City of Lights, City of Angels
City Of Lights, City Of Angels (COLCOA) is an annual competitive film festival held in the United States which showcases the diversity of French cinema, promotes films and talent among the film industry and contributes to cross cultural understanding. It is open to professionals and the general public.
The next event will take place at the Directors Guild of America theater complex in Hollywood, from April 20 to April 28, 2015 (19th anniversary).
COLCOA was created in 1996 by The Franco-American Cultural Fund, a unique collaborative effort of the Directors Guild Of America, the Motion Picture Association of America, the Writers Guild Of America, West, France’s Société des Auteurs, Compositeurs et Éditeurs de Musique. The Festival is also made possible with the support of L’ARP (France’s Association of Authors, Directors and Producers), in collaboration with the Film & TV Department of the French Embassy and Unifrance.
Since 2004, the selection is exclusively composed of premieres in Hollywood. Several high-profile features are presented at COLCOA for the first time in North America or in the U.S. Some can be International or World premieres. COLCOA is also known for presenting films before their commercial release in the U.S., and for being used by American distributors to launch and promote their film in Hollywood.
The selection includes features, documentaries, animated films and short films. In 18 years, 377 feature films and 218 new shorts have been selected. COLCOA has constantly developed to become a showcase of at least 60 films, with a capacity of 21,000 in 2014 and an occupancy rate of 94%. Its exclusive program has made of COLCOA an anticipated date in the industry calendar and one of the largest French film festivals in the world. Scheduled a few weeks after the Academy Awards® and before the Cannes Film Festival, COLCOA has become a prestigious event in Los Angeles.
The COLCOA audience is mainly composed of film industry professionals (74%), including Academy Awards® members: directors, writers, distributors, producers, agents, exhibitors, critics and journalists. COLCOA has developed partnerships with organizations like IFTA, The Cannes Film Market, Film Independent, Women in Film, The American Cinematheque, SAG, and since 2008, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.
In 2008, an educational program was also launched to promote foreign films among young American audiences in association with ELMA (European Languages and Movies in America). Close to 15,000 students and 100 high schools have participated in the program since 2008. In 2010, a master class program was introduced for colleges, film schools and universities.
TALENT AT COLCOA
More than 150 French writers* directors and producers have presented their film(s) at COLCOA. Among them are:
Patrick Alessandrin * Eric Altmayer * Jean-Pierre Améris * Thomas Anargyros * Yves Angelo * Olivier Assayas * Alain Attal * Lisa Azuelos * Josiane Balasko * Maurice Barthelémy * Frédéric Beigbeder * Véra Belmont * Lucas Belvaux * Bibo Bergeron * Richard Berry * Dominique Besnehard * Rémi Bezancon * Academy Awards® winner Bertrand Blier * Pascal Bonitzer * Dany Boon * Laurent Bouhnik * Michel Boujenah * Jean Bréhat * Zabou Breitman * Stéphane Brizé * Guillaume Canet * Laurent Cantet * Christian Carion * Philippe Carcassonne * Patrice Chéreau * Hélier Cisterne * Etienne Comar * Fabio Conversi * Alain Corneau * Academy Awards® winner Costa-Gavras * Antoine de Caunes * Olivier Dahan * Alix Delaporte * Academy Awards® nominee Julie Delpy * Mathieu Demy * Claire Denis * Arnaud Desplechin * Ziad Doueiri * Bruno Dumont * Albert Dupontel * Pascal Elbe * Léa Fehner * Marc Fiszman * Anne Fontaine * Nicole Garcia * Eric Guirado * Michael Gentile * Thomas Gilou * Alain Goldman * Robert Guédiguian * Philippe Haïm * Academy Awards® winner Michel Hazanavicius * Mathieu Kassovitz * Cédric Klapisch * Diane Kurys * Philippe Lacheau * Philippe Le Guay * Anne Le Ny * Pierre-Ange Le Pogam* Academy Awards® winner Claude Lelouch * Bruno Levy * Lorraine Levy * Jean-Albert Lièvre * Philippe Lioret * Alfred Lot * Maïwenn * Tony Marshall * Philippe Martin * Simon Michael * Claude Miller * Radu Mihaileanu * Emmanuel Mouret * Olivier Nakache * Jacques Nolot * Anna Novion * Gérard Pirès * Pitof * Katell Quillévéré * Jean-Francois Richet * Brigitte Roüan * Régis Roinsard * Yannick Saillet * Jean-Paul Salomé * Pierre Salvadori * Academy Awards® winner Pierre Schoendoerffer * Coline Serreau * Florent Siri * Gilles Taurand * Bertrand Tavernier * Danièle Thompson * Laurent Tirard * Eric Tolédano * Francis Veber * Laurent Zeitoun * Yann Zenou.
Many other French and American celebrities have attended COLCOA including:
George Aguilar * Jon Amiel * Rosanna Arquette* Academy Awards® winner Roger Avary * Jamie Babitt * Nathalie Baye * Edouard Baer * Academy Awards® nominee Bérenice Bejo * Victoire Bélézy * Academy Awards® winner Halle Berry * Jacqueline Bisset * Aline Brosh McKenna * Gilbert Cates * Academy Awards® winner George Chakiris * Academy Awards® winner Marion Cotillard * Clotilde Coureau * Wes Craven * Audrey Dana * Alice David * Jean-Pierre Darroussin * Academy Awards® nominee Laura Dern * Lou de Laâge * Academy Awards® nominee Alexandre Desplat * Jeremy Doner * Quentin Dupieux * Romain Duris * Eric Elmosnino * Gad Elmaleh * Academy Awards® nominee Robert Forster * John Frankenheimer * Ana Girardot * Judith Godrèche * Academy Awards® winner Taylor Hackford * Johnny Hallyday * Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck * Academy Awards® winner Herbie Hancock * Stephen Hopkins * Nastassja Kinski * Randal Kleiser * Diane Kruger * John Landis * Academy Awards® winner Michel Legrand * Academy Awards® nominee Michael Mann * Kad Merad * Academy Awards® nominee Nancy Meyer * Academy Awards® nominee Awards® winner Helen Mirren * Demi Moore * Ornella Muti * Academy Awards® winner Alexander Payne * Vincent Perez * Alice Pol * Howard A. Rodman * Jéremie Renier * Academy Awards® nominee Gena Rowlands * Robert Shaye * Academy Awards® winner Steven Soderbergh * Soko * Academy Awards® nominee Sharon Stone * Omar Sy * Betty Thomas * Academy Awards® winner Charlize Theron * Academy Awards® nominee Michael Tolkin * Serge Toubiana * Laura Truffaut * Jack Valenti * Sylvie Vartan * Matthew Weiner * Academy Awards® winner Harvey Weinstein * Lambert Wilson * Michael York * Jerry Zucker * Academy Awards® winner Edward Zwick * Elsa Zylberstein.
Academy Award winning actress Marion Cotillard (La Vie en Rose), Academy Award nominee actress Berenice Bejo (The Artist) and Academy Award winning writer/director Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist) made their first public appearance in Hollywood at COLCOA.
In July 2014, the COLCOA page on Facebook was liked by more than 22,450 fans. This is now the biggest page dedicated to French Cinema in the U.S.: https://www.facebook.com/COLCOAFESTIVAL
Since 2005, films selected compete for the annual COLCOA AWARDS. Here is the list of the 2014 winners:
Audience Award
TURNING TIDE (En solitaire)
Directed by Christophe Offenstein
Written by: Jean Cottin, Pierre Marcel, Christophe Offenstein, Frédéric Petitjean
Audience Special Prize
CHINESE PUZZLE (Casse-tête chinois)
Directed by: Cédric Klapisch
Written by: Cédric Klapisch
Audience Special Mention
FOR A WOMAN (Pour une femme)
Directed by: Diane Kurys
Written by : Diane Kurys
LAFCA Critics Award
VANDAL
Directed by: Hélier Cisterne
Written by : Katell Quillévéré, Gilles Taurand, Nicolas Journet, Hélier Cisterne
LAFCA Critics Special Prize
ONE OF A KING (Mon âme par toi guérie)
Directed by: François Dupeyron
Written by: François Dupeyron
LAFCA Critics Special Mention
THE ROOFTOPS (Les Terrasses)
Directed by: Merzak Allouache
Written by: Merzak Allouache
First Feature Award
ME, MYSELF AND MOM (Les Garçons et Guillaume, à table!)
Directed by: Guillaume Gallienne
Written by: Guillaume Gallienne
Coming Soon Award
CHINESE PUZZLE (Casse-tete Chinois)
Directed by: Cédric Klapisch
Written by: Cédric Klapisch
Documentary Award
FLORE
Directed by: Jean-Albert Lievre
Written byJean-Albert Lievre
Short Film Award
THE RUN AWAY (La Fugue)
Written and directed by: Jean-Bernard Marlin
Short Film Special Prize
WOMEN'S LETTERS
Written and directed by: Xavier Legrand
2 Short Film Special Mentions
5 METRES 80
Directed by: Nicolas Devaux
37 4S
Written and directed by: Adiano Valerio
Short Film Audience Award
THE AUDITION (L'Audition)
Written and directed by: Pierre Niney