French talent at the 15th FICM

Morelia, Michoacán, October 11, 2017. The fifteenth edition of the Morelia International Film Festival (FICM) is pleased to receive a group of very talented French artists who—in diverse ways—have made their mark in the history of French and international cinema. Among the French actors and filmmakers that will be visiting Morelia as Special Guests are:

Michel Hazanavicius. Actor and director well known for directing the off-beat OSS 117 spy movies and later for his Oscar winning film The Artist (2011), starring Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo. His most recent film, Redoutable (2017), was part of the Official Selection at Cannes Festival and will have its Mexican premiere at the 15th FICM. Also, FICM will have the honor of presenting the world premiere of the documentary about Michel Hazanavicius, by Jean-Pierre Lavoignat, Christophe d’Yvoire and Nicolas Marki.

Barbet Schroeder. Swiss-French director, actor and producer, he has enjoyed a long and prolific career in film. He worked as Jean-Luc Godard’s assistant and at the age of 23, he and Éric Rohmer founded the production company Les Films du Losange, which produced some of the best movies of the French New Wave. His most recent film, The Venerable W. (2017), was part of the Official Selection at Cannes Festival and will have its Mexican premiere at the 15th FICM.

Laurent Cantet. Director who has won more than 30 awards at the most prestigious film festivals around the world, including: the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2008 (The Class), the César Award for Best First Feature given by the French Film Academy in 2001 (Human Resources), the Lumière Award for Best Picture in 2009 (The Class) and the prize awarded by the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) in 2009 (Time Out), just to mention a few. His most recent film, The Workshop (2017), was part of the Official Selection at Cannes Festival and will have its Mexican premiere at the 15th FICM.

Emmanuel Gras. Documentary filmmaker who prioritizes the visual elements of cinema. He studied cinematography at the École Nationale Supérieure Louis Lumière in Paris. His films address contemporary social issues and are marked by a careful commitment to form. His latest film, Makala (2017), won the Grand Prix at the Cannes’ Semaine de la Critique and will have its Mexican premiere at the 15th FICM.

Léa Mysius. After studying literature, she graduated from the screenwriting department at La Fémis in 2014. Her short film Les Oiseaux-ton-nerre (2014) was selected for the Cannes Cinéfondation. She has also written with other directors, notably Arnaud Desplechin. Ava (2017), her debut feature, it was part of the Official Selection of the Cannes’ Semaine de la Critique and will have its Mexican premiere at the 15th FICM.

Finally, the actor Nahuel Pérez Biscayart will be assisting the 15th FICM to present the Mexican premiere of BPM (Beats per Minute) (2017), by French director Robin Campillo, where he plays Sean, a charismatic figure of Act-Up Paris in the early 1990s. The film won the Grand Jury Prize at this year’s Cannes Festival.

The Morelia International Film Festival (FICM) extends its thanks to UniFrance and to the Embassy of France in Mexico por their invaluable help in bringing these extraordinary artists closer to the audience in Morelia.

Download the press release: PRESS RELEASE French talent at FICM