Centerpiece News

~Cannes, Cannes, Cannes! This week is all about the biggest internatinal film festival in the world. While most of the buzz is surrounding the latest Tarantino film and other incredible features film entries from around the world, short films are getting quite a boost too. This has been an exceptionally exciting year for short films. We’ve had accomplished directors bringing a short to Cannes, short filmmakers finally making competition with a feature and — of course — the Palme d’Or short film race. Let’s get started!~

Cinéfondation Awards

~This is where film school culture meets the prestige festival circuit. Each year fifteen to twenty short films are selected by Cannes jury members to participate in the Cinéfondation competition. This competition is noted for strictly being open to film school students around the world. The highly-competitive contest (2,000+ applicants each year) just announced the top three winners for this year.

Third Place Prize:

Ambience by Wisam Al Jafari ( Dar al-Kalima University College of Arts and Culture) / Duszyczka by Barbara Rupik ( PWSFTviT) [TIE]

Second Place Prize:

Hiéu by Richard Van (CalArts)

First Place Prize:

Mano a Mano by Louise Courvoisier ( CinéFabrique)

Congratulations to all of the winners. We especially highlight director Richard Van here, whose Audition made an extended through the U.S. festival circuit and garnered much acclaim along the way. The winning director, Louise Courvoisier, not only gets a considerable cash prize, but is guaranteed to have her first feature screened at Cannes. This is Courvoisier’s debut film.~

Chloë Sevigny

~This year’s lone U.S. entry in the official short film selection is from a high-profile indie actress. Like 2017, when Kristen Stewart’s Come Swim premiered. While that was Stewart’s first narrative short, Sevigny’s White Echo is her second short. The stylistic and propulsive Kitty was her breakout short, with over 12,000 views on Vimeo. Echo looks to be her most ambitious yet, with five different characters’ storylines converging in under 20 minutes. We can’t wait to see if it places this weekend — and then see the film for ourselves!~

History-Making In The Official Category

~The first black female director to compete in Cannes’ official competition, Matti Diop, has actually been a prolific short filmmaker in her own right long before this. The renowned arthouse actress has been making shorts since 2009, with Atlantics being her first feature. Critics are raving about this film, and we wouldn’t be surprised if this one pulls a dark horse upset during Sunday’s announcements. The story of a desperate group of working-class citizens embarking on a perilous ocean crossing is actually the fictionalized version of a short documentary (Atlantiques) she made exactly one decade ago. She has been a festival favorite for several years now, with nominations at such major fests as Rotterdam Intl. and Venice. Could we see a seriously accomplished short filmmaker taking home the biggest film prize outside of the Oscars? We sure hope so!~

Gaspar Shocks With — A Short!?

~Always the provocateur, Gaspar Noé has been polarizing Cannes audiences for years now. Whether it’s a ten-minute rape scene (Irresversible) or a 3-d cum shot (Love), he always knows how to push buttons, raise eyebrows and encourage mid-film walkouts. Well, this year he has made another bold choice by releasing a 52-minute film commissioned by Parisian label Saint Laurent. Lux Æterna is, according to Noé himself, “a vibrant essay on respect for beliefs, the actor’s craft, and the art of filmmaking.’ While many of the viewers at Cannes didn’t quite buy into his execution, this is never a director to ignore — especially when you can get his work in smaller doses.~