COLCOA French Film Festival 2018: The Year of the Woman

The COLCOA French Film Festival 2018 highlights its 22nd year with a line-up reflecting the impact of the #MeToo Movement, and a focus on women and their contribution to film. 

“Through its different competitions, we are proud to dedicate this year’s programming to women, both in their role in the making of the films and series, and their central roles in the majority of the stories selected this year,” stated COLCOA Executive Producer and Artistic Director François Truffart. 

Mr. Truffaut added that COLCOA 2018 will introduce a new series called Women Make History, adding, “We will dedicate a day to first films made by female writers and directors.” The “Focus on a Filmmaker” day will honour writer-director-actor Mélanie Laurent, highlighting her works. Her film The Adopted will screen as part of the COLCOA Classic series and following the screening, she will participate in a Happy Hour Talk, a panel discussion presented in association with Variety.

   

In addition, a panel will address the role of women in the French film industry. Notably, more than half of the short film selections are made by women. 

This year COLCOA, an acronym for City of Lights, City of Angels, offers an enormously diverse programme with a record 86 films, TV shows, digital series and virtual reality programs, 75 of which will be competing for the COLCOA Awards. More than 120 screenings and panels will be scheduled. COLCOA is the largest film festival outside of France.

The festival opens on April 23rd with the North American Premiers of Eric Barbier’s Promise at Dawn, an adaptation of French author Romain Gray’s autobiography and celebration of his mother, starring Pierre Niney and Charlotte Gainsbourg. The competition closes on Monday, April 30^th, with the North American Premiere of Cedric Kahn’s new drama, The Prayer, the story of a young drug addict trying to find redemption.   

COLCOA, founded in 1997 by the Franco-American Cultural Fund, is committed to promoting cultural exchange between France and the United States and to showcasing in Hollywood the vitality and diversity of French cinema and TV. 

Mark your calendars for one of the preeminent French cultural events for Francophiles and movie buffs alike , taking place at the Directors Guild of America, from April 23^rd to April 30^th. 

All films are shown with English subtitles or in English. For information and tickets, visit www.colcoa.org. 

See you at the Festival!