The second annual French Riviera Film Festival (FRFF) has announced the finalist shorts of the 2020 competition, the announcement was made today by festival co-founders Gotham Chandna and Nicole Goesseringer Muj. In a statement, FRFF will feature the works of filmmakers from more than 20 countries.
“We’re extremely impressed with the quality of submissions once again this year,” comments Chandna. “Recently, we signed a licensing deal with ShortsTV which will feature a selection of some of last year’s finalist and winning films on the channel in early 2020. We believe this year’s finalists will also be afforded this opportunity.”
Due to the uncertainty surrounding public events due to the pandemic, the festival, which usually is held in Cannes during the time period of the famous film festival, this year will be held online on September 18 and 19, with screenings each day from 1 pm – 4 pm PST.
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A special out-of-competition screening of the comedy Characters, by director Kevin Asch (Holy Rollers) and starring Danny A. Abeckaser (The Irishman), Lukas Haas (The Revenant) and Sara Foster (Barely Famous) will also be part of the program. More details regarding the screenings to be provided shortly.
“Film lovers who could not attend Cannes in person this year due to the global health crisis will be able to watch and enjoy the works by some of today’s most talented international filmmakers, all from the comfort of their own homes,” says Muj. “We’re delighted to partner with the legendary Beverly Hills Hotel, where we’ll hold our virtual gala awards ceremony. Beverly Hills and Cannes are sister cities, so it’s really a perfect fit.”
As part of the program, FRFF will also feature a special virtual Women Filmmakers Panel to start off the festival, before the first day’s screenings. The festival will culminate with a special ZOOM awards ceremony, to be held live from the iconic Beverly Hills Hotel, and to feature live and pre-recorded segments, celebrity hosts and guests, musical performances, and some surprises.
RMINÉ will provide special couture fabric face masks for participants to wear during the live portion of the event. Additional details regarding both online events to be provided shortly.
FRFF’s Advisory Board includes Michael Benoraya, founder, International Film Trust, Bruno Chatelin, COO, filmfestivals.com (also on festival jury), Emmy Award-winning actor Vincent De Paul; Larry Namer, president/ceo, Metan Global Entertainment Group, Ana B. Remos, vice president, editorial director & founder, azureazure.com (also on festival jury), Dr. Laura Wilhelm, founder/principal, LauraWil Intercultural (also on festival jury), and Daphna Edwards Ziman, president, Cinémoi USA.
Jury members include Rehna Azim, awards editor, Movie Marker; Monica Baca, founder/CEO, B Team Media Group Corp.; Lena Basse, journalist, Hollywood Foreign Press Association; Claude Brickell, filmmaker, screenwriter and educator; James Prestige, publisher, Close-Up Culture; Eileen Tasca, managing director, Alien Films & Task Films; and Sue Vicory, founder, Heartland Films and www.womendocumentaryfilmmakers.com.
Event partners include Beverly Hills Hotel, Bel-Air Fine Art, Chateau de Berne, filmfestivals.com, The Good Gin, NurtriVsta, RMINÉ Bespoke, S Bar Brentwood and Weed Cellars.
The full list of finalists in the categories of Drama, Comedy, Documentary, Sci-Fi/Horror, Animation, Experimental, Music Video and Fashion is available at: http://frenchrivierafilmfestival.com/finalists-2020/
SOURCE: FRFF
