The 2020 Semaine de la Critique support programme

The 59th edition of La Semaine de la Critique 2020 could not be held as scheduled in Cannes. Honouring its commitment, the parallel section of the Cannes festival nevertheless continues to shine a light on emerging talents in order to support filmmakers and the film industry.

To address this unprecedented situation, La Semaine de la Critique kicks off a tailored-made support programme for the films that Charles Tesson - artistic director - and his selection committees chose to actively support over the next few months. Accordingly, 5 features and 10 short films will receive the “2020 Semaine de la Critique label".

La Semaine de la Critique will guide the selected features throughout their previews and their theatrical releases in France. The films in French will be presented during a "La Semaine de la Critique carte blanche" at the Angoulême Francophone Film Festival, which will take place between August 28th and September 2nd 2020.

Under these circumstances, the Gan Foundation for Cinema, La Semaine de la Critique’s faithful partner, confirms its desire to support young filmmakers and vehemently continues to support first and second feature films by bestowing the Gan Foundation Award for Distribution. The distributor of one of the five “2020 Semaine de la Critique” feature films will receive the award and its 20,000€ prize in autumn 2020.

The ten short films of the non-competitive support programme will be screened online on Festival Scope Pro between October 19th and 25th to Industry professionnals and on Festival Scope between October 22nd and 25th to the general audience. There will be previews at the French Cinematheque as well as screenings at the Czech Cinematheque and in New York City in collaboration with Kinoscope.

Access down below the feature and short films presentations by:
Charles Tesson, Artistic Director
Léo Soesanto, short film committee Coordinator

The feature films of the "2020 Semaine de la Critique label"

After Love
by
Aleem Khan

Sous le ciel d'Alice (Skies of Lebanon)
by
Chloé Mazlo

La Terre des hommes (Beasts)
by
Naël Marandin

The short films of the "2020 Semaine de la Critique label"

August 22, This Year
by
Graham Foy

Axşama doğru (Towards Evening)
by
Teymur Hajiyev

Dustin
by
Naïla Guiguet

Forastera
by
Lucía Aleñar Iglesias

Good Thanks, You?
by
Molly Manning Walker

とてつもなく大きな (Humongous!)
by
Aya Kawazoe

Maalbeek
by
Ismaël Joffroy Chandoutis

Marlon Brando
by
Vincent Tilanus

Menarca (Menarche)
by
Lillah Halla

White Goldfish
by
Jan Roosens & Raf Roosens

Next Step Prize
from short to feature films

The 10 filmmakers of this year’s programme will be invited in December 2020 to take part in the Next Step workshop, whose purpose is to assist short film directors towards making feature films. Since its inception the workshop launched and led by Rémi Bonhomme has supported 55 filmmakers from 29 different countries.

La Semaine de la Critique is delighted to announce the winner of the Next Step Prizeawarded to one of the filmmakers who has developed her last feature film project since last December, during the 6th session. The members of the jury are: Michèle Halberstadt, distributor at ARP, Bérénice Vincent, co-founder of the international sales company Totem Films and Mathieu Robinet, distributor.

The winner is Camille Degeye’s SPHINX (France), produced by Société Acéphale. The winner receives a 5,000€ prize towards developing her film and will be invited to the 2021 Cannes Film Festival to promote her project.

With the support of

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