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“Any couple in love should remember that love might not last,” says someone midway through “Three Friends,” shrugging off a rebuffed kiss with impressively unruffled Gallic poise. If everyone were so sanguine about such matters, most varieties of love story wouldn’t have reason to exist. Certainly a film like Emmanuel Mouret’s Chablis-dry romantic comedy, in which consenting adults fret and fritter over semi-consenting adultery, would be far more of a novelty than it is. Drolly unpicking the sexual and emotional entanglements of three Lyon gal pals hovering around 40 — two married, one single, none fulfilled — Mouret’s film won’t strike anyone as fresh, either within his directorial oeuvre or that whole cinematic subgenre dedicated to French philandering, but it’s easy, breezy, pleasingly grownup viewing.

Mouret has been turning out variations on this formula since his debut “Laissons Lucie faire!” in 2000, once dipping into heritage cinema with the 2018 period piece “Lady J,...

Exclusive: In a pairing of two of the most prolific TV producers of the past decade, Kenya Barris, the creator/executive producer behind the Black-ish franchise, and the Power franchise executive producer Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, are developing a series for Netflix. It is based on The 50th Law, the bestselling book by Jackson and Robert Greene.

Barris and Hale Rothstein, who together executive produce Barris’ Netflix comedy series blackAF, will write the pilot script and executive produce the potential series alongside Jackson via G-Unit and Greene. Lionsgate TV will produce via Jackson’s overall deal at Starz.

The 50th Law is a semi-autobiographical account detailing 50 Cent’s rise as both a young urban hustler and as an up-and-coming musician with lessons and anecdotes from historical figures such as Abraham Lincoln, Sun Tzu, Socrates, Napoleon, Malcolm X and James Baldwin.

Barris executive produces through his company Khalabo Ink Society via his overall deal at Netflix,...

The ceremony will take place on March 12.

Emmanuel Mouret’s love triangle drama Love Affair(s) leads the nominations in France’s César awards this year, followed by Albert Dupontel’s Bye Bye Morons and Summer Of 85.

France’s Academy of Cinema and Arts and Sciences unveiled the nomination list for the 46th edition of the awards on its website on Wednesday morning, ahead of the ceremony scheduled to take place on March 12.

Scroll down for nominations list

Its traditional news conference in Fouquet’s restaurant in Paris was not possible this year as bars and restaurants are currently...

The actress dazzles up front in Cécile Ducrocq’s first feature film, which is produced by Domino Films and sold by Charades. The first clapperboard slammed in eastern France today on Une femme du monde, the debut feature film by Cécile Ducrocq, a director highly acclaimed for her shorts, most notably Tout le monde dit je t’aime (UniFrance Award in Cannes 2011) and La contre-allée.Laure Calamy is supported in the cast by...

After being postponed twice, the 37th edition of the Jerusalem Film Festival will take place Dec. 10-20. Due to the pandemic, the festival will be held mostly virtually, with the intent of hosting some physical screenings in compliance with the health guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and local authorities.

The fest will kick off with Eytan Fox’s “Sublet,” which had its world premiere at Tribeca, and will wrap with Emmanuel Mouret’s “Love Affair(s),” which was part of Cannes 2020’s Official Selection.

This year’s edition will showcase more than 80 films and will hold six competitive sections. The virtual screenings will be held in partnership with Festival Scope and Shift72.

“We believe there is no substitute for the actual encounters (…). However, due to this year’s unique conditions, and out of a deep commitment to our audience and filmmakers in Israel and abroad, we decided to...

French sellers will market premiere a number of Cannes 2020 label titles.

MK2 Films is launching Carine Tardieu’s romantic drama The Young Lovers, starring Fanny Ardant opposite Melvil Poupaud as a 70-year-old woman who embarks on an affair with a married doctor 25 years her junior, and Ratatouille screenwriter Jim Capobianco’s stop-motion animation feature The Inventor about the life of Leonardo da Vinci, featuring Stephen Fry and Daisy Ridley in the voice cast. It will also market premiere Cannes 2020 titles The Big Hit by Emmanuel Courcol and Israeli filmmaker Nir Bergman’s father-and-son tale Here We Are.

Charades is running...

The film stars Camelia Jordana, Emilie Dequenne, Niels Schneider and Vincent Macaigne.

Elle Driver is launching sales on Emmanuel Mouret’s ensemble relationship drama Love Affair (s), starring Camelia Jordana, Emilie Dequenne, Niels Schneider and Vincent Macaigne.

Popular French actor and director Mouret broke out internationally in 2018 with his 18th Century intrigue Mademoiselle de Joncquières, which Netflix acquired and released worldwide under the title of Lady J.

In this return to contemporary romance, Jordana plays a pregnant woman who finds herself looking after her boyfriend’s cousin the former is forced to abandon their holiday due to work commitments.

As...

Jeannette, L'Enfance De Jeanne D'Arc and Ma Loute director Bruno Dumont will present Coincoin And The Extra-Humans Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze

New York's Rendez-Vous with French Cinema opens with Pierre Salvadori's The Trouble With You (nine César Award nominations), starring Adèle Haenel and Pio Marmaï with Audrey Tautou, Vincent Elbaz, and Damien Bonnard, preceded by Clément Cogitore's Les Indes galantes. Eva Husson, Élodie Bouchez, Mia Hansen-Løve, Sophie Fillières, Hélène Fillières, Judith Davis, Mikhaël Hers, Emmanuel Mouret, Sébastien Marnier, and Bruno Dumont are are expected to attend.

Bertrand Tavernier free talk with Russell Banks Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze

Sandrine Kiberlain and Agathe Bonitzer in When Margaux Meets Margaux (La Belle Et La belle); Vincent Lacoste, Isaure Multrier, and Greta Scacchi in Mikhaël Hers' Amanda; Cécile de France, Edouard Baer, and Laure Calamy in Emmanuel Mouret's Mademoiselle de Joncquières (The Art of Seduction), and The Trouble With You (En Liberté!) - give some...

Gilles Lellouche’s “Sink or Swim,” Mikhaël Hers’s “Amanda,” Louis-Julien Petit’s “Invisibles” and Eva Husson’s “Girls of the Sun” are set to screen at the 24th edition of the Rendez-Vous with French Cinema showcase which is co-organized by The Film Society of Lincoln Center and UniFrance.

After world-premiering out of competition at the Cannes Film Festival, “Sink or Swim” became a box office hit in France and got nominated for 10 Cesar Awards. The film is headlined by a popular French cast, including Mathieu Amalric (“At Eternity’s Gate”), Guillaume Canet (“Rock’n Roll”), Virginie Efira (“Elle”) and Leila Bekhti (“Midnight Sun”).

“Girls of the Sun,” which competed at Cannes, stars Golshifteh Farahani (“Paterson”) as a resistance fighter part of an all-female battalion made up of former captives of extremists who have vowed to reconquer their own land.

Inspired by a true story, “Invisibles” follows the journey of...

French actor-turned-director Gilles Lellouche’s “Sink or Swim” and Xavier Legrand’s feature debut “Custody” lead the race for this year’s Cesar Awards, France’s equivalent of the Oscars, with 10 nominations each, including best picture and best director.

“Sink or Swim” (“Le Grand Bain” in France), a star-driven dramedy about a men’s synchronized swimming team, world-premiered at Cannes out of competition and was released by Studiocanal. The ensemble film, which was one of the highest-grossing French films in 2018, picked up multiple nominations in the best supporting actor and actress categories, for Jean-Hugues Anglade, Philippe Katerine, Leila Bekhti and Virginie Efira.

“Custody” follows a boy named Julien (Thomas Gioria), who is forced by a court ruling to split his time between his mother (Léa Drucker) and estranged father (Denis Ménochet), whom he regards as a violent monster, amid his parents’ bitter divorce. “Custody” world-premiered in competition at the Venice Film Festival,...

After recording its third-highest number in the last 50 years in 2017, French theatrical admissions are on track for a 4% drop this year, with an estimated 201 million sold. In dollar terms, however, the French box office is expected to clock in at about €1.3 billion ($1.5 billion), on par with last year, bolstered by the increase of ticket sales for premium large formats such as Imax, Dolby Cinema and 4Dx.

While fewer Hollywood blockbusters drew in French audiences compared with last year, two domestic films managed to sell more than 5 million tickets (grossing more than $37 million each) and four ranked in the top 10. A pair of French comedies released by Pathé, “Les Tuche 3” and Dany Boon’s “La ch’tite famille,” ranked second and third, behind Disney’s “Incredibles 2,” which took in about $44.5 million.

The other top-grossing French films of 2018 were Gilles Lellouche’s “Sink or Swim” (pictured), a star-driven dramedy about a men’s synchronized swimming team,...

Jacques Audiard’s “The Sisters Brothers” has been nominated for best film and director at the 24th Lumieres Awards, France’s equivalent of the Golden Globes.

The Western starring Joaquin Phoenix, John C. Reilly and Jake Gyllenhaal world-premiered at Venice Film Festival, where it earned Audiard a best director award.

Produced by Paris-based company Why Not, “The Sisters’ Brothers” is vying for best film against Jeanne Herry’s adoption drama “In Safe Hands,” Mikhaël Hers’ “Amanda,” Alex Lutz’s “Guy” and Emmanuel Mouret’s “Mademoiselle de Joncquières.”

“In Safe Hands” and “Mademoiselle de Joncquières” lead the nominations with four each. Mouret’s critically acclaimed French period drama, “Mademoiselle de Joncquières,” world-premiered at Toronto and was recently acquired by Netflix for most rights worldwide. The film’s star, Cecile de France, has been nominated for best actress, along with Elodie Bouchez for “In Safe Hands,” Léa Drucker for “Custody,” Virginie Efira...

Christophe Honoré’s drama “Sorry Angel,” which world premiered in competition at Cannes Film Festival, won France’s prestigious Louis Delluc Prize.

Kicking off France’s award season, the Louis Delluc prize is chosen by French critics and has been described as the film equivalent to the coveted Goncourt prize for literature.

“Sorry Angel” stars French actors Pierre Deladonchamps as a jaded, HIV-positive 30-something novelist who comes across an enthusiastic aspiring writer, Arthur (Vincent Lacoste), in his early 20s. “Sorry Angel” marks the director’s comeback to Cannes’ competition 11 years after “Love Songs.”

In winning the Louis Delluc Prize, “Sorry Angel” beat out Jacques Audiard’s “The Sisters Brothers,” Emmanuel Mouret’s “Mademoiselle de Joncquières,” Gilles Lellouche’s “Le Grand Bain,” Claire Denis’ “High Life,” Pierre Salvadori’s “En liberté!”, Cedric Kahn’s “La Prière,” Jean-Paul Civeyrac’s “Mes provinciales,” and Emmanuel Finkiel’s “Memoir of War,” which represents France in the foreign-language Oscar race.

Netflix has acquired Emmanuel Mouret’s critically acclaimed French period drama “Mademoiselle de Joncquières,” which world-premiered at Toronto. The deal for most rights worldwide excludes France, Switzerland, Canada and the Benelux countries.

Represented in international markets by Indie Sales, “Mademoiselle de Joncquières” competed in Toronto’s Platform section. The 18th-century love-triangle drama is inspired by Didier Diderot’s classic work “Jacques the Fatalist and His Master,” and stars Cecile de France, Edouard Baer and Alice Isaaz.

De France plays Madame de la Pommeraye, a young and reclusive widow who falls in love with the seductive libertine Marquis des Arcis (Baer) against her better judgment. Feeling betrayed by his fading love, she orchestrates an intricate plan for revenge involving the seemingly pious Mademoiselle de Joncquières. Variety’s review called it “a shrewdly choreographed roundelay of scheming, seduction and revenge in the spirit of ‘Les Liaisons Dangereuses.'”

Frédéric Niedermeyer at Paris-based...

France has selected Emmanuel Finkiel’s Memoir of War as its official selection for the Oscars’ Foreign Language film race. The pic, which Finkiel adapted from Marguerite Duras’ semi-autobiographical 1944 novel set in Nazi-occupied Paris, stars Mélanie Thierry in a story of love, loss, and perseverance against the backdrop of war.

Music Box Films holds U.S. rights to Memoir of War and released it in theaters last month.

The film came out on top on a shortlist that included Gaspar Noé’s Cannes buzz title Climax, the late Claude Lanzmann’s Les Quatre Sœurs, Mademoiselle De Joncquières by Emmanuel Mouret, and Xavier Legrand’s Jusqu’à La Garde. The choice was finalized today by France’s National Film Center (Cnc), which said the film, known in France as La Douleur (The Pain), has seen 350,00 submissions in French theaters.

The plot centers on Duras (Thierry) who is is an active...

France has selected Emmanuel Finkiel’s “A Memoir of War” (“La Douleur”) as its official entry for the foreign-language Oscar race.

The French Oscar committee’s choice was announced late Friday amid a dust-up over the ineligibility of Olivier Assayas’ new film, “Non-Fiction,” which did not meet the French National Film Board’s theatrical release criteria for consideration as an Oscar candidate.

“A Memoir of War” is an adaptation of Marguerite Duras’ semi-autobiographical novel “The War: A Memoir.” Music Box Films acquired U.S. rights to the movie in February, shortly after it opened in theaters across France on Jan. 24.

Represented in international markets by TF1 Studio, the film stars Mélanie Thierry, who plays a young Duras and delivers a breakthrough performance. Thierry stars opposite Benoît Magimel, Benjamin Biolay, and Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet.

“A Memoir of War” takes place in June 1944, when France was still under German occupation, and follows Marguerite,...

TF1 Studio handled international sales, Music Box distributed in Us earlier this year.

Memoir Of War (La Douleur) will represent France in the best foreign language category at the 91st Academy Awards next year, the country’s National Cinema Centre (Cnc) announced on Friday (September 21).

Emmanuel Finkiel’s drama stars Mélanie Thierry and is inspired by French writer Marguerite Duras’ account of her husband Antelme’s return from the Dachau concentration camp after the Second World War.

Prior to Antelme’s arrest in 1944, Duras had embarked on an affair with Dionys Mascolo, however she continued living with her husband until he recovered his health.

Five movies have been shortlisted by France to be the country’s selection for this year’s foreign-language Oscar race, and Olivier Assayas’ festival favorite “Non-Fiction” isn’t one of them. France has disqualified the movie from Oscar contention since it violates a rule set by the French National Film Board (Cnc) that states films can only be submitted for the Oscar if they are comericially released in dozens of French theaters prior to September 30. “Non-Fiction” is currently making the festival rounds and won’t be released in France until January 16, 2019.

“Non-Fiction” stars Juliette Binoche and Guillaume Canet in the story of an editor and an author who have to contend with a changing technological world and mid-life crises. The movie premiered at the Venice Film Festival before screening at Telluride and Tiff, and it will become the rare movie to play all four major fall film festivals when it...

Claire Denis, Thierry Frémaux are on the committee that will decide which French film will head to the Academy Awards.

Gaspar Noé’s Climax, Xavier Legrand’s Custody and the late Claude Lanzmann’s last film The Four Sisters are among the films on the short list to be France’s Foreign Language submission will be announced tomorrow (September 21).

A committee overseen by France’s National Cinema Centre (Cnc) will audition the producers and sales agents of the five pre-selected candidates tomorrow morning.

The other two films in the running are Emmanuel Mouret’s Mademoiselle de Joncquières and Emmanuel Finkiel’s Memoir Of Pain.

France has shortlisted its potential entries for the Foreign Language Oscar race. Stepping away from the traditional fare, Gaspar Noé’s Climax made the cut. The latest from the Irreversible director scooped the Directors’ Fortnight top prize in Cannes after it blew away critics and was acquired by A24. The story features a group of mesmerizing young dancers who fall into madness after drinking a bowl of LSD-laced sangria. On the other end of the spectrum, late filmmaker Claude Lanzmann is represented with Les Quatre Sœurs which features testimonials from four Holocaust survivors which were not included in his epic documentary, Shoah. Also in the mix are well-reviewed Toronto premiere Mademoiselle De Joncquières by Emmanuel Mouret; Emmanuel Finkiel’s Marguerite Duras adaptation Memoir Of Pain which Music Box released in the U.S. in August; and Xavier Legrand’s Jusqu’à La Garde, about a bitter custody battle, which debuted...

’Jessica Forever’, ’Mademoiselle De Joncquières’ also take spots.

Three new titles have scored mid-range on Screen’s Toronto Platform jury grid, leaving Emir Baigazin’s The River as the early leader.

Caroline Poggi and Jonathan Vinel’s debut Jessica Forever scored exactly 2, although split opinion among critics.

Radheyan Simonpillai of Now/CTV, Boston Globe’s Loren King and Time Out New York’s Joshua Rothkopf all gave it one star for ‘poor’, while Vincent Le Leurch of Le Film Français and Screen’s own critic both awarded a top score 4 for ‘excellent’.

The film presents a dystopian world where violent misfits reign supreme.

Co-written with Claire Barre, this is Berthaud’s fourth feature after Frankie, Lily Sometimes and Sky.

Celluloid Dreams has released a first image of Belgian actress Cécile de France in the role of a woman who discovers she has shamanistic abilities during a trip to Mongolia in French filmmaker Fabienne Berthaud’s upcoming feature A Bigger World (Un Monde Plus Grand).

The feature is based on the real-life experiences of Corine Sombrun, a French musician and composer who made a similar discovery while on assignment as a sound recordist for the BBC World Service in Mongolia in 2001.

Sombrun’s abilities...

The Platform section of the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival will include adventurous films starring Nicole Kidman, Elisabeth Moss, Frank Grillo and Patricia Clarkson, Tiff organizers announced on Wednesday.

Films in the section will include Alex Ross Perry’s “Her Smell,” with Moss and Amber Heard; Carol Morley’s Martin Amis adaptation “Out of Blue,” with Patricia Clarkson and Toby Jones; and Emmanuel Mouret’s period piece “Mademoiselle de Joncquières,” starring Cecile de France.

Tim Sutton’s “Donnybrook,” which stars Frank Grillo and James Badge Dale in the story of a down-on-his-luck veteran who gets involved in brutal bare-knuckle boxing, will serve as the opening-night film for Platform, while Caroline Poggi and Jonathan Vinel’s “Jessica Forever,” a directorial debut, will close it.

Also Read: 'Beautiful Boy,' 'A Star Is Born' Highlight Toronto Film Festival Lineup

All of the films except Emir Baigazin’s “The River” and Karyn Kusama’s “Destroyer,...