force in French cinema right now than Godrèche, who has been at the forefront of triggering a new era of #MeToo in France, a country that has been notoriously slow to tackle sexism, sexual violence and harassment.
The short film follows in the...
The popular French actress-turned-director touches down this edition with a work of her own: the short film Moi Aussi.
Shot under the radar in Paris in March and gathering 1,000 victims of sexual abuse, the work world premieres as part of the opening ceremony of Cannes Un Certain Regard on Wednesday.
Related: Cannes Film Festival 2024 In Photos: Opening Ceremony & ‘The Second Act’ World Premiere
There is no bigger disruptive force in French cinema right now than Godrèche, who has been at the forefront of triggering a new era of #MeToo in France, a country that has been notoriously slow to tackle sexism, sexual violence and harassment.
The short film follows in the...
- 5/15/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Judith Godrèche, the figurehead of the energised French #metoo movement following her A24-Arte series Icon Of French Cinema, about her experiences of sexual assault on film sets, is now developing a feature with the theme of female empowerment to be shot in both English and French.
She plans to direct and co-produce but is keeping plot details under wraps.
Godreche, who said she has not ruled out a second season of Icon Of French Cinema, is in Cannes with short film Moi Aussi (Me Too) that pays tribute to victims of sexual violence. It is the opening film of...
She plans to direct and co-produce but is keeping plot details under wraps.
Godreche, who said she has not ruled out a second season of Icon Of French Cinema, is in Cannes with short film Moi Aussi (Me Too) that pays tribute to victims of sexual violence. It is the opening film of...
- 5/15/2024
- ScreenDaily
Updated with ovation for The Second Act: The Cannes Film Festival opened Tuesday evening with a joyously female vibe as Meryl Streep received the Honorary Palme d’Or from an emotional Juliette Binoche and Greta Gerwig became the first female U.S. director to serve as jury president across its 77 editions.
The ceremony at the Palais led into the festival’s opening-night film The Second Act from Quentin Dupieux. The French pic, starring Léa Seydoux and Louis Garrel, received a lukewarm 3-minute, 46-second standing ovation from the audience.
Earlier, resplendent in a long sequin gown, Gerwig said she was still coming to terms with the fact that she was presiding over the Cannes jury.
“I hardly know what to say… This is holy to me; art is sacred, film is sacred… I cannot believe that I’m getting the chance to spend 10 days in this house of worship.”
The...
The ceremony at the Palais led into the festival’s opening-night film The Second Act from Quentin Dupieux. The French pic, starring Léa Seydoux and Louis Garrel, received a lukewarm 3-minute, 46-second standing ovation from the audience.
Earlier, resplendent in a long sequin gown, Gerwig said she was still coming to terms with the fact that she was presiding over the Cannes jury.
“I hardly know what to say… This is holy to me; art is sacred, film is sacred… I cannot believe that I’m getting the chance to spend 10 days in this house of worship.”
The...
- 5/14/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow and Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
The Cannes Film Festival opened Tuesday with expectations that the big theme of this 77th edition will be #MeToo, even if rumors of an imminent bombshell exposé involving 10 prominent cinema figures were quashed overnight.
France’s #MeToo wave, sparked by actress and filmmaker Judith Godrèche’s decision to speak up about sexual abuse she says she suffered as a teenager and her subsequent campaign to end what she calls a culture of silence in the French film world, will be omnipresent.
Godrèche’s actions have encouraged thousands of sexual abuse victims across all walks of life to speak up about their experiences.
The actress and filmmaker will be in Cannes for the world premiere on Wednesday evening of her resulting short film Moi Aussi, gathering 1,000 people who got in touch with her via social media channels to tell their stories.
However, frenzied media speculation that a #MeToo exposé naming 10 prominent...
France’s #MeToo wave, sparked by actress and filmmaker Judith Godrèche’s decision to speak up about sexual abuse she says she suffered as a teenager and her subsequent campaign to end what she calls a culture of silence in the French film world, will be omnipresent.
Godrèche’s actions have encouraged thousands of sexual abuse victims across all walks of life to speak up about their experiences.
The actress and filmmaker will be in Cannes for the world premiere on Wednesday evening of her resulting short film Moi Aussi, gathering 1,000 people who got in touch with her via social media channels to tell their stories.
However, frenzied media speculation that a #MeToo exposé naming 10 prominent...
- 5/14/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Jury duty began Tuesday, May 14 for this year’s Cannes Film Festival competition panelists, led by president Greta Gerwig, the billion-dollar filmmaker behind “Barbie.”
Omar Sy, Eva Green, Lily Gladstone, Pierfrancesco Favino, Hirokazu Kore-eda, J.A. Bayona, Nadine Labaki, and Ebru Ceylan, along with Gerwig, convened at the Palais des Festivals for the annual opening day press conference. Tonight’s festival launches with the world premiere of Quentin Dupieux’s “The Second Act.” The jury will discuss, debate, and deliberate on films including Paul Schrader’s “Oh, Canada,” Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis,” Andrea Arnold’s “Bird,” Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Kinds of Kindness,” and more.
But the 77th edition of the global leading film festival is on edge right now as Cannes stares down two major scandals plaguing the Croisette and the French film industry at large. There’s a looming potential strike from a labor collective calling itself Sous les écrans la dèch,...
Omar Sy, Eva Green, Lily Gladstone, Pierfrancesco Favino, Hirokazu Kore-eda, J.A. Bayona, Nadine Labaki, and Ebru Ceylan, along with Gerwig, convened at the Palais des Festivals for the annual opening day press conference. Tonight’s festival launches with the world premiere of Quentin Dupieux’s “The Second Act.” The jury will discuss, debate, and deliberate on films including Paul Schrader’s “Oh, Canada,” Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis,” Andrea Arnold’s “Bird,” Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Kinds of Kindness,” and more.
But the 77th edition of the global leading film festival is on edge right now as Cannes stares down two major scandals plaguing the Croisette and the French film industry at large. There’s a looming potential strike from a labor collective calling itself Sous les écrans la dèch,...
- 5/14/2024
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
With rumors of a bombshell #MeToo report about the French cinema industry knocking on the door of the Cannes Film Festival, this year’s jury president Greta Gerwig on Tuesday acknowledged the wave that’s out there in a way that festival boss Thierry Frémaux didn’t want to address at his press conference the day before.
“I think people in the community of movies telling their stories and changing things for the better is only good,” said the Barbie filmmaker at a press conference introducing the jury just hours before the festival’s opening night begins. “I’ve seen substantial changes in the American film community; I think it’s important to expand the conversation.”
“It’s only moving things in the correct direction, keeping those lines of communication open,” said Gerwig about a press member’s query as to whether the current #MeToo climate is France is impacting the festival.
“I think people in the community of movies telling their stories and changing things for the better is only good,” said the Barbie filmmaker at a press conference introducing the jury just hours before the festival’s opening night begins. “I’ve seen substantial changes in the American film community; I think it’s important to expand the conversation.”
“It’s only moving things in the correct direction, keeping those lines of communication open,” said Gerwig about a press member’s query as to whether the current #MeToo climate is France is impacting the festival.
- 5/14/2024
- by Anthony D'Alessandro and Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Nine women have accused prolific French producer Alain Sarde of rape and sexual assault in a detailed expose in the French edition of Elle magazine.
Sarde has denied the accusations. The 72-year-old producer has not been officially charged with any crimes for the incidents in question, according to the magazine.
The testimonies were published on May 14, on the eve of the Cannes Film Festival where Sarde has premiered 50 films over the years including Roman Polanski’s Palme d’Or-winning The Pianist and David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive.
The accusations date from between 1985 and 2003 and are all from actresses who mostly...
Sarde has denied the accusations. The 72-year-old producer has not been officially charged with any crimes for the incidents in question, according to the magazine.
The testimonies were published on May 14, on the eve of the Cannes Film Festival where Sarde has premiered 50 films over the years including Roman Polanski’s Palme d’Or-winning The Pianist and David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive.
The accusations date from between 1985 and 2003 and are all from actresses who mostly...
- 5/14/2024
- ScreenDaily
As a #MeToo wave looked to rock the 77th Cannes Film Festival with rumors swirling that filmmakers with films at the event would be tagged, Thierry Frémaux emphasized his event isn’t about polemics, rather the picture that’s on the screen. If there are controversies during Cannes “we try to avoid them” he said today during an afternoon presser.
“Last year, as you know, we had a few polemics, and we realized it, and so this year we decided to host a festival without polemics to make sure that the main interest for us all to be here is cinema,” Frémaux said. “So if there are other polemics, it doesn’t concern us.”
“It’s about the movies and whether they deserve or not, in aesthetic or artistic terms, to be there,” Frémaux said. “There is no ideology guiding the selection committee.”
“We would like to have a festival without polemics,...
“Last year, as you know, we had a few polemics, and we realized it, and so this year we decided to host a festival without polemics to make sure that the main interest for us all to be here is cinema,” Frémaux said. “So if there are other polemics, it doesn’t concern us.”
“It’s about the movies and whether they deserve or not, in aesthetic or artistic terms, to be there,” Frémaux said. “There is no ideology guiding the selection committee.”
“We would like to have a festival without polemics,...
- 5/13/2024
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
At his annual pre-festival press conference, Cannes artistic director Thierry Frémaux skillfully dogged potentially hot-button topics, including the war in Gaza, #MeToo politics, and the threat of employment strikes disrupting the 77th festival.
Frémaux politely responded to question after question from the international film press on Monday but managed not to address many of the most controversial topics on their minds.
Speaking about Moi Aussi, a short from filmmaker and #MeToo activist Judith Godrèche, which will open this year’s Un Certain Regard section, he spent more time discussing the technical aspects of the film than its subject matter: The thousands of sexual abuse victims who contacted Godrèche after she went public with her own #MeToo story and called out widespread abuse inside the French film industry.
Asked if the festival had, as was reported, hired a crisis management team to deal with possible new #MeToo allegations against filmmakers taking...
Frémaux politely responded to question after question from the international film press on Monday but managed not to address many of the most controversial topics on their minds.
Speaking about Moi Aussi, a short from filmmaker and #MeToo activist Judith Godrèche, which will open this year’s Un Certain Regard section, he spent more time discussing the technical aspects of the film than its subject matter: The thousands of sexual abuse victims who contacted Godrèche after she went public with her own #MeToo story and called out widespread abuse inside the French film industry.
Asked if the festival had, as was reported, hired a crisis management team to deal with possible new #MeToo allegations against filmmakers taking...
- 5/13/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Thierry Fremaux addressed France’s #MeToo reckoning during a press conference on the eve of this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
Following rumors that the French outlet Mediapart is putting together a bombshell report to publish during Cannes with several new #MeToo allegations, there has been much speculation regarding how it will impact the festival.
Alluding to the massive backlash last year over the selection of Maiwenn’s Johnny Depp movie “Jeanne du Barry” on opening night, Fremaux suggested he and Cannes president Iris Knobloch ensured the 77th edition wouldn’t include any obvious red flags, and said the ongoing “polemics” had nothing to do with the festival.
“Last year, as you know, we had a few polemics, and we realized it, and so this year we decided to host a festival without polemics to make sure that the main interest for us all to be here is cinema,” Fremaux said.
Following rumors that the French outlet Mediapart is putting together a bombshell report to publish during Cannes with several new #MeToo allegations, there has been much speculation regarding how it will impact the festival.
Alluding to the massive backlash last year over the selection of Maiwenn’s Johnny Depp movie “Jeanne du Barry” on opening night, Fremaux suggested he and Cannes president Iris Knobloch ensured the 77th edition wouldn’t include any obvious red flags, and said the ongoing “polemics” had nothing to do with the festival.
“Last year, as you know, we had a few polemics, and we realized it, and so this year we decided to host a festival without polemics to make sure that the main interest for us all to be here is cinema,” Fremaux said.
- 5/13/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy and Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
Cannes mayor David Lisnard has published a blistering critique of media coverage of #MeToo in France, suggesting that investigations into cinema figures accused of sexual harassment were not dissimilar to those of East Germany’s secret police into political dissidents.
Lisnard made the comments in an article published in French newspaper L’Opinion over the weekend, written in response to recent speculation in the local media and film industry that a bombshell #MeToo exposé was poised to drop during the Cannes Film Festival, which kicks off this Tuesday.
The rumor mill went into overdrive last week following a report in Le Figaro newspaper that the festival had hired a crisis management PR firm to help it navigate the potential impending storm.
“Just a few days ago, a rumor surfaced promising shattering revelations about ten well-known actors, producers and directors accused of sexual assault. That was all that was needed to...
Lisnard made the comments in an article published in French newspaper L’Opinion over the weekend, written in response to recent speculation in the local media and film industry that a bombshell #MeToo exposé was poised to drop during the Cannes Film Festival, which kicks off this Tuesday.
The rumor mill went into overdrive last week following a report in Le Figaro newspaper that the festival had hired a crisis management PR firm to help it navigate the potential impending storm.
“Just a few days ago, a rumor surfaced promising shattering revelations about ten well-known actors, producers and directors accused of sexual assault. That was all that was needed to...
- 5/13/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
French actress and activist Judith Godreche is among a group of protestors who have set up a demonstration outside the Cnc in Paris this morning calling for the organization’s head Dominique Boutonnat to be suspended.
Images of the protest began circulating widely on social media this morning and show Godreche alongside other demonstrators holding a banner outside the Cnc that reads “Separate the man from the Cnc.”
Rassemblement devant le Cnc pour demander la suspension de Dominique Boutonnat. pic.twitter.com/9O8zwCltIB
— Lara Clerc (@lara_clerc) May 13, 2024
pic.twitter.com/n8FYmpLdSr
— Caroline Besse (@Caroline_Besse) May 13, 2024
We first reported on impromptu plans by French industry insiders to host a demonstration at the Cnc against Boutonnat yesterday alongside a petition that was launched also calling for his dismissal.
The petition was launched by an anonymous group of activists Sunday afternoon who have said they belong to several French industry unions,...
Images of the protest began circulating widely on social media this morning and show Godreche alongside other demonstrators holding a banner outside the Cnc that reads “Separate the man from the Cnc.”
Rassemblement devant le Cnc pour demander la suspension de Dominique Boutonnat. pic.twitter.com/9O8zwCltIB
— Lara Clerc (@lara_clerc) May 13, 2024
pic.twitter.com/n8FYmpLdSr
— Caroline Besse (@Caroline_Besse) May 13, 2024
We first reported on impromptu plans by French industry insiders to host a demonstration at the Cnc against Boutonnat yesterday alongside a petition that was launched also calling for his dismissal.
The petition was launched by an anonymous group of activists Sunday afternoon who have said they belong to several French industry unions,...
- 5/13/2024
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Good afternoon Insiders, Jesse Whittock here with you today. Cannes is nearly here, and we’ve got you covered there, along with the rest of the noise from the international film and TV worlds.
Cannes Looms Large
The build-up: The 81st Cannes Film Festival kicks off in less than a week but all the early talk surrounding the fest is about events away from the big screen. The French industry is currently in a state of paralysis as speculation continues to mount in the local film industry over rumors that a bombshell #MeToo exposé will drop on the festival’s first day. There has been talk in the French film industry for weeks that a raft of accusations is due to break in the lead-up and during the upcoming edition. The rumors come amid a fresh #MeToo wave in France, sparked by actress and filmmaker Judith Godrèche’s decision to...
Cannes Looms Large
The build-up: The 81st Cannes Film Festival kicks off in less than a week but all the early talk surrounding the fest is about events away from the big screen. The French industry is currently in a state of paralysis as speculation continues to mount in the local film industry over rumors that a bombshell #MeToo exposé will drop on the festival’s first day. There has been talk in the French film industry for weeks that a raft of accusations is due to break in the lead-up and during the upcoming edition. The rumors come amid a fresh #MeToo wave in France, sparked by actress and filmmaker Judith Godrèche’s decision to...
- 5/10/2024
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Cannes Film Festival President Iris Knobloch has said the event is paying close attention to the evolving #MeToo situation in France in an interview with celebrity magazine Paris Match.
The publication of the Q&a on Thursday came amid rising speculation within the French media and local film industry that a raft of #MeToo allegations is set to break in the lead up and during the upcoming 81st edition of the festival, running from May 14 to 25.
Quizzed on whether a film would be retained in Competition if its director were implicated in a sexual assault case, Knobloch replied the festival would make a decision on a case by case basis
“We’re extremely attentive to what is happening today, and we’re following the situation closely,” she said. “If the case of a person being implicated should arise, we will take care to make the right decision on a case-by-case basis,...
The publication of the Q&a on Thursday came amid rising speculation within the French media and local film industry that a raft of #MeToo allegations is set to break in the lead up and during the upcoming 81st edition of the festival, running from May 14 to 25.
Quizzed on whether a film would be retained in Competition if its director were implicated in a sexual assault case, Knobloch replied the festival would make a decision on a case by case basis
“We’re extremely attentive to what is happening today, and we’re following the situation closely,” she said. “If the case of a person being implicated should arise, we will take care to make the right decision on a case-by-case basis,...
- 5/9/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
With less than a week to go until the kick-off of the 81st Cannes Film Festival, speculation is mounting in the French media and local film industry over rumors that a bombshell #MeToo exposé will drop on the day of the opening.
There has been talk in the French film industry for weeks that a raft of #MeToo accusations is due to break in the lead up and during the upcoming edition.
The rumors come amid a fresh #MeToo wave in France, sparked by actress and filmmaker Judith Godrèche’s decision to speak up about sexual abuse she says suffered as a teenager at the hands of director Benoît Jacquot. He has denied the allegations.
The speculation may come to nothing but an article by French newspaper Le Figaro last weekend headlined “#MeToo: before the Cannes Film Festival, the cinema industry is in a cold sweat” has sent the local rumor mill into overdrive.
There has been talk in the French film industry for weeks that a raft of #MeToo accusations is due to break in the lead up and during the upcoming edition.
The rumors come amid a fresh #MeToo wave in France, sparked by actress and filmmaker Judith Godrèche’s decision to speak up about sexual abuse she says suffered as a teenager at the hands of director Benoît Jacquot. He has denied the allegations.
The speculation may come to nothing but an article by French newspaper Le Figaro last weekend headlined “#MeToo: before the Cannes Film Festival, the cinema industry is in a cold sweat” has sent the local rumor mill into overdrive.
- 5/9/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
The French film industry is bracing itself for further #MeToo-related revelations about multiple male actors, directors and producers following weeks of rumours and unsubstantiated reports.
They have culminated in a report in Le Figaro newspaper this week headlined, ’#MeToo: before the Cannes film festival, the film industry is in a cold sweat’.
Le Figaro claimed top talent “are losing sleep over it” and that “entire artistic teams are trembling” in fear their films will be overshadowed by such allegations. Cannes president Iris Knobloch told Le Figaro she and her team were maintaining “reinforced vigilance” and the festival was being advised...
They have culminated in a report in Le Figaro newspaper this week headlined, ’#MeToo: before the Cannes film festival, the film industry is in a cold sweat’.
Le Figaro claimed top talent “are losing sleep over it” and that “entire artistic teams are trembling” in fear their films will be overshadowed by such allegations. Cannes president Iris Knobloch told Le Figaro she and her team were maintaining “reinforced vigilance” and the festival was being advised...
- 5/9/2024
- ScreenDaily
French President Emmanuel Macron has clarified comments he made last year about Gérard Depardieu which seemed to suggest his support for the actor in the face of a tide of sexual assault accusations, which the latter has denied.
Speaking in an interview with French women’s magazine Elle, published on Wednesday, Macron suggested his comments had been misinterpreted and that he was not “complacent” about the issues around sexual harassment and abuse.
“I just want a respect for our principles, such as the presumption of innocence. These same principles which will allow justice to rule next October and that is a good thing.” he said.
Depardieu is due to be tried in October on charges of sexual assault on two women on a film set in 2021, while accusations of sexual assault and rape by actress Charlotte Arnould are also making their way through the courts.
In the backdrop a number...
Speaking in an interview with French women’s magazine Elle, published on Wednesday, Macron suggested his comments had been misinterpreted and that he was not “complacent” about the issues around sexual harassment and abuse.
“I just want a respect for our principles, such as the presumption of innocence. These same principles which will allow justice to rule next October and that is a good thing.” he said.
Depardieu is due to be tried in October on charges of sexual assault on two women on a film set in 2021, while accusations of sexual assault and rape by actress Charlotte Arnould are also making their way through the courts.
In the backdrop a number...
- 5/8/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Disney is edging closer to streaming profitability as it reported generally positive financials in its Q2 report on Tuesday – although shares plunged nearly 10% due to the ongoing decline in the linear TV business and a flat theme parks forecast for Q3.
Total Disney revenue climbed 1% year-on-year to $22.1bn, slightly below analysts’ expectations. The company said it remained on track to generate approximately $14bn in cash provided by operations and over $8bn of free cash flow this fiscal year.
Diluted earnings per share increased from 93 cents to $1.21 year-on-year and the company revised upwards its earnings per share growth target for the...
Total Disney revenue climbed 1% year-on-year to $22.1bn, slightly below analysts’ expectations. The company said it remained on track to generate approximately $14bn in cash provided by operations and over $8bn of free cash flow this fiscal year.
Diluted earnings per share increased from 93 cents to $1.21 year-on-year and the company revised upwards its earnings per share growth target for the...
- 5/7/2024
- ScreenDaily
Disney is edging closer to streaming profitability as it reported generally positive financials in its Q2 report on Tuesday – although shares plunged 10% due to the ongoing decline in the linear TV business and a flat theme parks forecast for Q3.
Total Disney revenue climbed 1% year-on-year to $22.1m, slightly below analysts’ expectations. The company said it remained on track to generate approximately $14bn in cash provided by operations and over $8bn of free cash flow this fiscal year.
Diluted earnings per share increased from 93 cents to $1.21 year-on-year and the company’s revised earnings per share growth target for the year is...
Total Disney revenue climbed 1% year-on-year to $22.1m, slightly below analysts’ expectations. The company said it remained on track to generate approximately $14bn in cash provided by operations and over $8bn of free cash flow this fiscal year.
Diluted earnings per share increased from 93 cents to $1.21 year-on-year and the company’s revised earnings per share growth target for the year is...
- 5/7/2024
- ScreenDaily
Disney is edging closer to streaming profitability as it reported generally positive financials in its Q2 report on Tuesday – however that was not enough to prevent a 10% stock plunge due to several missed targets.
Operating income at the media giant’s streaming segment was $47m, a marked improvement on the $587m loss reported in the year-ago period. Revenue increased 13% to reach $5.6bn and executives confirmed they expect the steaming business to reach profit in Q4.
Core Disney+ subscribers increased by 6.3m in the second quarter to reach 117.6m, while Hulu added 500,000 members on SVoD and Live TV and SVoD to reach 50.2m.
Operating income at the media giant’s streaming segment was $47m, a marked improvement on the $587m loss reported in the year-ago period. Revenue increased 13% to reach $5.6bn and executives confirmed they expect the steaming business to reach profit in Q4.
Core Disney+ subscribers increased by 6.3m in the second quarter to reach 117.6m, while Hulu added 500,000 members on SVoD and Live TV and SVoD to reach 50.2m.
- 5/7/2024
- ScreenDaily
The April 25 decision by the New York Court of Appeals to overturn Harvey Weinstein’s felony sex crime conviction looked like a major blow to the #MeToo movement in the U.S. and to the progress made within the U.S. film industry since 2017 (when the first allegations against Weinstein were made public).
In France, they are still waiting for that first wave of progress. The outrage triggered by #MeToo echoed across la grande nation — it even spawned a French counterpart, #Balancetonporc, or “Expose Your Pig” — but, until very recently, efforts to challenge the structure of the French entertainment industry came to very little.
That, it seems, is changing. U.S.-style measures, including the use of intimacy coordinators for sex scenes or chaperones to supervise the treatment of minors, are slowly becoming standard practice on French movie sets. #MeToo is “really at the center of our discussion now, in...
In France, they are still waiting for that first wave of progress. The outrage triggered by #MeToo echoed across la grande nation — it even spawned a French counterpart, #Balancetonporc, or “Expose Your Pig” — but, until very recently, efforts to challenge the structure of the French entertainment industry came to very little.
That, it seems, is changing. U.S.-style measures, including the use of intimacy coordinators for sex scenes or chaperones to supervise the treatment of minors, are slowly becoming standard practice on French movie sets. #MeToo is “really at the center of our discussion now, in...
- 5/7/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Moi Aussi Photo: © Maneki Films A surprise last minute addition has been added to the Cannes Film Festival’s roster with the inclusion of a short film directed by actress Judith Godrèche who recently has called out sexual harassment, claiming that she had been the victim as a minor of grooming by directors Benoît Jacquot and Jacques Doillon. Both have denied the allegations of sexual assault.
The film Moi Aussi (Me Too) will be screened at the Un Certain Regard opening ceremony in the Salle Debussy of the Palais des Festivals and at the Cinéma de la Plage, with free admission, on May 15.
Judith Godrèche Photo: UniFrance Godrèche who has appeared in more than 50 films, aims to highlight the stories of victims of sexual violence. The festival organisers in a statement said: "These individual experiences add to her own, underscoring their sadly universal nature. The Festival de Cannes thus wishes...
The film Moi Aussi (Me Too) will be screened at the Un Certain Regard opening ceremony in the Salle Debussy of the Palais des Festivals and at the Cinéma de la Plage, with free admission, on May 15.
Judith Godrèche Photo: UniFrance Godrèche who has appeared in more than 50 films, aims to highlight the stories of victims of sexual violence. The festival organisers in a statement said: "These individual experiences add to her own, underscoring their sadly universal nature. The Festival de Cannes thus wishes...
- 5/7/2024
- by Richard Mowe
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Judith Godrèche’s short film Moi Aussi (Me Too) that pays tribute to victims of sexual violence will world premiere in official selection at Cannes, as part of the Un Certain Regard Opening Ceremony on May 15.
The ensemble film is written and directed by Godrèche and produced by Didar Dommeri of Maneki Films. It is made up of personal accounts told in fragments that unites around 1,000 people after Godrèche posted a call to action for victims of sexual assault on social media
The festival said it will showcase the film that highlights victims of sexual violence because “these individual experiences add to her own,...
The ensemble film is written and directed by Godrèche and produced by Didar Dommeri of Maneki Films. It is made up of personal accounts told in fragments that unites around 1,000 people after Godrèche posted a call to action for victims of sexual assault on social media
The festival said it will showcase the film that highlights victims of sexual violence because “these individual experiences add to her own,...
- 5/7/2024
- ScreenDaily
A week before its kick-off, the Cannes Film Festival has made a last-minute addition with “Moi Aussi,” a short film directed by Judith Godreche.
The actor-turned-filmmaker made headlines in recent months for spearheading France’s new MeToo reckoning with her revelations that she had been preyed upon and groomed as a minor by directors Benoît Jacquot and Jacques Doillon. Both directors have denied her allegations of sexual assault.
Godreche’s testimony has also led the French parliament to approve the creation of a commission whose task is to investigate abuse and sexual violence within France’s film and TV industry, as well as performing arts, advertising and fashion.
In her short film “Moi Aussi,” Godreche highlights the stories of victims of sexual violence. “These individual experiences add to her own, underscoring their sadly universal nature. The Festival de Cannes thus wishes to give resonance to these personal accounts,” said the festival in a statement.
The actor-turned-filmmaker made headlines in recent months for spearheading France’s new MeToo reckoning with her revelations that she had been preyed upon and groomed as a minor by directors Benoît Jacquot and Jacques Doillon. Both directors have denied her allegations of sexual assault.
Godreche’s testimony has also led the French parliament to approve the creation of a commission whose task is to investigate abuse and sexual violence within France’s film and TV industry, as well as performing arts, advertising and fashion.
In her short film “Moi Aussi,” Godreche highlights the stories of victims of sexual violence. “These individual experiences add to her own, underscoring their sadly universal nature. The Festival de Cannes thus wishes to give resonance to these personal accounts,” said the festival in a statement.
- 5/7/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Actress and filmmaker Judith Godrèche, who has been at the forefront of a fresh #MeToo wave in France this year, has been invited by the Cannes Film Festival to world premiere short film Moi Aussi in Official Selection.
The film, highlighting the stories of victims of sexual violence, will be screened during the opening ceremony for its Un Certain Regard section in the Palais des Festivals’ Salle Debussy and as part of the free, public Cinéma de la Plage program on May 15.
Moi Aussi follows in the wake of Godrèche’s decision earlier this year to publicly denounce her six-year relationship with director Benoît Jacquot in the 1980s, which began when she was 14 years old, and he was 39.
The actress and filmmaker, who said she was under his influence and that the relationship was wrong, filed a police complaint against the Farewell, My Queen and Diary of a Chambermaid director...
The film, highlighting the stories of victims of sexual violence, will be screened during the opening ceremony for its Un Certain Regard section in the Palais des Festivals’ Salle Debussy and as part of the free, public Cinéma de la Plage program on May 15.
Moi Aussi follows in the wake of Godrèche’s decision earlier this year to publicly denounce her six-year relationship with director Benoît Jacquot in the 1980s, which began when she was 14 years old, and he was 39.
The actress and filmmaker, who said she was under his influence and that the relationship was wrong, filed a police complaint against the Farewell, My Queen and Diary of a Chambermaid director...
- 5/7/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
This February, French actress and filmmaker Judith Godrèche helped ignite a new spark in her country’s #MeToo reckoning. Early in the month, the lauded star filed two different rape complaints against a pair of French directors: first, against Benoît Jacquot, for “predation” and “violent rape of a minor under 15 years old committed by a person in authority” (via Variety), the second, against Jacques Doillon, alleging he raped her twice when she was 15 and starring in his “La fille de 15 ans” (via Variety).
By February 22, Variety reported on the rising reckoning, partially due to Godrèche’s new allegations, noting that “France’s major producers guilds have also issued a statement demanding the National Film Board (Cnc) and the Minister of Culture to put specific guidelines in place.” And, one day later, Godrèche appeared at France’s Césars ceremony to deliver a speech to encourage people, particularly those inside the entertainment industry,...
By February 22, Variety reported on the rising reckoning, partially due to Godrèche’s new allegations, noting that “France’s major producers guilds have also issued a statement demanding the National Film Board (Cnc) and the Minister of Culture to put specific guidelines in place.” And, one day later, Godrèche appeared at France’s Césars ceremony to deliver a speech to encourage people, particularly those inside the entertainment industry,...
- 5/7/2024
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Last year, the Cannes Film Festival shrugged off protests by women’s rights groups to open with Maïwenn’s Jeanne du Barry, a period movie starring alleged abuser Johnny Depp as the king of France.
A year and a mini-#MeToo revolution later, Cannes has picked Moi Aussi (Me Too), a short film by French actress turned activist and filmmaker Judith Godrèche to open its Un Certain Regard sidebar.
Best known in the U.S. for the Oscar-nominated Ridicule (1996) and The Man in the Iron Mask (1998), Godrèche became a key figure in France’s #MeToo movement after she accused acclaimed directors Benoît Jacquot and Jacques Doillon of sexually assaulting her when she was a teenager. Both men have denied the claims.
The allegations, and Godrèche’s standing as one of France’s best-known actresses and a beloved former child star, helped bring #MeToo back into the spotlight in France. Her...
A year and a mini-#MeToo revolution later, Cannes has picked Moi Aussi (Me Too), a short film by French actress turned activist and filmmaker Judith Godrèche to open its Un Certain Regard sidebar.
Best known in the U.S. for the Oscar-nominated Ridicule (1996) and The Man in the Iron Mask (1998), Godrèche became a key figure in France’s #MeToo movement after she accused acclaimed directors Benoît Jacquot and Jacques Doillon of sexually assaulting her when she was a teenager. Both men have denied the claims.
The allegations, and Godrèche’s standing as one of France’s best-known actresses and a beloved former child star, helped bring #MeToo back into the spotlight in France. Her...
- 5/7/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
France’s National Assembly (L’Assemblée Nationale) has voted to approve the launch of a commission tasked with investigating incidences of “sexual and sexist violence” in the country’s ilm industry and across other cultural fields.
The request to launch such a division was spearheaded by actress-writer-director Judith Godrèche who has been leading the charge in what has been a fresh wave of #MeToo in the country.
The launch is significant since it marks the first time #MeToo changes have reached the government level, though France’s film body the Cnc has been active in initiatives to prevent sexual assault on set in recent months.
The request to launch such a division was spearheaded by actress-writer-director Judith Godrèche who has been leading the charge in what has been a fresh wave of #MeToo in the country.
The launch is significant since it marks the first time #MeToo changes have reached the government level, though France’s film body the Cnc has been active in initiatives to prevent sexual assault on set in recent months.
- 5/3/2024
- ScreenDaily
The French parliament has approved the creation of a commission of inquiry to investigate abuse and sexual violence in the country’s cinema and audiovisual industries as well as the worlds of the performing arts, advertizing and fashion.
The initiative follows a request by actress and filmmaker Judith Godrèche, who has spearheaded a fresh #MeToo wave in France in recent months, following her decision to go public with allegations of sexual assault against directors Benoît Jacquot and Jacques Doillon, which they have denied.
Godrèche pushed for the creation of a commission of inquiry in February and then again in March in separate addresses to the French Senate and parliament, at the invitation of their delegations for women’s rights and children’s rights.
Francesca Pasquini, who is a member of parliament for The Ecologists party, acted on Godrèche’s request to set in motion a proposal to create the commission.
The initiative follows a request by actress and filmmaker Judith Godrèche, who has spearheaded a fresh #MeToo wave in France in recent months, following her decision to go public with allegations of sexual assault against directors Benoît Jacquot and Jacques Doillon, which they have denied.
Godrèche pushed for the creation of a commission of inquiry in February and then again in March in separate addresses to the French Senate and parliament, at the invitation of their delegations for women’s rights and children’s rights.
Francesca Pasquini, who is a member of parliament for The Ecologists party, acted on Godrèche’s request to set in motion a proposal to create the commission.
- 5/2/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
A fresh #MeToo case has broken in France with 10 actresses accusing director Philippe Loiret of inappropriate behavior in an investigative report carried out by radio and news network France Info.
According to the report released on Tuesday, the accusations are related to the casting process for Loiret’s 2011 feature All Our Desires, when the director was at the peak of his fame in the wake of award-winning box office hit Welcome starring Mélanie Laurent.
The accusations comes amid France’s recent embrace of the #MeToo movement sparked in large part by actress Judith Godrèche’s decision to speak up about her under-age relationship with director Benoît Jacquot, and filing of an official police complaint him for “rape with constraint”. He has denied the charges.
Loosely adapted from a novel by Emmanuel Carrère, All Our Desires revolved around a young female magistrate suffering from cancer who teams up with an older...
According to the report released on Tuesday, the accusations are related to the casting process for Loiret’s 2011 feature All Our Desires, when the director was at the peak of his fame in the wake of award-winning box office hit Welcome starring Mélanie Laurent.
The accusations comes amid France’s recent embrace of the #MeToo movement sparked in large part by actress Judith Godrèche’s decision to speak up about her under-age relationship with director Benoît Jacquot, and filing of an official police complaint him for “rape with constraint”. He has denied the charges.
Loosely adapted from a novel by Emmanuel Carrère, All Our Desires revolved around a young female magistrate suffering from cancer who teams up with an older...
- 4/9/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Six months after world-premiering to poor reviews at the Venice Film Festival, Roman Polanski’s latest film “The Palace” has been acquired by a French distribution company, Swashbuckler Films.
The Paris-based banner, which specializes in classic movies, is hoping to release “The Palace” on May 15. The company’s owner, Sebastien Tiveyrat, told Variety he hasn’t yet obtained the exhibition visa from the National Film Board and hasn’t started contacting exhibitors in France to book theaters.
Although Polanski’s inclusion at the Venice festival sparked a controversy due to the fact that he’s still currently facing sexual assault allegations, “The Palace” sold across many territories, including Germany, Russia, Hungary, Estonia, Bulgaria and French-speaking Switzerland where it came out between September and January. The black comedy will next open in Portugal on April 4. Goodfellas handles international sales on the movie.
“The Palace” takes place during New Year’s Eve...
The Paris-based banner, which specializes in classic movies, is hoping to release “The Palace” on May 15. The company’s owner, Sebastien Tiveyrat, told Variety he hasn’t yet obtained the exhibition visa from the National Film Board and hasn’t started contacting exhibitors in France to book theaters.
Although Polanski’s inclusion at the Venice festival sparked a controversy due to the fact that he’s still currently facing sexual assault allegations, “The Palace” sold across many territories, including Germany, Russia, Hungary, Estonia, Bulgaria and French-speaking Switzerland where it came out between September and January. The black comedy will next open in Portugal on April 4. Goodfellas handles international sales on the movie.
“The Palace” takes place during New Year’s Eve...
- 3/26/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Dominique Boutonnat, president of France’s Cnc, will stand trial for alleged sexual assault on June 14, the French court of Nanterre has confirmed.
The case dates back to February of 2021 when Boutonnat was indicted for “tentative of rape” of his godson during a family holiday in Greece stemming from a complaint filed in 2020. The court has since decreased the charge to attempted sexual assault. He continues to strongly deny the accusations. When contacted by Screen, the Cnc would not comment on the situation.
Boutonnat, one of the most powerful figures in French cinema, remains in his position and the pending...
The case dates back to February of 2021 when Boutonnat was indicted for “tentative of rape” of his godson during a family holiday in Greece stemming from a complaint filed in 2020. The court has since decreased the charge to attempted sexual assault. He continues to strongly deny the accusations. When contacted by Screen, the Cnc would not comment on the situation.
Boutonnat, one of the most powerful figures in French cinema, remains in his position and the pending...
- 3/7/2024
- ScreenDaily
Dominique Boutonnat, the President of France’s cinema board, will stand trial for sexual assault in June.
The producer and Cnc chief has been under investigation for two years after being indicted in February 2021 for an alleged sexual assault. In September 2022, the case was taken to trial. According to French media reports, a court in Nanterre has now set a court date for June. Boutonnat denies all charges.
Boutonnat was first placed under investigation in October 2020 after his godson filed a police complaint accusing him of an assault during a family holiday in Greece in August 2020.
When contacted about whether he would remain at the head of the Cnc following the news, the cinema body declined to comment and referred us to Boutonnat’s lawyer. We have reached out to Boutonnat’s legal team for comment.
Boutonnat was first appointed Cnc President in 2019. France’s government then gave him a...
The producer and Cnc chief has been under investigation for two years after being indicted in February 2021 for an alleged sexual assault. In September 2022, the case was taken to trial. According to French media reports, a court in Nanterre has now set a court date for June. Boutonnat denies all charges.
Boutonnat was first placed under investigation in October 2020 after his godson filed a police complaint accusing him of an assault during a family holiday in Greece in August 2020.
When contacted about whether he would remain at the head of the Cnc following the news, the cinema body declined to comment and referred us to Boutonnat’s lawyer. We have reached out to Boutonnat’s legal team for comment.
Boutonnat was first appointed Cnc President in 2019. France’s government then gave him a...
- 3/6/2024
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Dominique Boutonnat, the president of the National Film Board (Cnc), the country’s most powerful film institution, will stand trial for alleged sexual assault starting on June 14, Variety has confirmed.
Boutonnat was indicted in February 2021 for the alleged sexual assault of his 22-year-old godson in 2020. It took over two years for the Nanterre Court to set a start date for the trial, which will kick off after the upcoming edition of the Cannes Film Festival. The information was first reported by the online publication “L’Informé.”
When contacted by Variety, the Cnc declined to comment. It’s unknown whether Boutonnat, whose term ends in 2025, will remain in post during the trial.
The National Film Board plays a crucial role in allocating subsidies to French TV and film producers, establishing selection committees and boards, as well as setting guidelines for the whole industry.
In spite of the indictment, Boutonnat was appointed...
Boutonnat was indicted in February 2021 for the alleged sexual assault of his 22-year-old godson in 2020. It took over two years for the Nanterre Court to set a start date for the trial, which will kick off after the upcoming edition of the Cannes Film Festival. The information was first reported by the online publication “L’Informé.”
When contacted by Variety, the Cnc declined to comment. It’s unknown whether Boutonnat, whose term ends in 2025, will remain in post during the trial.
The National Film Board plays a crucial role in allocating subsidies to French TV and film producers, establishing selection committees and boards, as well as setting guidelines for the whole industry.
In spite of the indictment, Boutonnat was appointed...
- 3/6/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
French director Claire Denis is set to return to West Africa for her next feature film, an adaptation of late French playwright Bernard-Marie Koltès’s 1980 work Black Battles With Dogs (Combat de nègre et de chiens).
“It’s a play written by a friend of mine a long time ago and directed by Patrice Chéreau on stage in the 80s. He was dying from AIDS and he wanted me to make a film out of it,” Denis told Deadline on the fringes of the Doha Film Institute’s Qumra meeting in Qatar.
She is planning to film in either Senegal or Cameroon.
Denis grew up in West Africa and set a number of her early films in the region, such as Chocolat (1988) and Beau Travail (1989). This will be her first major fiction feature shot on the African continent since the 2009 drama White Material, starring Isabelle Huppert as a coffee plantation...
“It’s a play written by a friend of mine a long time ago and directed by Patrice Chéreau on stage in the 80s. He was dying from AIDS and he wanted me to make a film out of it,” Denis told Deadline on the fringes of the Doha Film Institute’s Qumra meeting in Qatar.
She is planning to film in either Senegal or Cameroon.
Denis grew up in West Africa and set a number of her early films in the region, such as Chocolat (1988) and Beau Travail (1989). This will be her first major fiction feature shot on the African continent since the 2009 drama White Material, starring Isabelle Huppert as a coffee plantation...
- 3/5/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Franco-Polish filmmaker Roman Polanski is on trial in Paris today (March 5) to face allegations that he defamed British actress Charlotte Lewis, who accused him of sexual abuse.
The 90-year-old director currently resides in Paris, but is not due to appear in court according to his lawyers. Lewis, who starred in the director’s 1986 film Pirates, claimed in May 2010 that Polanski had sexually assaulted her during an audition at his Paris home in 1983 when she was just 16 years old.
In December of 2019, Polanski refuted her accusations as an “odious lie” in an interview with Paris Match magazine and cited inconsistencies in Lewis’ account of the events.
The 90-year-old director currently resides in Paris, but is not due to appear in court according to his lawyers. Lewis, who starred in the director’s 1986 film Pirates, claimed in May 2010 that Polanski had sexually assaulted her during an audition at his Paris home in 1983 when she was just 16 years old.
In December of 2019, Polanski refuted her accusations as an “odious lie” in an interview with Paris Match magazine and cited inconsistencies in Lewis’ account of the events.
- 3/5/2024
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Judith Godrèche is burning down the house. Her hope is that something better will emerge from the ashes.
In recent weeks, the French actress and director, a three-time César nominee known for starring in English and French-language hits including The Man In The Iron Mask, The Spanish Apartment and Potiche, has taken a match to a culture of silence and denial within France’s cinema world when it comes to sexual abuse. In her first trade interview, she talks to Deadline about her experiences, the motivation behind her campaign and what she hopes to achieve.
At the heart of Godrèche’s mission is the relationship she had with director Benoît Jacquot in the late 1980s, which began when she was only 14 years old, and he was 39. The minimum age of consent in France is 15.
Godrèche, now 51, lived with Jacquot for six years and appeared in his films The Beggars and The Disenchanted,...
In recent weeks, the French actress and director, a three-time César nominee known for starring in English and French-language hits including The Man In The Iron Mask, The Spanish Apartment and Potiche, has taken a match to a culture of silence and denial within France’s cinema world when it comes to sexual abuse. In her first trade interview, she talks to Deadline about her experiences, the motivation behind her campaign and what she hopes to achieve.
At the heart of Godrèche’s mission is the relationship she had with director Benoît Jacquot in the late 1980s, which began when she was only 14 years old, and he was 39. The minimum age of consent in France is 15.
Godrèche, now 51, lived with Jacquot for six years and appeared in his films The Beggars and The Disenchanted,...
- 3/1/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
The rain stayed away from Santa Monica Beach on Sunday (February 25) as Past Lives was named best film and Celine Song best director at the 39th annual Spirit Awards.
While the legacy studio and streamer contenders have dominated much of the big-ticket awards shows this season like Saturday night’s SAG Awards, last weekend’s Baftas, the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards, this was a good opportunity for the Oscar-nominated A24 romance and Song to earn gongs for a film which has done well among critics groups since its world premiere at Sundance just over one year ago.
Jeffrey Wright...
While the legacy studio and streamer contenders have dominated much of the big-ticket awards shows this season like Saturday night’s SAG Awards, last weekend’s Baftas, the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards, this was a good opportunity for the Oscar-nominated A24 romance and Song to earn gongs for a film which has done well among critics groups since its world premiere at Sundance just over one year ago.
Jeffrey Wright...
- 2/26/2024
- ScreenDaily
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