Avignon Film Festival

The Avignon Film Festival (created 1984), also known as the Avignon/New York Film Festival or Rencontres Cinématographiques Franco-Américain d'Avignon, took place every year in Avignon, France along with a twin film festival organised in New York. It was last held in 2008.

History

Avignon Film Festival was created to promote French/American independent cinema through previews, retrospectives and round-tables.

An award ceremony encouraged young film directors to participate in the festival. The purpose was to bring together independent filmmakers from the United States, France and other European countries. Their mission was to encourage deeper understanding and appreciation for contemporary, thought-provoking cinema by showcasing the work of innovative filmmakers. Feature films, short films and documentaries were presented in French, English and other European languages. Every French film was subtitled in English, and European films in English or French. Film directors, producers and screenwriters could join the discussions about their work with the public.

In 1993 the Harvard Film Archive invited the organisation to co-produce the first American edition of Rencontres Cinématographiques franco-américaines d'Avignon. In 1994, the founder, Jérôme Henry Rudes, launched the Avignon/New York Film Festival at the Angelika Film Center in Manhattan. The festivals were held in June and November. The term "Avignon Film Festival" was born in 2000 due to the extension of the program to Europe.

Awards

Le Roger: awarded to the Best Feature film from France, the Best Feature film from the USA, the Best Short film from France and the Best Short film from the USA.
Filming Award: awarded to the three best feature films (American, French and European).
Panavision Award: for the three best short films
Kodak Vision Award: for best filmmaking
SACD Scénario Award: for the two best scriptwriters

Le Roger Award Recipients

1996:

Best Feature - France: Le fabuleux destin de Madame Petlet / Camille de Casabianca
Best Feature - USA: Slings & Arrows / Geoffrey Sharp
Best Short - France: En garde, monsieur / Didier Fontan
Best Short - USA: Black Kites / Jo Andres

1997:

Best Feature - France: Des nouvelles du bon Dieu / Didier Le Pêcheur
Best Feature - USA: 'M' Word / Brett Parker
Best Short - France: Double jeu / Emmanuel Oberg
Best Short - USA: Around the Time / Phil Bertelsen

1998:

Best Feature - France: Artemisia / Agnès Merlet
Best Feature - USA: Once We Were Strangers / Emanuele Crialese
Best Short - France: Théo, t'es là? / Julie Lipinski
Best Short - USA: Tree Shade / Lisa Collins
Separate Star Award: Pyeon ji / Pierre Anais
Vision Award: Little Red Riding Hood / Scott Ramsey

1999:

Best Feature - France: Le ciel, les oiseaux,... et ta mère! / Djamel Bensalah
Best Feature - USA: Man of the Century / Adam Abraham
Best Short - France: Personne avant toi / Olivier Lécot
Best Short - USA: Making Change / Georgia Irwin Eisner
Separate Star Award: Weekend Getaway / Elizabeth Holder
Vision Award: The Money Shot / Elia Lyssy

2000:

Best Feature - France: Salsa / Joyce Buñuel
Best Feature - USA: Blue Moon / John A. Gallagher
Best Short - France: Samedi, dimanche et aussi lundi / Eric Valette
Best Short - USA: City of Thieves / Jason Brandenberg
Separate Star Award: Générique / Xavier de Choudens
Vision Award: The Citizen / Oliver Bokelberg
Honorary Roger: Vox Lumiere – Metropolis / Kevin Saunders Hayes (For his new score)

2001:

Best Feature - France: Origine contrôlée / Zakia Tahri & Ahmed Bouchaala
Best Feature - USA: How to Kill Your Neighbor's Dog / Michael Kalesniko
Best Short - France: Raconte / Guillaume Malandrin
Best Short - USA: Here / Brendan Donovan
Separate Star Award: Raconte / Guillaume Malandrin
Vision Award: The Photographer / Vanja Cernjul
Honorary Roger: Jacqueline Bisset (In recognition of her 30-year acting career both in France and America), Vox Lumiere – The Hunchback of Notre Dame: Kevin Saunders Hayes (For his new score)

2002:

Best Feature - France: Grégoire Moulin contre l'humanité / Artus de Penguern
Best Feature - USA: The Holy Land / Eitan Gorlin
Best Short - France: Les petits oiseaux / Fred Louf
Best Short - USA: Celebration / Daniel Stedman
Vision Award: Pourquoi se marier le jour de la fin du monde? / Harry Cleven

2003:

Best Feature - France: Les diables / Christophe Ruggia
Best Feature - USA: Melvin Goes to Dinner / Bob Odenkirk
Best Short - France: J'attendrai le suivant... / Philippe Orreindy
Best Short - USA: Coyote Beach / Markus Griesshammer
Vision Award: The Quality of Mercy / Stephen Marro
"Valérie" Award: Sandra Schulberg
Special Roger: Wings / Sasha Gordon (For artistic accomplishment - original score)

2004:

Best Feature - France: Comme si de rien n'était / Pierre-Olivier Mornas
Best Feature - USA: David Hockney: The Colors of Music / Maryte Kavaliauskas & Seth Schneidman
Best Short - France: Soyons attentifs... / Thierry Sebban
Best Short - USA: The Reunion / Ben Epstein

2005:

Best Feature - France: Ze film / Guy Jacques
Best Feature - USA: Lbs. / Matthew Bonifacio
Best Short - France: Handicap / Lewis Martin Soucy
Best Short - USA: The Method / Jason Holzman

2006:

Best Feature - Europe: Pour l'amour de Dieu / Ahmed Bouchaala & Zakia Tahri
Best Feature - USA: JailCity / Dan Eberle
Best Short - Europe: Intimità / Matteo Minetto
Best Short - USA: Hot Afternoons Have Been in Montana / Ken Kimmelman
Pierre Salinger Award for Documentary Filmmaking: Blues by the Beach / Joshua Faudem
Chateuneuf-du-Pape Cinema Award: John Turturro

2007:

Best Feature - Europe: Komma / Martine Doyen
Best Feature - USA: Superheroes / Alan Brown
Best Short - Europe: Il était une fois... Sasha et Désiré / Cécile Vernant
Best Short - USA: To Paint the Portrait of a Bird / Seamus McNally

External links