Director of Emilia Pérez, the Opening Night Film at TAFFF and France’s Official Selection for the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, Receives the Award for his Outstanding Contributions to Cinema Over his 30 Year Career

For the first time in The American French Film Festival’s 28-year history, the Franco-American Cultural Fund (FACF) presented a director with the FACF Achievement Award. Jacques Audiard, whose film Emilia Pérez was the Festival’s Opening Night curtain raiser that was co-presented with Netflix, accepted the award prior to the screening last night at the DGA Theater from FACF President and Sacem CEO Cecile Rap-Veber and FACF board member and fellow director Michael Mann. 

“Jacques Audiard’s body of work – including A Prophet, Rust and Bone, Paris, 13^th District – is so singular and innovative how it profoundly and sensorially immerses us within his people and their worlds.  Tonight, you’ll experience his tour de fource, Emilia Pérez. It is more than a good or a great film. It is a rare event; a contemporary masterpiece. So, it is my great honor to present Jacques with this FACF award celebrating his life’s work, his journey ahead, and particularly the magical achievement of Emilia Pérez.”

Jacques Audiard was born in Paris in 1952. Over the course of his 30 year career, he has won both the César Award for Best Film and the BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language twice: in 2005 for De battre mon cœur s’est arrêté and in 2010 for Un prophète, which also won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival that same year. His film De rouille et d'os (Rust and Bone) competed for the Palme d’Or at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival, was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language, for a Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film, and won the BFI London Film Festival Award for Best Film. His film Dheepan won the Palme d’Or at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. He has since directed three films: Sister's Brothers, for which he won the Silver Lion for Best Direction at the Venice Film Festival; Les Olympiades which was in competition at Festival de Cannes; and Emilia Pérez, a double award with the Jury Prize and the Best Actress Award for the four actresses at the Cannes 2024 Film Festival, and France’s official selection for Oscar consideration.

In the audience at the presentation of The Franco-American Cultural Fund Achievement Award to Mr. Audiard were Emilia Pérez cast members Selena Gomez, Zoe Saldaña, and Karla Sofía Gascón, as well as the film’s composers -Camile- and Clément Ducol, and Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos. Also present were TAFFF Director and Programmer Francois Truffart, and TAFFF Deputy Director Anouchka van Riel. 

The American Film Festival continues through this Sunday, November 3 and features 60 films and series, with 14 shorts, 14 series and TV movies, and 32 feature films and documentaries, many of which are International, North American and U.S. premiere presentations. Fifty-nine of them will be up for The American French Film Festival Awards.

The complete program, with detailed descriptions of the featured films and series, is available online at www.theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org.

The American French Film Festival - The American French Film Festival was created and is produced by the Franco-American Cultural Fund, a unique collaboration between the Directors Guild of America (DGA), the Motion Picture Association (MPA), France’s Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music (SACEM) and the Writers Guild of America West (WGAW). The American French Film Festival is also supported by Unifrance, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and France’s Society of Authors, Directors and Producers (l’ARP).  

The American French Film Festival is sponsored by Air Tahiti Nui, ELMA, L’Oréal, Champagne Louis Roederer, and Variety (Official Sponsors); Netflix (Opening Night Sponsor); Barnstormer, France Télévisions, The Hollywood Reporter, LAist 89.3 (Premier Sponsors); AmaWaterways, The Envelope Los Angeles Times, Sunset Marquis, Titra Film, TV5 Monde, West Coast Event Productions, Wine Wine Situation (Major Sponsors); Alliance Française de Los Angeles, Clarins, Deadline, Ex Nihilo, Glenfiddich, Hendrick’s, Ladurée, Laura Chenel, Le Film Français, Marin French, Monsieur Marcel, Odacité, Rivedroite, Rms beauty, Studio Haslund, Vineyard Brands (Platinum Sponsors); Airstar, Avène, Cinando, Columbus Consulting, International School Los Angeles, International Services for Artists, La Vieille Ferme, Le Lycée Français de Los Angeles, Marché du Film/ Festival de Cannes, Leos, Maison et Domaines Les Alexandrins, Martingale, QMixers, Mylittlefrenchpharmacy, Suja (Supporting Sponsors); Alliance Française de Pasadena, Le Bon Garçon, Boule de Pain, Brûlée, Palikao, Screamfest, Théâtre Raymond Kabbaz, Whiskey & Clay (Community Sponsors). The American French Film Festival Education Program is presented in partnership with ELMA.  

For additional information visit : www.theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org