DGA Monthly

D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 4 I 4 1 2024 American French Film Festival A Franco-American Cultural Fund Event In its 28th edition, the American French Film Festival (TAFFF), returned to the DGA building in Los Angeles from October 29 - November 3. Presented by the Franco-American Cultural Fund (FACF), the annual celebration of French films, formerly known as COLCOA, featured an exclusive program with more than 50 films competing for the 2024 Awards in three categories: Cinema, Television and Short Films; North American, International and World Premieres; panel discussions; and an educational program that presented screenings to hundreds of students from local high schools. All screenings were free to DGA members. This year's festival featured screenings with DGA Director-members moderating conversations with French Directors, and sometimes their casts and teams, including Taylor Hackford speaking with Jacques Audiard on the festival's opening film, Emilia Pérez; Floria Sigismondi with Anne Fontaine on Bolero; Jon Amiel with Julien Colonna on The Kingdom; Nisha Ganatra with Agathe Riedinger on Wild Diamond; Jeremy Kagan with Marc Fitoussi on Ça, C'est Paris!; and Jonathan Mostow with Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de La Patellière on the festival's closing film, The Count of Monte Cristo. The week also included a workshop in the Guild's Los Angeles Boardroom with DGA President Lesli Linka Glatter and Directors Taylor Hackford and Steven Zaillian; as well as a "Happy Hour Talk" panel discussion featuring DGA Board member Jon Avnet. On October 31 at the French Consulate in Los Angeles, former DGA National Executive Director Jay D. Roth was presented with a special TAFFF Award for his vision and long-standing service as a founder of the FACF, his lifetime dedication to cinema, and his efforts to build strong relationships between American and French filmmakers. The FACF was founded in 1996 to foster cultural exchange between American and French filmmakers through a partnership of the Directors Guild of America, the Motion Picture Association, France's Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music (SACEM), and the Writers Guild of America, West. The American French Film Festival, a program of the FACF, is produced in association with France's Writers, Directors and Producers Association (L'ARP), the Los Angeles Film and TV Office of the French Embassy, and Unifrance. photos by Philip Guerette courtesy TAFFF See more detailed descriptions and additional photos, where available, online at www.dga.org. DGA Events Roundup Photos: 1. François Besson (SACEM), DGA National Executive Director Russell Hollander, FACF President Cecile Rap Veber (SACEM), Director Michael Mann, Howard A. Rodman (WGA), Emilie Anthonis (MPA), DGA President Lesli Linka Glatter and Past President Taylor Hackford attend the opening night ceremonies. 2. Consul General Adrien Frier, former DGA National Executive Director Jay D. Roth and FACF President Cecile Rap Veber attend the ceremony at the French Consulate honoring Roth. 3. Director Jon Amiel moderates the conversation on The Kingdom. 4. President Glatter and Directors Taylor Hackford and Steven Zaillian lead a workshop for French Directors. 5-6. Director Nisha Ganatra chats with the makers of the film Wild Diamond and Director Jonathan Mostow moderates the conversation on The Count of Monte Cristo. 6 3 5 4 2 1

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