26th New York Rendez-Vous with French Cinema line-up announced

François Ozon’s Summer of ’85 (Été ’85) screens in New York’s Rendez-Vous with French Cinema Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze

UniFrance and Film at Lincoln Center announced the 26th Rendez-Vous with French Cinema line-up of 18 feature films and free Special Events. Opening the festival is Sébastien Lifshitz’s Little Girl (Petite Fille) with eight-year-old Sasha. Other highlights include François Ozon’s Summer of ’85 (Été ’85), starring Benjamin Voisin and Valeria Bruni Tedeschi (music by The Cure); Suzanne Lindon’s Spring Blossom (Seize printemps) with Lindon opposite Arnaud Valois; Nicole Garcia’s Lovers (Amants), starring Stacy Martin, Pierre Niney, and Benoît Magimel; Hélier Cisterne’s Faithful (De nos frères blessés) starring Vicky Krieps and Vincent Lacoste; Quentin Reynaud’s Final Set (Cinquième) set with Kristin Scott Thomas, Ana Girardot, and Alex Lutz, and Fanny Liatard and Jérémy Trouilh’s Gagarin (Gagarine) with Jamil McCraven, Lyna Khoudri, and a cameo by Denis Lavant.

Guest of Honour Emmanuelle Béart stars in Ludovic Bergery’s Margaux Hartmann (L’Étreinte).

Nicole Garcia’s Lovers (Amants) is a highlight Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze

Daniela Elstner, Managing Director of UniFrance, said: “This year’s edition of Rendez-Vous with French Cinema is a special one with virtual presentations of the films due to the Covid-19 crisis, but we’re making the most of these challenging times and are pleased to share French cinema beyond our beloved New York audience.

"All the cinephiles in the US will have access to our exciting selection of bold new voices and returning filmmakers, including our opening film, Sébastien Lifshitz’s remarkable and moving Little Girl, which is the first documentary ever to open the festival. We are also thrilled to have Emmanuelle Béart as our official Guest of Honour for the 26th edition. Emmanuelle’s career as an actress and activist highlights what French cinema represents for American audiences today: a leading voice and vision on world issues and our collective consciousness.”

“We are truly delighted to celebrate 26 years of Rendez-Vous with French Cinema with our partners at UniFrance,” said Florence Almozini, FLC Senior Programmer at Large. “This year’s festival demonstrates the vigorous diversity of French cinema today with exciting new films from returning directors François Ozon, Nicole Garcia, Guillaume Brac, and Quentin Dupieux, as well as memorable debuts from Charlène Favier, Nora Martirosyan, and Suzanne Lindon.

"While it has been a challenging year for so many people, we hope to bring the audience some entertainment, comfort, and enlightenment with this compelling lineup of new French gems.”

The 26th edition of Rendez-Vous with French Cinema, organised by Film at Lincoln Center’s Florence Almozini and Madeline Whittle with UniFrance, will run from March 4 to March 15 on Film at Lincoln Center Virtual Cinema.