From June 21 to 28, the 11th edition of the Champs-Élysées Film Festival took place, with a fine vintage unveiling the crème de la crème of indie cinema of the moment. The selection is sharp and of high quality, but, among the films that we have been able to see, five have stood out. Five that deserve your full attention for the weeks and months to come.#1. After Yang, CEFF’s opening film, is a little gem of minimalist SF that will make everyone agree. Director Kogonada’s production A24 tells the daily life of a family made up of Colin Farrell, Jodie Turner-Smith, their adopted daughter and the android babysitter Yang. It had already thrilled Cannes 2021 festival-goers, and once again enchanted those at the Champs-Élysées Film Festival.After Yang will be released in theaters on July 6.#2. Atlantic BarFanny Molins’ documentary premiered at ACID at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. Atlantic Bar is one of the finest films you’ll see in the coming months. Narrating the life of a bar in Arles, and especially that of its boss Nathalie, who learns that her establishment will have to close its doors, this documentary is of rare beauty and reveals a fresco of portraits.Atlantic Bar has not release date yet.#3. Everything Everywhere All at OnceThis is the most anticipated film of the year, the one with the greatest hype. For multiple reasons: the return of Daniel (Swiss Army Man), the casting (Michelle Yeoh, Jamie Lee Curtis), and the pitch mixing SF, multiverse and a lot of cinematographic references. The reviews are rave reviews, and word of mouth has made it the A24 film at the biggest box office across the Atlantic. Does the film live up to our expectations? Beyond. A slap that risks slipping into our end-of-year tops without too much difficulty. You’ve been warned.Everything Everywhere All at Once hits theaters August 31.#4. Our ceremonies French genre cinema has been trying for some time to approach fantastico-horror themes with a Franco-French prism, to exploit this register with the codes of a cinema as we know how to do it here. This gave rise to the agricultural horror drama La Nuée, or even the grotesque comedy with a werewolf Teddy. In the same vein, Simon Rieth’s new film tells the story of two brothers (played by two novice actors who are really brothers) who discover when they are very young that they have a power, which later has repercussions on their life. An unprecedented proposal, a real success, which will have to be watched closely. Our ceremonies will be released in theaters on March 23, 2023. #5. RodeoLola Quivoron’s first film made a lot of noise when it was presented at Cannes. In addition to the controversies, unjustified, the feature film is a nugget not to be missed. By telling Julia’s story, the photographer and director reveals a little-known world, that of “urban rodeos”, cross-country. It shows behind the scenes, what hides behind motorbike stunts, with polished aesthetics. An important first film. Rodeo will be released on September 7th.
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