Press release
Paris, 6 May 2024
THE INSTITUT FRANÇAIS ANNOUNCES THE PATRON FOR THE 16TH EDITION OF “LA FABRIQUE CINÉMA” AND THE PROGRAMME FOR THE CINÉMAS DU MONDE PAVILION DURING THE FESTIVAL DE CANNES
Just a few days before the 77th Festival de Cannes opens, the Institut français and its official partners France Médias Monde (RFI, France 24 and Monte Carlo Doualiya) and the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) are delighted to announce the nomination of Franco-Ivorian director Philippe Lacôte as patron of the 2024 La Fabrique Cinéma de l’Institut français and to present the program for the Cinémas du monde Pavilion (Village international, Pavillon Les Cinémas du monde, no. 107) with the support of BNP Paribas.
THE FRANCO-IVORIAN DIRECTOR PHILIPPE LACÔTE, PATRON OF THE 2024 LA FABRIQUE CINÉMA DE L’INSTITUT FRANÇAIS
Philippe Lacôte discovered cinema in the theatres of Abidjan. In the 1980s, as a neighbour of the “Magic”, he was introduced to genre films through Bollywood productions and martial arts films. His work as a director began with short films shot in 35 mm and in black and white, before focusing on the recent history of Ivory Coast.
In 2002, he filmed the neighbourhood where he grew up, during the first three weeks of the curfew that plunged his country into armed rebellion. The result was Chroniques de guerre en Côte d'Ivoire, both a portrait of a country in crisis and an autobiographical account. In 2014, his first feature film Run was selected at Cannes (Un certain Regard). La Nuit des Rois, his second feature film selected at “La Fabrique Cinéma”, had its world premiere in Venice. Produced by Banshee Films, it won numerous awards, including the Amplify Voices prize at TIFF and the Youth Jury Award in Rotterdam. It was distributed in the USA by NEON and shortlisted for the 2021 Oscars.
Alongside his career as a screenwriter and director, Philippe Lacôte was a production assistant at Atria, where he worked alongside filmmakers Souleymane Cissé, Rithy Panh and Raoul Peck. He then co-founded Wassakara Productions, which supports new talent and develops series on the African continent.
Philippe Lacôte is currently in post-production on the feature film Killer Heat, for Amazon Studios. He is also developing a new feature film, Les 7 voleurs d'or, which he is co-directing with Delphine Jaquet. Told from the perspective of a Sufi community in Harlem, the story follows the exile of a family struck by a curse. Les 7 voleurs d'or has been selected for the Villa Albertine writing residencies, run by the cultural network in the United States. 
THE 2024 CINÉMAS DU MONDE PAVILION PROGRAMME
Once again this year, the Cinémas du Monde Pavilion, which hosts La Fabrique Cinéma de l’Institut français, will be organizing a rich programme of panel discussions, conferences and masterclasses for French and international cinema professionals. Changes in ecosystems and new narratives on the African continent, Lithuanian cinema in the run-up to the Season of Lithuania in France 2024, Brazilian measures to promote cinema looking ahead to the 2025 France-Brazil Season, the Asian markets for audiovisual adaptations (Shoot The Book!) and the prevention of sexual and gender-based violence and harassment will be among the subjects addressed at this 2024 edition. The Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) will be announcing the 24 new winners of the 1st commission for the Fonds Image de la Francophonie. The Pavilion will also offer an opportunity to showcase the diversity of the French cultural network's activities abroad.
Conferences and round tables
Thursday 16 May
10 a.m. – noon
Masterclass - Shoot the Book!
From book to screen - the Asian markets for audiovisual adaptation
In collaboration with the Société Civile des Éditeurs de Langue Française (SCELF) and the French cultural network abroad.
4 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Pitches for the 10 projects - La Fabrique Cinéma de l'Institut français
Moderator: Elias Ribeiro
Friday 17 May
10 a.m. to noon
Masterclass with Philippe Lacôte, patron of La Fabrique Cinéma de l’Institut français 2024
Moderator: Stéphane Goudet
By invitation only
2.30 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Round table
Africa(s) - Changing ecosystems and new narratives
In collaboration with the Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée (CNC), European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs (EAVE), Yetu (Un)limited as part of the Création Africa programme.
What are the future prospects, opportunities and innovations of the African film industries? This sequence will present fertile initiatives that are currently driving the continent's key markets. Keynote by Philippe Lacôte, presentation of the Yetu Unlimited consortium of producers, new narratives and new possibilities for the ecosystem will be discussed with the three moderators, Elisabeth Liz Gomis, journalist, filmmaker and Head of Prefiguration of the Maisons des Mondes Africains (MansA), Kristina Trapp, Chief Executive of European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs (EAVE) and Séraphine Angoula, audiovisual attaché in Senegal.
5.30 p.m. – 6.15 p.m.
Conference - Focus Brazil
The Brazilian government's film and audiovisual policy
Presentation of the France-Brazil 2025 Season
In partnership with the Brazilian Ministry of Culture, the Instituto Guimarães Rosa and the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency.
Saturday 18 May
11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Conference - Organisation internationale de la Francophonie
Results of the first Fonds Image de la Francophonie committee meeting and presentation of the mechanisms.
3.30 p.m. - 4.30 p.m.
Round Table - The Europeanisation of French cinema : a presentation of BNP Paribas measures dedicated to the 7th art.
In partnership with BNP Paribas and Cofiloisirs.
5 p.m. - 6.30 p.m.
Co-producing with the Dominican Republic
Networking session - Co-producing with the Dominican Republic
With the attendance of Marianna Vargas, Directorate-General of Cinema in the Dominican Republic - Networking event with five producers
Sunday 19 May
9.30 a.m. - 11.30 a.m.
Speed meetings: expanding internationally - meetings with audiovisual attachés from the French cultural network abroad.
12 p.m. - 1.30 p.m.
Round table: Creating in exile - In collaboration with the CNC
Moderated by Catherine Ruelle.
2.30 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Round table - Preventing and combating sexist and sexual violence and harassment in the film industry - International perspectives
In partnership with the Collectif 50/50 and the Commission supérieure technique de l'image et du son (CST)
Speakers: Hélène Granqvist (President of WIFT - Woman in Film and Television, Sweden), Zoulika Takhar (Sisters in Film).
Moderated by Baptiste Heynemann, Delegate-General of the CST and Margaux Lorier, Production Manager.
5 p.m. – 6.15 p.m.
Round table - (Re)Discovering Lithuanian cinema in France - An overview of Lithuanian cinema and its highlights during the Season of Lithuania in France (12 September - 12 December 2024).
In partnership with the Lithuanian Cultural Institute and the Lithuanian Film Centre.
Speakers: Dovile Butnoriute (Lithuanian Culture Institute, Head of Communications for the Season of Lithuania in France 2024), Jana Mikulevic (Lithuanian Film Centre, Head of the Promotion, Information and Film Heritage Department), Marija Razgutė (producer), Auste Zdanciute (Cultural Attaché, Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in France).
Moderated by Ariel Schweitzer (Les Cahiers du Cinéma).
Monday 20 May
4.30 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Round Table – Promoting and exporting French cinema internationally: examples of collaboration between industry players.
Speakers: Marion Thévenot (Institut français), Yohann Comte (Charades), Jean-Christophe Baubiat (Unifrance), Jérémy Segay (regional audiovisual attaché in Vietnam), Fanny Molins, filmmaker.
Moderator: Valérie Fouques (regional audiovisual attaché in the United Arab Emirates)
SUPPORT FROM THE INSTITUT FRANÇAIS FOR WORLD CINEMA
La Fabrique Cinéma strongly represented at Cannes
In 2024, a large selection of former participants in the La Fabrique Cinéma de l’Institut français programme will be presented at Cannes.
Critics’ Week
- Feature film: The Brink of Dreams, documentary by Nada Riyadh & Ayman El Amir.
(Nada Riyadh and Ayman El Amir, Egypt, were selected for La Fabrique in 2023 with their new project and first fiction film Moonblind).
- Shorts: Radikals by Arvin Belarmino (Arvin Belarmino, Philippines, was selected at La Fabrique in 2023 with his first feature film in development RIA) and Sauna Day by Tushar Prakash and Anna Hints (Tushar Prakash, India, was at La Fabrique in 2015).
Directors' Fortnight
- Feature film: East of Noon by Hala Elkoussy (Hala Elkoussy, Egypt, was selected at La Fabrique in 2015 with her first feature film Fleur de Cactus - Rotterdam Festival 2017).
- La Factory des Cinéastes presents the short film Silig by Arvin Belarmino and Lomorpich Rithy (Arvin Belarmino, Philippines, took part in “La Fabrique Cinéma” in 2023).
Un Certain Regard
- Feature film: Viet and Nam by Minh Quy Truong, produced by Bianca Balbuena and Bradley Liew of Epicmedia Productions (Bianca Balbuena, Philippines, was selected to produce a feature film at La Fabrique in 2013).
15 films supported by Aide aux Cinémas du Monde (CNC-Institut français) on Cannes screens
Official competition:
- All we imagine as light, Ms Payal Kapadia (India), 1st commission before production;
- Grand tour, Mr Miguel Gomes (Portugal), 2nd commission before production;
- Motel Destino, Mr Karim Aïnouz (Brazil), 2nd commission before production;
- The seed of the sacred fig, Mr Mohammad Rasoulof (Iran), 2nd commission before production.
Un Certain Regard:
- My sunshine, Mr Hiroshi Okuyama (Japan), 3rd commission after production;
- Santosh, Ms Sandhya Suri (India / United Kingdom), 1st commission before production;
- The village next to paradise, Mr Mo Harawe (Somalia / Austria), 1st commission before production;
- Viet and Nam, Mr Truong Minh Quý (Vietnam), 2nd commission before production.
Cannes Première:
- Touda (Everybody loves Touda), Mr Nabil Ayouch (Morocco), 3rd commission after production.
Critics' Week :
- Baby, Mr Marcelo Caetano (Brazil), 1st commission before production.
- Rafaat einy ll sama (The brink of dreams), Ms Nada Riyadh and Mr Ayman El Amir (Egypt), 3rd commission after production.
- Locust, Mr Kevin Kai Min Wang aka Keff, (Taiwan / USA), 1st commission before production.
Directors' Fortnight:
- Mongrel Mr Wei Liang Chang (Singapore), 1st commission before production;
- To a land unknown, Mr Mahdi Fleifel (Palestine) 1st commission before production.
Association du cinéma indépendant pour sa diffusion (ACID) :
- Mi bestia, Ms Camila Beltrán (Colombia), 3rd commission after production.
Three films are part of Cannes Écrans Juniors, under the Cannes Cinéphiles programme:
- Le Moine au fusil, Mr Pawo Choyning Dorji (Bhutan), 1st commission before production;
- L’Autre fils, Mr Juan Sebastian Quebrada (Colombia), 1st commission before production;
- Girls will be girls, Ms Shuchi Talati (India), 1st commission before production.
La Fabrique Cinéma de l’Institut français is a programme for identifying and promoting filmmakers and producers from developing and emerging countries, offering tailor-made support for first or second film projects, in close collaboration with the Festival de Cannes, the Marché du Film and numerous professional partners. La Fabrique Cinéma is a tool supporting international co-production with France, in addition to the Aide aux Cinémas du monde fund, a fund jointly managed by the French National Centre of Cinema (CNC) and the Institut français.
Since 2009, the programme has supported 154 projects from developing and emerging countries and assisted 282 participants (43% of whom are women) of 65 different nationalities. 30% of the projects are from African countries. Among the projects supported up to 2023, 58 films have already been made, equal to more than 40%. 52% of these films have been released in France.
Further information: https://www.lescinemasdumonde.com/en/la-fabrique/2024/projet
Les Cinémas du monde Pavilion is a platform for work, discussion and meetings set up by the Institut français in close collaboration with the Festival de Cannes and in partnership with France Médias Monde (RFI, France 24 and Monte Carlo Doualiya) and L’ Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF).
Plus d’informations : https://www.lescinemasdumonde.com/en/la-fabrique/2024/events
Official partners
Sponsor
The Institut français
A key player in France’s foreign cultural policy, the Institut français is placed under the dual authority of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture. It has two fundamental missions:
- Promoting French culture and language throughout the world;
- Promoting cultural diversity throughout the world.
To achieve this, it works very closely with the French cultural network abroad, aiming to enhance its action
France Médias Monde
France Médias Monde, the group in charge of French international broadcasting, comprises the news channels France 24 (in French, English, Arabic and Spanish), the international radio station RFI (in French and 16 other languages) and the Arabic-language radio station Monte Carlo Doualiya. France Médias Monde broadcasts to the world in 21 languages. Its journalists and correspondents offer viewers, listeners and Internet users comprehensive coverage of world events, with a focus on cultural diversity and contrasting viewpoints via new bulletins, reports, magazines and debates. Every week, RFI, France 24 and Monte Carlo Doualiya attract 255 million contacts. Those outlets have a combined 100 million followers on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram and rose to 3.7 billion views and streams in 2023. The group also has two 100% digital and social networking services, "InfoMigrants" and "ENTR", aimed at young Europeans. France Médias Monde is the parent company of CFI, the French media cooperation agency and also a shareholder of the French-language general interest TV Channel TV5MONDE.
L’Organisation internationale de la Francophonie
The Francophonie refers to men and women who share a common language: French. It is an institution dedicated since 1970 to promoting cultural and linguistic diversity as well as political, educational, economic and cultural cooperation among the 88 member countries of the Organisation international of la Francophonie (OIF).
BNP Paribas
For over 100 years, BNP Paribas has been a committed and passionate partner to French and international cinema. Through this presence alongside film professionals and the general public, the bank supports the silver screen in all its forms:
- By financing cinematographic and audiovisual productions: one out of every two productions in France is financed directly by BNP Paribas.
- Through partnerships with more than 40 film festivals around the world, such as the Festival Lyon Lumière in France, the Festival di Roma in Italy or the WeLoveCinema Days in Belgium.
- By inviting all audiences to experience the emotion of cinema through We Love Cinema, its platform dedicated to cinema enthusiasts. More than 70 000 people were invited to the movies in France in 2023.
- The Group also supports the succession of cinema by being a partner of the CNC and the Femis school.
Press contacts
Jean-Philippe Rousse
Director of Communication and Patronage
[email protected]
Néguine Mohsseni
Press Attachée
[email protected]