The Franco-American Cultural Fund, a collaboration between the Directors Guild of America (DGA), the Motion Picture Association, The Writers Guild of America West and France’s Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music, has announced the 2019 award winners of COLCOA French Film Festival, held September 23 – 28 at the DGA.
This year’s Los Angeles Film Critics Association film jury was comprised of David Ehrenstein, Annlee Ellingson, Sheri Linden and Luke Y. Thompson.
COLCOA Cinema Winners:
I LOST MY BODY / J’ai perdu mon corps (Netflix), written and directed by Jérémy Clapin was awarded the COLCOA LAFCA Critics Award by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Jury.
LAFCA awarded writer/director Ladj Ly’s LES MISÉRABLES the Best First Film Award. Also France’s 2020 Oscar submission for Best International Feature Film, the film was presented for the first time in the U.S., in association with Amazon Studios.
The 2019 COLCOA Jury’s official statement, “To serve on the COLCOA jury is to take a deep dive into contemporary French cinema, which is always a tremendous pleasure but especially so this year with a lineup of titles that are artfully crafted, narratively innovative, and socially urgent. We are particularly delighted to honor two first features that demonstrate the dynamic present and future of French film.With macabre whimsy, I Lost My Body deconstructs romantic tropes and expands the idea of what animated features can do, while Les Misérables masterfully leverages genre and a powerful sense of place to confront difficult modern realities.”
I LOST MY BODY / J’ai perdu mon corps was also awarded the Audience Award, marking the first time that a film won both the COLCOA Audience Award and the COLCOA Critics’ Awards.
CYRANO MY LOVE, written and directed by Alexis Michalik, was awarded the American Students’ Award, voted exclusively by a jury of seven students from local area high schools and colleges.
FORWARD / Demain est à nous, written and directed by Gilles de Maistre was awarded Best Documentary Award.
COLCOA Television Winners:
Presented in association with TITRAFILM, the COLCOA Television Competition awarded two awards:
JACQUELINE SAUVAGE, IT WAS HIM OR ME, written and directed by Yves Regnier: the Best TV Movie Award.
THE INSIDE GAME / Jeux d’influence, written by
Antoine Lacomblez, Jean-Xavier de Lestrade, Sophie Hiet, Pierre Linhart and directed
by Jean-Xavier de Lestrade: Best
TV Series Award.
COLCOA Shorts Winners:
Presented in association with Unifrance, the COLCOA Shorts Competition awarded the following awards:
MY LADY OF THE CAMELLIA /Ma dame au camélia, written/directed by Édouard Montoute: Best Short Film Award.
MEMORABLE / Mémorable, written and directed by Bruno Collet: Best Animated Short.
