05/11/2010

A total of 100 features, including 52 unreleased films and other avant-premieres, are included in the rich line-up at the 11th Arras International Film Festival, which will open this evening with François Ozon’s Potiche [+see also:
trailer
film profile], with the director and Fabrice Luchini in attendance. Running until November 14, the Picardy event will also bring together over 100 guests from 14 European countries, in particular Jerzy Skolimowski, Anna Karina and Olivier Assayas, to whom homages will be dedicated.

A jury presided by filmmaker Manuel Poirier will judge the nine films in the European competition. These include German director Johannes Naber’s The Albanian [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Nik Xhelilaj - Albania
film profile] (see news); It’s Already Summer [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Holland’s Martijn Maria Smits (see video interview); Czech director Marek Najbrt’s Protector (major winner at the Czech Lion Film Awards 2010 – see news); Zero by Poland’s Pawel Borowski; A Rational Solution [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jörgen Bergmark
film profile] by Sweden’s Jörgen Bergmark; Medal of Honour [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Romania’s Calin Peter Netzer (see interview); For 80 Days by Spanish duo Jon Garaño and José Mari Goenaga; and Finnish director Jalmari Helander’s Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jalmari Helander
film profile] (which won an award this summer on the Piazza Grande at Locarno and triumphed at the latest Sitges Festival).

The European Discoveries section is not lacking in quality titles either. Highlights include Austrian director Benjamin Heisenberg’s The Robber [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Benjamin Heisenberg
film profile] (to be released in France on November 10); Romanian director Radu Muntean’s Tuesday, After Christmas [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Radu Muntean
film profile] (acclaimed in the Cannes Un Certain Regard section, to be released in theatres on December 8); Berlinale prize-winner If I Want to Whistle, I Whistle [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ada Condeescu
film profile] by fellow Romanian Florin Serban; All That I Love [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Poland’s Jacek Borcuch (see video interview); and First of All, Felicia [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Melissa de Raaf and Razvan …
film profile] by directorial duo Razvan Radulescu and Melissa de Raaf.

This section will also showcase On The Path [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Bosnia’s Jasmila Zbanic; Brit director Sam Taylor-Wood’s Nowhere Boy [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (release date: December 8); Damjan Kozole’s Slovenian Girl [+see also:
trailer
film profile]; Just Between Us [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Croatia’s Rajko Grlic; Italian director Gabriele Muccino’s Kiss Me Again (to be released in France on December 29); and The Beautiful People [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by fellow Italian Ivano de Matteo (see news).

Finally, the line-up is completed by a flurry of avant-premieres, including UK director Mike Leigh’s Another Year [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Mike Leigh
film profile] (French release date: December 22); Point Blank by Fred Cavayé (see news – to be released on December 1); Alix Delaporte’s Angèle et Tony [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (see review of Venice screening – to be released on January 26, 2011); Angelo Cianci’s Top Floor, Left Wing (see news – to be launched in theatres on November 17); Laetitia Masson’s Petite Fille (“Little Girl”); Audrey Estrougo’s Toi, Moi, Les Autres (“You, Me, The Others”, see review of its recent Rome screening – to be released in February 2011); Guillaume Nicloux’s Holiday (see news – release date: December 8); Jean-Pierre Améris’s Les Emotifs Anonymes (“Anonymous Emotional People”, see news – release date: December 22); and two titles acclaimed at Cannes: Michel Leclerc’s The Names of Love [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (see review – release date: November 24); and Fabienne Berthaud’s Lily Sometimes [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (see review – to be launched in theatres on December 1).

(Translated from French)