For more than forty years, the Clermont-Ferrand short film festival reigns supreme over the discipline. Second film festival following Cannes, Clermont has become over time a talent incubator. Zoom out.
While the 75th International Film Festival Cannes Film Festival in full swing (until May 28), the Croisette once once more sees many talents who have passed through the Auvergne capital. Directors, actors, directors, many of them started their careers in the Jean-Cocteau room, at the Maison de la Culture! Of Cedric Klapisch who won the jury prize in 1987 for In Transit (a prize he also won in 1990), Jean-Pierre Jeunet recognized by the jury of the festival since 1983, passing through Patrick Bouchitey, Francois Ozon. Without forgetting the famous duo Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano(directors ofUntouchables), came to present Little Shoes in 2000 ; Mathieu Amalric, Benoît Delepine, and more recently Lea Drucker… The biggest names in French cinema have often taken their first steps in Clermont.
“Defend the young guard of the 7th art”
Animation masterpieces, comedies, contemporary realities, genre films, graduation projects from the best schools in the world, documentaries: the short film is revealed in all its richness and diversity in Auvergne and in the heart of winter. “The Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival is the world’s largest cinematographic event devoted to short films”, analyzes the organizing association Sauve qui peut le court film has, for more than 40 years now, been committed to defending the young guard of the 7th art. “We are proud to know that so many talents have passed through Clermont-Ferrand”.
CAnnes thus acts as a talent revealer. This year once more, the Croisette is full of big names who have passed through the world capital of the “court”. To start with the members of the official jury for the feature film competition which will be composed of nine personalities from contemporary cinema.
In the running for the Palme d’Or
Among them, ofthem members of the jury passed through the corridors of the Maison de la culture clermontoise. The Norwegian director and screenwriter Joachim Trier who saw two of his short films screened at the Clermont-Ferrand festival. « Still » was in lab competition in 2002, and his film Procter was broadcast as part of Retro Norway in 2005,” recalls the festival team. Another name that we may have come across in the catalog of the 2022 vintage in Cannes: the director, screenwriter, actor and producer, who had made a remarkable passage in Clermont-Ferrand, Ladj Ly, came to present his short film Wretched. He then received the CANAL + prize.
This jury will have the heavy task of determining which of the nine short films selected will receive the Palme d’Or 2022, and it will also have to award the three La Cinef prizes (among 16 short films). In this jury, two names stand out, passed through the “Clermont tips”: Felix Moati and Monia Chokri, iconic actress of Xavier Dolan, hailed in 2014 in Clermont-Ferrand.
At last, Claire Dennisa regular at the Cannes Film Festival, is in competition for the Palme d’Or with her film Stars at Noon. “Many short films by this director were screened in various categories during the short film festival: May 15 in 2001, Raise in 2004, Keep it for yourself in 2008 or even Vers Nancy at the opening of the festival in 2019. She was a member of the lab jury in 2019, alongside Bruno Nuytten and Jenn Nkiru »we remember the side of the Clermont festival.
At his side Ali Abbasi with his feature film Holy Spider. Son court Frozen was in international competition in 2010 in Clermont-Ferrand. Arnaud Desplechinwhich represent Brother and sister in Cannes, had a short film in national competition in 1991: The Life of the Dead. And Park Chan-Wook in competition at Cannes with Haeojil Gyeolsim, who had a film in lab competition just 10 years ago: Night Fishing.
When we tell you that Clermont-Ferrand is a talent revealer!
Geneviève Column of Istria
Shooting in Auvergne: a luxury cast!
Film news is still just as rich in Auvergne. Starting with the filming in Besse (Puy-de-Dôme) of the last episode of the TV movie “The Doc and the Vet”starring Michel Cymes and Dounia Coesens. The next feature film by Jeremiah Clapin will also be filmed in Puy-de-Dôme. In May, went out to the cinema “ The Farm Folies »a film by Jean-Pierre Améris shot in Cantal starring Sabrina Ouazani, Michèle Bernier, Alban Ivanov, Guy Marchand, Moussa Maaskri and Bérengère Krief (Excuse a bit!). Two years following Loulou, Fanny Sidney directs Marie Lelong and Louise Massin in an irresistible new series with the air of mockumentary baptized “The Mobile Brigade”. Seven episodes broadcast on Arte, filmed in Haute-Loireand produced by La Onda Productions and Mother Production with the support of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region.
Finally, the last nugget on the clock, the feature film “Little Flower”, shot in Clermont-Ferrand by Argentinian director Santiago Mitre, with Melvil Poupaud and Sergi Lopez in leading roles. Un explosive thriller which will be presented at the Les Ambiances cinema on May 31, 2022 in the presence of Melvil Poupoud.
