FRFF To Fête Short Film and Feature Special Screening of Oscar Winner “Skin”
The inaugural French Riviera Film Festival (FRFF), celebrating short film and short-form content, is pleased to announce its 2019 finalists. FRFF, produced by Cloud21 International (www.cloud21.com) and Kultura PR International (www.kulturapr.com), will be held on May 18 and 19, 2019 in Cannes, France at Eden Hôtel & Spa (www.eden-hotel-cannes.com).
FRFF recognizes and celebrates short-form content created for film, television, Web and all digital platforms. Scheduled during the time period of the Festival de Cannes, FRFF invites filmmakers from around the globe to participate in the two-day event that includes screenings, awards ceremony and closing gala reception. A prestigious jury panel will select Best Drama Short, Best Comedy Short, Best Documentary Short, Best Animation Short, Best Experimental Short, Best Music Video, Best Lifestyle Content, Best Fashion Content, as well as Best Director Award, Best Actor Award, Best Actress Award, and a special Industry Award. Attendees and participants will include filmmakers, industry executives, celebrities, media and influencers.
“We’re delighted to place the spotlight on the creators of short film and short-form content in the beautiful setting of the South of France, during the time period of the world’s most prestigious film celebration,” comment FRFF co-founder Nicole Muj. “We hope everyone attending Cannes will join us at our screenings and events.”
“We’re humbled by the response from the global film community who have supported our inaugural festival,” adds co-founder Gotham Chandna. “We have received submissions from 27 countries, and have wonderful partners, that include top industry executives, media outlets, film schools and companies, and lifestyle brands. A truly special highlight will be an out-of-competition screening of the Oscar-winning short “Skin,” in association with Salaud Morisset.”

FRFF’s Advisory Board includes Michael Benoraya, Founder, International Film Trust, Bruno Chatelin, COO, filmfestivals.com, both of whom will serve on the festival’s jury, Larry Namer, president/CEO, Metan Global Entertainment Group, Ana B. Remos, vice president, editorial director & founder, azureazure.com (also on festival jury), Prashant Shah, founder/CEO, Bollywood Hollywood Production, and Daphna Edwards Ziman, president, Cinémoi USA. Jury members include Monica Baca, founder/CEO, B Team Media Group Corp.; Lena Bass, journalist, Hollywood Foreign Press Association; Claude Brickell, filmmaker, screenwriter and educator; Paul Cruz, director, Palm Springs International Comedy Festival; Anna Marie de la Fuente, journalist, Variety, Mick Garris, screenwriter/filmmaker; Laura Powers, host/producer, Healing Powers; ; Eileen Tasca, Managing Director, Alien Films & Task Films; Sue Vicory, founder, Heartland Films and www.womendocumentaryfilmmakers.com; and Dr. Laura Wilhelm, journalist, The Hollywood Times.
Event sponsors include Bodvár House of Rosés, My Power of One, Naturalina.ru, The Good Gin, Theta Cameras and Yuzzl.com.
For the full list, including all finalists and semi-finalists, please visit: http://frenchrivierafilmfestival.com/finalists-2019/
Winners will be announced at 2:45 PM on May 19 at a special awards ceremony.
The FRFF 2019 Finalists are:
Drama
Any Wednesday:Any Wednesday is a sensitive, delicate drama of disparate souls reaching for connection.[Director: Allie Light, Patrick Stark, Country: USA, Duration: 29:40]
Cycle:Cycle follows 10-year-old Elina as she observes her mother, Irene, in the aftermath of a violent fight with her husband, Marcel. Director: Laura D’Antoni, Country: USA, Duration: 11:38]
Mr. Punchbag:In the backstreets of inner-city London, a broken man exists as a human punchbag for hire.[Director: ShiritKedar, Frank Burke, Gavin O’ Brien, Country: UK, Duration: 9:11]
Tattoo: A young Iranian woman only wanted to renew her driver’s license, but when the officials noticed a scar on her wrist and her tattoo, they began looking at her with suspicion. [Director: FarhadDelaram, Country: Iran, Duration: 15:00]
The Photographer: Helena walks in the gardens of Versailles, photographing statues of antique gods, and through her camera, she perceives the presence of a male statue who has come to life. [Director: Bertrand Normand, Country: France, Duration: 11:45]
Three Years 1 Night: A juxtaposition of two dimensions of the same story – the first takes place during one night and talks about Krzysztof’s journey to the seaside. [Director: Bartosz Jakub Jasinski, Country: Poland, Duration: 19:25]
Comedy
Fanboy:A video store employee from South Carolina travels to Hollywood when he learns that his favorite director is holding auditions for his next big film. [Director: Gillian Greene, Country: USA, Duration: 39.53]
Mattyboy: A man with a suggestible mind, who ends up marrying a second wife out of a desperate situation, faces the consequences of it. [Director: Dr. Shahid Kamal, Country: UK, Duration: 13:57]
Mis’TIC:A loving father his devoted daughterand his troublesome ‘tic.’ A comedy about misunderstandings and a wonderful heart-warming father / daughter relationship. [Director: Eric Rino, Country: Austria, Duration: 14:00]
Tumble Dry:Following his therapist’s advice to be more social, Gary, an aspiring NYC playwright, channels his obsessive compulsive tendencies towards online dating. [Directors Delia Kelly, Stephen Riscica: Country: USA, Duration: 24.50]
Sci-Fi/Horror
King of the Hill:John finds himself in an area that is about to be bombarded by toxic gas and is hunted down by others who want his gas mask.[Director: Ballat Pierre, Country: France, Duration: 10.03]
Lobisome:Jorge and Iván receive a simple assignment: steal a briefcase and deliver it to their client in the bathrooms of an airport. What they did not imagine is that the briefcase contains a thousand-year curse. [Director: Juan De Dios Garduño, Country: Spain, Duration: 10:55]
The Desolation Prize: The Desolation Prize is a gothic horror that draws its inspiration from old Hammer Films, and the works of Val Lewton, Robert Wise and Jack Layton, combining them all into a sort of John Carpenter aesthetic. [Director: Shane Day, Country: Canada, Duration: 15:00]
Zalla:In order to save her son, Zalla escapes the futuristic lab and travels through time and space to find Maggie, the daughter of her arch enemy, to convince her to join in the fight. [Director: Tianwei Wang, Country: USA, Duration: 8:02]
Animation
Filfla:The story of a woman who goes to look for a boy on the mystical island of Filfla, where a terrifying creature is lurking in its midst. [Director: Fabrizio Ellul, Country: Malta, Duration: 6:57]
The Tree of Lost Souls: An introverted 11 year old girl uses her imagination as a refuge from the world around her, a world that has been falling apart around her. [Director: Laura Zamora, Country: Spain, Duration: 15:35]
Under Covers:On the night of a lunar eclipse, we uncover the sweet, salacious, and spooky secrets of a small town. [Director: Michaela Olsen, Country: USA, Duration: 7:22]
Documentary
&you: In the wake of the #metoo movement, a survivor at James Madison University becomes a powerful advocate on campus after her own assault case gets handled in all the wrong ways. [Director: Claire Downey, Taylor Autumn Herndon, Tessa Lawrence, Country: USA, Duration: 20:39]
A Grand Journey:Kira, who was born with a disability, embarks on a unique, but incredibly relatable, journey to climb the iconic Grand Teton. [Director: Amon Barker, Country: USA, Duration: 15:00]
Charlie Bee Company:A show about a wild bunch of Texas beekeepers who rescue killer honeybees from desperate and dangerous situations. [Director: Ashley Davison, Country: USA, Duration: 22:05]
Powered by Plants: Does the cure for cancer exist? What the heck is juice fasting? Find out in the film, that follows several inspiring individuals who have used nutrition and alternative medicine to heal themselves. [Director: Allison Melody, Country: USA, Duration: 27:17]
Experimental
Fictional Characters:Hans is just starting to discover the world. Gretel is a teen, feeling rage to everything. Everyone is in love with the Witch searching for their “virtual I” and trigger for transformation. [Director: Ivana Noa, Country: Belgium, Duration: 10:00]
Gwyr: Reflections:Vincent draws us back to imagine the life in Weobley Castle of Sir Rhys ap Thomas and his wife Efa, over 500 years ago. [Director: Georgios Dimitropoulos, Country: UK, Duration: 10:52]
Platonic:After a dream about a murder scene, a professor discovers a pregnant woman in her house. [Director: David Leidy, Country: USA, Duration: 19:30]
Sickness – Il grandedisegno: A girl and her desire to get lost. [Director: Benedetta Mori, Country: Italy, Duration: 5:51]
Music Video
Red Lion: A numinous Red Lion illuminates the path the warrior goddess Metallia must take to align her fragmented selves and restore an ever-present multidimensional vision long lost to humanity. [Director: Olivia Hadjiioannou, Country: Greece, Duration: 5:22]
Heartbeat:Written and performed by MedieM and his muse Dustin Quick. [Director: MedieM, Country: USA, Duration: 3:05]
MAYBETHEPROBLEMISYOU –GiiRL:A lonely, broken-hearted man enters a dubious bar to find relief. [Director: Alexander Kohn, Country: Germany, Duration: 3:15]
Fashion
Hana: International model/actress, director LueyNohut and music producer/composer RyszardZych working on a fashion project together. [Directors: LueyNohut, Country: Croatia, Duration: 1:18]
Levi’s Film: Film about iconic Levi brand. [Director: Ali Murtaza, Country: USA, Duration: 2:25]
XiaoWen in NY:Film about Victoria’s Secret Model Xiao Wen. [Director: Ali Murtaza, Country: USA, Duration: 3:14]
Lifestyle
Be Your Own Kind: A young man meets a woman with an abusive past, they fall in love at first sight.
[Directors: Amir Zargara, Christian Lat, Country: Canada, Duration: 9:58]
Levi’s Film: Film about iconic Levi brand. [Director: Ali Murtaza, Country: USA, Duration: 2:25]
Warrior With A Crown: In the quest to excel in life, a man battles with his own failures. [Directors: JMP, Francesco Cuizza, Country: UK, Duration: 4:08]