The festival
Discover the history of the Deauville American Film Festival
The festival
The Deauville American Film Festival was created in 1975 by Lionel Chouchan and André Halimi under the leadership of Michel d’Ornano, then Mayor of the City of Deauville and of the Barrière Group. The City of Deauville delegates the co-organization of the Festival to ‘le Public Système Cinéma’ and to the C.I.D. LPSC provides artistic direction and the C.I.D brings its skills in event organization.
The Festival highlights the diversity of American cinema, from major Hollywood productions to independent films. It is the only European festival of this scale to open its doors to the public. Each year, more than one hundred screenings are presented on three sites: the Center International de Deauville, the Cinéma du Casino Barrière and the Cinéma le Morny.
The Festival has revealed works of art which have marked cinema history: James Gray’s Little Odessa, Darren Aronofsky’s Pi, Tom DiCillo’s Living in Oblivion, Spike Jonze’s Being John Malkovitch, Christopher Nolan’s Memento, Todd Solondz’s Welcome to the Dollhouse, Paul Haggis’s Crash, John Cameron Mitchell’s Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton’s Little Miss Sunshine, Jeff Nichols’s Take Shelter, Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash, Matt Ross’s Captain Fantastic, Ben Zeitlin’s Beasts of the Southern Wild, David Lowery’s A Ghost Story….the Festival is praised each year for the quality and high standard of its programming.
The Prizes
Five Prizes are awarded during the Award Ceremony of the Deauville American Film Festival:
The Grand Prize & The Jury Prize;
The Louis Roederer Foundation Revelation Prize;
The Critics’ Prize, Awarded by film critics and journalists
The City of Deauville Audience Award, As a tribute to the audience’s long-standing attachment to the American Film Festival, the City of Deauville has decided to launch this Prize in 2013. The audiences, who have the chance to make their feelings felt through the City of Deauville Audience Award. This allows every festival-goer to share their favorites and to offer a director an additional opportunity for recognition.
The sections
Several sections bear witness to the unequaled vitality and diversity of American cinematography. The Competition is exclusively reserved for independent films. Tributes to mythical personalities in their presence. The New Hollywood, which honors the future by inviting comedians, the flagship of the cinema of tomorrow. Uncle Sam’s Docs to immerse yourself in the reality of American society …
Deauville wants to be, through the eyes of the filmmakers, a snapshot which, each year, tells a new history of America.
History
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2022
48th editionFrom September 2 to 11, 2022. The Deauville Festival continued to open its arms to the world.
The collaboration with the Cannes Festival was reinforced through the Croisette Hour, presenting the 2022 Palme d’Or, Triangle of Sadness, in the presence of Swedish director Ruben Östlund, and the two Grand Prizes: Close by Lucas Dhont and Stars at Noon by Claire Denis.
For the second time, Deauville left the window on French cinema wide open with the attendance of the filmmakers and cast of three films presented in world premiere: The Great Magic by Noémie Lvovsky, a great moment of emotion when the director invited her entire team on stage, The Lockdown Tower by Guillaume Nicloux and Les Rascals by Jimmy Laporal-Trésor.
Many tributes celebrating the young generation of Hollywood took place in the presence of these (almost) new voices: Jesse Eisenberg, who also came to present his directorial feature debut When You Finish Saving the World, Lucy Boynton, who gave an unforgettable performance as Freddie Mercury’s fiancée in Bryan Singer’s Bohemian Rhapsody, and Ana de Armas, who moved and divided the festival-goers during the exceptional screening of Andrew Dominik’s Blonde.
A Carte Blanche was given to journalist and author Philippe Garnier, an American films specialist, for the release of his new 3‑volume book “Credits, the true history of movies”. Six emblematic American films from the 40s to the 70s were offered to the audience, as well as a public meeting at the Franciscaines.
Finally, Arnaud Desplechin presided over the jury and journeyed with its members accross the back roads of the United States by deciding among the 13 independent American feature films in competition. Charlotte Wells’ Aftersun, which invokes with melancholy the memory of her father during a summer spent with him, won the Grand Prize before enjoying a worldwide critical success, including an Academy Award Best Actor nomination for main actor Paul Mescal.
Jurys & Palmarès
THE JURYS
The Jury: presided by Arnaud Desplechin, with Jean Paul Civeyrac, Pierre Deladonchamps, Léa Drucker, Sophie Letourneur, Alex Lutz, Yasmina Khadra and Marine Vacth
The Revelation Jury: presided by Elodie Bouchez, with Andrea Bescond, Eddy de Pretto, Nicolas Pariser, Agathe Rousselle, and Yolande ZaubermanAWARDS
Grand Prize: AFTERSUN by Charlotte Wells (distribution : MUBI)
Jury Prize: WAR PONY by Gina Gammell & Riley Keough (distribution : Les Films du Losange)
Jury Prize: PALM TREES AND POWER LINES by Jamie Dack (international sales: Film Constellation)
Fondation Louis Roeder Revelation Prize 2022: WAR PONY by Gina Gammell & Riley Keough (distribution : Les Films du Losange)
Audience Award: EMILY THE CRIMINAL by John Patton Ford (distribution : Universal Pictures Content Group)
Critics Award: AFTERSUN by Charlotte Wells (distribution : MUBI)
D’Ornano-Valenti Prize 2022: FALCON LAKE by Charlotte Le Bon
(distribution : Tandem) -
2021
47th editionFrom September 3rd to 12th, 2021, in yet another year struck by the public health crisis, Deauville fortunately took place in person and continued to open its arms to the world.
Reinforcing its collaboration with the Cannes Film Festival through the Croisette Hour section, presenting seven films from all around the world hailing from the official Cannes selection, including the two Grand Prize winners A Hero by Asghar Farhadi and Compartment No. 6 by Juho Kuosmanen, Deauville opened a window on French cinema for the first time.
Five French films received their world premieres at the festival, with the filmmakers and cast in attendance, including Christophe Honoré’s Guermantes, Claude Lelouch’s Love is Better than Life and Cécile Ducrocq’s Her Way.
Audiences came out in droves to pay tribute to cinema, communing together in the festival’s three theaters and sharing incredible moments through exceptional encounters organized by the festival with three essential figures of American cinema: Johnny Depp, who honored us by returning to Deauville following his 2019 tribute, Oliver Stone, who came to present his shocking documentary on the JFK assassination, and Michael Shannon, a festival regular known for his hypnotic presence in two Grand Prize winners, Jeff Nichols’ Take Shelter (2011) and Ramin Bahrain’s 99 Homes (2014), who received his own tribute that year.
With an eye toward the next generation and the future of American cinema, the festival also welcomed actress Dylan Penn, who received the New Hollywood prize from Clémence Poésy, the Revelation Jury President.
Finally, Charlotte Gainsbourg, global icon and Jury President, presented Jane by Charlotte, a moving documentary about her mother Jane Birkin, and journeyed with her jury across the agonies and ecstasies of the United States by deciding among the 13 independent American feature films in competition. Diego Ongaro’s Down with the King, a lesson in humanity from rural America, won the Grand Prize.
Jury
Charlotte Gainsbourg (présidente), Bertrand Bonello, Delphine de Vigan, Mickhaël Hers, Garance Marillier, Fatou N’Diaye, Denis Podalydès, Marcia Romano, SebastiAn
Revelation Jury
Clémence Poésy (présidente),Céleste Brunnquell, India Hair, Lomepal, Kacey Mottet Klein
Palmares
Grand Prix : DOWN WITH THE KING de Diego Ongaro
Prix du Jury : PLEASURE de Ninja Thyberg
Prix du Jury : RED ROCKET de Sean Baker
Prix Fondation Louis Roederer de la Révélation 2021 : JOHN AND THE HOLE de Pascal Sisto
Prix du Public de la Ville de Deauville : BLUE BAYOU de Justin Chon
Prix d’Ornano-Valenti 2021 : LES MAGNÉTIQUES de Vincent Maël Cardona
Le Jury de la Critique : RED ROCKET de Sean Baker
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2020
46th editionFrom September 4 to 13, 2020. In this exceptional year, marked by a health crisis beyond imagination, Deauville reinvents itself and aims to show solidarity with the hard-hit global film industry. The festival thereby welcomes the Cannes Film Festival, known for its international dimension. 10 films have thus been selected from among 56 Cannes titles from the Official Selection. Deauville also opens its doors to the Annecy International Animated Film Festival, to present a youth program of 3 films. To honour the hard-hit medical world in the United States as well as in France, the festival features American & French doctors, a selection of French and American films whose on-screen heroes are health care personnel. The bonds between the US and France become even thighter as Deauville welcomes several French film cast and crews and honours Barbet Schroeder with the 46th Award for the ensemble of his American work. Vanessa Paradis heads the Jury and Rebecca Zlotowski the Revelation Jury, while Deauville pays tribute to the late Kirk Douglas, one of the giants of American cinema, through the voice of his son Michael who, though he couldn’t come to France, adressed the most heartfelt and inspirational filmed speech.
Jury
Vanessa Paradis (présidente), Zita Hanrot, Delphine Horvilleur, Mounia Meddour, Sylvie Pialat, Yann Gonzalez, Vincent Lacoste, Bruno Podalydès, Oxmo Puccino.
Revelation Jury
Rebecca Zlotowski (présidente), Luàna Bajrami, Mya Bollaers, Arnaud Rebotini, Antoine Reinartz.
Palmares
Grand Prix : THE NEST Sean Durkin
Prix du Jury (ex-aequo) : FIRST COW Kelly Reichardt & LORELEI Sabrina Doyle
Prix Fondation Louis Roederer de la Révélation 2020 : THE NEST Sean Durkin
Prix Fondation Louis Roederer de la Mise en scène 2020 : THE ASSISTANT Kitty Green
Prix de la critique : THE NEST Sean Durkin
Prix du Public de la Ville de Deauville : UNCLE FRANCK Alan Ball
Prix Littéraire Lucien Barrière : Fabrice Humbert pour son roman Le monde n’existe pas
Prix d’Ornano-Valenti 2020 : SLALOM Charlène Favier
Prix du 46e Festival de Deauville : Barbet Schroeder -
2019
45th editionFrom 6th to 15th September 2019.
For its anniversary, the Festival changed its appearance, with bright colours and a new, modern logo. Catherine Deneuve and Anna Mouglalis presided over the two juries for this particularly feminine edition. Kristen Stewart, one of the most talented actresses of her generation, received the Deauville Talent Award, whilst Geena Davis, the cult actress of Thelma and Louise came to speak about the under-representation of women in Hollywood. Sienna Miller also received a Deauville Talent Award for her eclectic career. Sophie Turner carried off the New Hollywood Prize, whilst the Festival’s partner HBO celebrated the 10 years of Deauville Season consecrated to series, with an exceptional marathon showing of all of the 73 episodes of the cult series Game of Thrones for the duration of the Festival. Finally, Pierce Brosnan received a tribute on stage where he demonstrated his sincere commitment and exceptional elegance. Lastly, the Festival public welcomed with emotion the emblematic actor Johnny Depp who accepted his prize from Catherine Deneuve.Jury
Catherine Deneuve (President), Antonin Baudry, Claire Burger, Jean-Pierre Duret, Valeria Golino, Vicky Krieps, Gaël Morel, OrelSan, Nicolas Saada, Gaspard Ulliel
Revelation Jury
Anna Mouglalis (President), Alice Belaïdi, Damien Bonnard, Marie-Louise Khondji, Roman Kolinka,
Palmares
Grand Prix : BULL Annie Silverstein
Prix du jury (ex-aequo) : THE CLIMB Michael Angelo Covino & THE LIGHTHOUSE Robert Eggers
Prix de la 45e édition : BULL Annie Silverstein
Prix Fondation Louis Roederer de la Révélation : BULL Annie Silverstein
Prix de la critique : BULL Annie Silverstein
Prix du public de la ville de Deauville : THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON Tyler Nilson & Michael Schwartz
Prix du 45e Festival du Cinéma Américain de Deauville : CUBAN NETWORK Olivier Assayas
Prix spécial du 45e Festival : SWALLOW Carlo Mirabella-davis
Prix Michel d’Ornano : LES MISÉRABLES Ladj Li -
2018
44th editionFrom 31st August to 9th September 2018.
One of the greatest actors in the history of contemporary American cinema was present to receive a tribute: Morgan Freeman. The Festival saluted the talent of numerous artists: Jason Clarke, Elle Fanning, Kate Beckinsale, and Sarah Jessica Parker. Shailene Woodley, the muse of the Divergente saga, won the New Hollywood Prize. Jim Cumming’s Thunder Road won the 2018 Grand Prix.Jury
Sandrine Kiberlain (President), Sabine Azéma, Alex Beaupain, Leila Bekhti, Stéphane Brizé, Sara Giraudeau, Xavier Legrand, Pierre Salvadori, Leïla Slimani
Revelation Jury
Cédric Kahn (President), Hubert Charuel, François Civil, Karim Leklou, Kate Moran
Palmares
Grand Prix : THUNDER ROAD De Jim Cummings
Prix du jury (ex-aequo) : AMERICAN ANIMALS de Bart Layton
NIGHT COMES ON De Jordana Spiro
Prix Kiehl’s de la Révélation : WE THE ANIMALS De Jeremiah Zagar
Prix de la critique : BLINDSPOTTING De Carlos López Estrada
Prix du public de la Ville de Deauville : PUZZLE De Marc Turtletaub -
2017
43rd editionFrom 1st to 10th September 2017.
The rise of e‑cinema shook up the programming, with the arrival of Netflix and Amazon productions… Michel Hazanavicius presided the jury. This year was rich in tributes: Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Rodriguez, Darren Aronofsky, and Woody Harrelson. The security teams managed to contain a frenzied crowd with the arrival of Robert Pattinson. Chloé Zhao’s The Rider and David Lowery’s A Ghost Story won the hearts of both the jury and the public.Jury
Michel Hazanavicius (President), Benjamin Biolay, Emmanuelle Devos, Clotilde Hesme, Eric Lartigau, Charlotte Lebon, Michel Leclerc, Yasmina Reza, Axelle Ropert, Alice Winocour
Revelation Jury
Emmanuelle Bercot (President), Abd Al Malik, Anaïs Demoustier, Pio Marmaï, Pierre Rochefort, Leonor Varela
Palmares
Grand Prix : THE RIDER Chloé Zhao
Prix du jury (ex-aequo) : A GHOST STORY David Lowery & BROOKLYN YIDDISH Joshua Z Weinstein
Prix Kiehl’s de la Révélation : A GHOST STORY David Lowery
Prix de la critique : A GHOST STORY David Lowery
Prix du public de la Ville de Deauville : MARY Marc Webb -
2016
42nd editionFrom 2nd to 11th September 2016.
Featuring on the 2016 edition poster, Charlie Chaplin took the arm of Paulette Goddard. Racism, slavery, class struggles, arms trafficking… the spirit of independence that characterized the films this year took off. America as a symbol of hope was seen through notable works such as Matt Ross’s Captain Fantastic or Ira Sach’s Brooklyn Village… Michael Moore, James Franco and Stanley Tucci met with a public who were impressed by their talent and humility. Two young artists won the New Hollywood Prize: Chloe Grace Morez and Daniel Radcliffe.Jury
Frédéric Mitterrand (President), Françoise Arnoul, Éric Elmosnino, Ana Girardot, Douglas Kennedy, Radu Mihaileanu, Emmanuel Mouret, Marjane Satrapi
Revelation Jury
Audrey Pulvar (President), Cédric Anger, Jérôme Bonnell, Kheiron, Diane Rouxel, Christa Théret
Palmares
Grand Prix : BROOKLYN VILLAGE (Little Men) Ira Sachs
Prix du jury (ex-aequo) : CAPTAIN FANTASTIC Matt Ross & LE TECKEL (Wiener-Dog) Todd Solondz
Prix Kiehl’s de la Révélation : LE TECKEL (Wiener-Dog) Todd Solondz
Prix de la critique : THE FITS Anna Rose Holmer
Prix du public de la Ville de Deauville : CAPTAIN FANTASTIC Matt Ross -
2015
41st editionFrom 4th to 13th September 2015.
This was a colorful edition, symbolized by the Stars and Stripes, which were chosen to feature on the Festival poster this year. Deauville welcomed Jane Hartley, the recently appointed US ambassador to France, who described the event as “the most amazing festival of exclusively American movies”. There were some prestigious tributes, with the presence of personalities as varied as Michael Bay, Lawrence Bender, Orlando Bloom, Patricia Clarkson, Ian McKellen, and Keanu Reeves – in addition to a tribute to Terrence Malick, who was, inevitably, absent. For the first time in the Festival’s history, the Jury, presided over by director Benoît Jacquot, crowned a film – 99 Homes by Ramin Bahrani – that would only be available via video-on-demand in France. The Prix Michel‑d’Ornano, given to a French film debut, was renamed the Prix d’Ornano-Valenti as a joint tribute to Jack Valenti. Throughout the Festival, meetings and receptions continued well into the night at the Kiehl’s Club, a festive and convivial venue created by Kiehl’s, the new partner of the Deauville American Film Festival.The Jury
Benoît Jacquot (President), Pascal Bonitzer, Louise Bourgoin, Louis-Do de Lencquesaing, Marc Dugain, Sophie Fillières, Marie Gillain, Julien Hirsch, Marthe Keller
Revelation Jury
Zabou Breitman (President), Alice Isaaz, Rachelle Lefèvre, Géraldine Nakache, Stanley Weber
Palmares
Grand Prize : 99 HOMES Ramin Bahrani
Jury’s Prize : TANGERINE Sean Baker
The most promising newcomer Prize : JAMES WHITE Josh Mond
Critics Award : KRISHA Trey Edward Shults
Deauville Award : DOPE Rick Famuyiwa -
2014
40th editionFrom 5th to 14th September 2014.
On the occasion of its 40th Anniversary and a prestigious 40th edition dedicated to one of the cofounders of the event André Halimi, the American Film Festival blew candles together with Tribute-nominees Jessica Chastain, Will Ferrell, Brian Grazer, Ray Liotta, John McTiernan, as well as surprise guests Mick Jagger and Pierce Brosnan. Deauville remembered the late Yul Brynner, and Lauren Bacall and Robin Williams who recently passed away. The Jury of the 40th edition was chaired by director Costa-Gavras and was composed of previous Presidents of the Jury in Deauville. Through stars’ anecdotes and testimonies, the book Deauville, 40 Years of American cinema traces, with various unpublished photographs, the picture story of 40 Festival editions. Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash, winner of the 2014 Grand Prize, started its successful career at Deauville. The C.I.D Auditorium is now equipped with Dolby Atmos sound.The Jury
Costa-Gavras (President), Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Claude Lelouch, Pierre Lescure, Vincent Lindon, Marie-Claude Pietragalla, André Téchiné
Revelation Jury
Audrey Dana (President), Anne Berest, Lola Bessis, Christine and the Queens, Freddie Highmore, Clémence Poésy
Palmares
Grand Prize : WHIPLASH Damien Chazelle
Jury’s Prize : THE GOOD LIE Philippe Falardeau
40TH Anniversary Award : THINGS PEOPLE DO Saar Klein
The most promising newcomer Prize : A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT Ana Lily Amirpour
Critics Award : IT FOLLOWS David Robert Mitchell
Deauville Award : WHIPLASH Damien Chazelle -
2013
39th editionFrom 30th August to 8th September 2013.
This year the Festival was dedicated to the recently deceased producer and distributor Fabienne Vonier. The Festival paid tribute to Danny Kaye (“Deauville Legend”), Cate Blanchett, Nicolas Cage, Larry Clark, and John Travolta, gave Carte Blanche to the French musical duo JUSTICE, offered one Masterclass around the film analysis of the 2012 Grand Prix winning film Beasts of the Southern Wild directed by Ben Zeitlin, and a second with Vince Gilligan, within the context of Deauville Season 4. The Franco-American round table this year was dedicated to “Innovation v. Creativity”, in the presence of producer Gale Ann Hurd, to whom the Festival was also paying tribute. The Festival’s recent revival of the Boardwalk beach cabin tradition generated a bustling promenade-jam of fans determined to see the stars gracing this very fine 2013 vintage: Cate Blanchett, Forest Whitaker, and John Travolta!The Jury
Vincent Lindon (President), Lou Doillon, Jean Echenoz, Hélène Fillières, Xavier Giannoli, Famke Janssen, Pierre Lescure, Bruno Nuytten, Rebecca Zlotowski
Revelation Le Jury
Valérie Donzelli (Presidente), Laurence Arné, Vincent Lacoste, Géraldine Maillet, Woodkid
Le Palmarès
Grand Prize : NIGHT MOVES Kelly Reichardt
Jury’s Prize(ex-aequo) : ALL IS LOST J.C. Chandor & STAND CLEAR OF THE CLOSING DOORS Sam Fleischner
The most promising newcomer Prize : FRUITVALE STATION Ryan Coogler
Critics Award : THE RETRIEVAL Chris Eska
Deauville Award : FRUITVALE STATION Ryan Coogler -
2012
38th editionFrom 31st August to 9th September 2012.
Tributes this year were paid to William Friedkin, Salma Hayek, Harvey Keitel, Liam Neeson, Melvin Van Peebles, and Paula Wagner; the Carte Blanche was given to stylist Agnès b.; and the actor Paul Dano was chosen as the “New Hollywood 2012”. In the Casino’s Italian-style theatre and with free entry for all, the Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra and composer Michel Legrand staged an exceptional concert in tribute to the composer John Williams. Also on the Festival program, a lesson in cinema by director William Friedkin, a Conversation with the screenwriter René Balcer in the context of Deauville Season 3, a Masterclass tackling the analysis of the 2011 Grand Prize winning film Jeff Nichols’ Take Shelter, and the Franco-American round table dedicated this year to “Producing today: issues and new resources”.The Jury
Sandrine Bonnaire (President), Sami Bouajila, Clotilde Courau, Philippe Decouflé, Anaïs Demoustier, Christophe Honoré, Joann Sfar, Florent-Emilio Siri, Alice Taglioni
Revelation Jury
Frédéric Beigbeder (President), Astrid Bergès-Frisbey, Mélanie Bernier, Ana Girardot, Félix Moati
Palmares
Grand Prize : Beasts of the Southern Wild — Benh Zeitlin
Jury’s Prize : UNA NOCHE Lucy Mulloy
The most promising newcomer Prize : Beasts of the Southern Wild — Benh Zeitlin
Critics Award : THE WE AND THE I Michel Gondry -
2011
37th editionFrom 2nd to 11th September 2011.
In the fringes of its tributes, this year to Blake Edwards, Francis Ford Coppola, Danny Glover, Shirley MacLaine, Todd Solondz, and Naomi Watts, the Festival wished to give “Carte Blanche” to a celebrity from the world of arts and literature. It was creator Jean-Charles de Castelbajac who accepted the invitation to be its first representative. The Festival also inaugurated its “New Hollywood” in inviting an actress and/or actor, young jewels in American cinema’s future crown, to Deauville: Jessica Chastain and Ryan Gosling were the first chosen. Finally, the Festival created the “Film Corner”, a new space dedicated to sales company and buyers. And with the Producers’ Guild of America (PGA) it henceforth would organize a “Franco-American round table” for the purpose of enriching the dialogue between professionals on either side of the Atlantic. The first-round table was dedicated to “Producing in 2011: the new rules of the game”. The Festival offered a conversation with Francis Ford Coppola, a scriptwriting lesson with Roger Avary, and two Masterclasses with Tom Fontana and Shawn Ryan, within the context of Deauville Season 2.The Jury
Olivier Assayas (President), Nathalie Baye, Claire Denis, Nicolas Godin, Chiara Mastroianni, Angelin Preljocaj, Jean Rolin, Bruno Todeschini
Revelation Jury
Samuel Benchetrit (President), Leila Hatami, Sabrina Ouazani, Élisa Sednaoui, Benjamin Siksou
Palmares
Grand Prize : TAKE SHELTER Jeff Nichols
Jury’s Prize : THE DYNAMITER Matthew Gordon
The most promising newcomer Prize : DETACHMENT Tony Kaye
Critics Award : DETACHMENT Tony Kaye -
2010
36th editionFrom 3rd to 12th September 2010.
Festivalgoers had a Rendez-vous this year with Terry Gilliam, honoured by the Festival, which screened his complete films opus. Annette Bening and Gregg Araki also received tributes. For the first time, Deauville decided to open its theatres and screens to American television series and to their screenwriting, in its new free-entry section, “Deauville Season #”. It was in this very “Deauville Season 1” context that Masterclasses with screenwriters David Chase and Clyde Phillips were organized.The Jury
Emmanuelle Béart (President), Jeanne Balibar, Lucas Belvaux, Faouzi Bensaïdi, Christine Citti, Fabrice du Welz, Nilda Fernandez, Tony Gatlif, Denis Lavant, Abderrahmane Sissako
Revelation Jury
Manuel Pradal (President), Jonathan Lambert, Emma Luchini, Roxane Mesquida, Sébastien Thiery
Palmares
Grand Prize : MOTHER AND CHILD Rodrigo García
Jury’s Prize (ex-aequo) : WINTER’S BONE Debra Granik
THE MYTH OF THE AMERICAN SLEEPOVER David Robert Mitchell
The most promising newcomer prize : JEWISH CONNECTION (Holy Rollers) Kevin Asch
Critics Award : BURIED Rodrigo Cortés -
2009
35th editionFrom 4th to 13th September 2009.
The Festival opened with an exceptional concert by Julia Migenes. This year’s guest of honour was Harrison Ford, emblematic of American cinema and loyal friend of the Deauville Festival. The Rendez-vous was with actor Andy Garcia, to whom the Festival also paid tribute, alongside Robin Wright (Robin Wright Penn at the time), the ZAZ trio (David Zucker – Jim Abrahams – Jerry Zucker) and Robert Aldrich. In order to reinforce its identity, and following the presentation in competition of Lee Daniels’ Precious – greeted with enthusiasm by the public and which won the 2009 Jury Prize – the Festival adopted a sub-title for the future, in English: “A PRECIOUS moment for all cinema lovers”.The Jury
Jean-Pierre Jeunet (President), Hiam Abbass, Dany Boon, Jean-Loup Dabadie, Émilie Dequenne, Deborah François, Sandrine Kiberlain, Patrice Leconte, Géraldine Pailhas, Bruno Podalydès
Revelation Jury
Maïwenn (President), Romane Bohringer, Nicolas Fargues, Aïssa Maïga, Louise Monot, Raphaël
Le Palmarès
Grand Prize : THE MESSENGER Oren Moverman
Jury’s Prize (ex-aequo) : PRECIOUS Lee Daniels & SIN NOMBRE Cary Joji Fukunaga
The most promising newcomer prize : HUMPDAY Lynn Shelton
Critics award : THE MESSENGER Oren Moverman -
2008
34th editionFrom 5th to 14th September 2008.
Dedicated to the recently departed Sydney Pollack, the 2008 Festival presented a complete collection of the films shot by another director close to the Festival’s its heart, Spike Lee. As a complement to the enthusiastic and movie-loving tributes that the Festival dedicated to Parker Posey, Ed Harris, and Mitchell Leisen, a new section, “Wide Angle”, shone a spotlight on the individual work of a figure from American cinema: for its first year, “Wide Angle” welcomed the director Charles Burnett.The Jury
Carole Bouquet (Présidente), Édouard Baer, François Damiens, Ronit Elkabetz, Diane Fleri, Pierre Jolivet, Cédric Kahn, Cristian Mungiu, Leonor Silveira, Dean Tavoularis
Revelation Jury
Zoe Cassavetes (President), Diastème, Léa Drucker, Jalil Lespert, Ara Starck
Palmares
Grand Prize : THE VISITOR Tom McCarthy
Jury’s Prize : BALLAST Lance Hammer
The most promising newcomer prize : BALLAST Lance Hammer
Critics Award : GARDENS OF THE NIGHT Damian Harris -
2007
33rd editionFrom 31st August to 9th September 2007.
The cream of Hollywood arranged to meet up this year in Deauville: Angelina Jolie, Eva Mendes, Michelle Monaghan, Gena Rowlands, Tilda Swinton, the year’s recipient of tribute Sigourney Weaver, Ben and Casey Affleck, Judd Apatow, George Clooney, Matt Damon, Brian De Palma, Michael Douglas and Sidney Lumet – to both of whom the Festival was paying tribute for the second time - Peter and Bobby Farrelly, Paul Haggis, Brad Pitt…! With a first tribute to the actress Ida Lupino, the Festival decided to honour American cinema’s heritage by paying tribute to those who had contributed to its prestige. It also offered festivalgoers a chance to continue wide-awake dreaming: night and day, with the support of the French Cinémathèque, it screened films from American heritage during the “American Nights”. To date, Deauville is the only festival in the world to offer such a program of continuous round-the-clock screenings!The Jury
André Téchiné (President), Odile Barski, Xavier Beauvois, Nicolas Cazalé, CharlÉlie Couture, Émilie Deleuze, Anouk Grinberg, Marie-France Pisier, Yasmina Reza
Revelation Jury
Gaël Morel (President), Clotilde Hesme, Olivia Magnani, Mélanie Thierry, Florian Zeller
Le Palmarès
Grand Prize : THE DEAD GIRL Karen Moncrieff
Jury’s Prize : NEVER FOREVER Gina Kim
The most promising newcomer prize : ROCKET SCIENCE Jeffrey Blitz
Critics Award : GRACE IS GONE James C. Strouse -
2006
32nd editionFrom 1st to 10th September 2006.
On the Festival’s suggestion, Cartier – which became an essential partner of the Festival – created a Revelation Prize, with the constitution of a separate, prestigious Jury. On the program, there was also a retrospective, “The President’s Films”, dedicated to the President of the United States and to the office’s numerous cinematographic representations, so intimately linked to the country’s history, a tribute to the Sundance Institute, on the occasion of its 25th Anniversary, and a special “Uncle Sam’s Docs” schedule dedicated to the Simon Wiesenthal Centre and to its cinema department, Moriah Films. The Masterclass was given by director Darren Aronofsky. In the wings of the Festival, the state of Louisiana was the guest of honour of the C.I.D, which conferred new scale on the US Village established on its Terraces, facing the sea, with various concerts, events, exhibitions and encounters.The Jury
Nicole Garcia (President), Maurice Barthélémy, Amira Casar, Emmanuelle Castro, Guillaume Canet, Julien Clerc, Antoine de Caunes, Philippe Djian, Marthe Keller
Revelation Jury
Christophe Honoré (Président), Lou Doillon, Audrey Marnay, Olivier Py, Émilie Simon, Gilles Taurand
Palmares
Grand Prize : LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris
Jury’s Prize : HALF NELSON Ryan Fleck
The most promising newscomer prize : HALF NELSON Ryan Fleck
Critics Award : SHERRY BABY Laurie Collyer
Scenario’s Prize : SHERRY BABY Laurie Collyer -
2005
31st editionFrom 2nd to 11th September 2005.
On the fringes of the tributes paid to Ron Howard, James Toback, Robert Towne, and Forest Whitaker, the Festival this year proposed a special session of “Shorts by Greats” revealing the first cinematographic steps taken by 5 renowned directors: Terry Gilliam, George Lucas, Ridley Scott, Tony Scott, and Robert Zemeckis. There was also a “Boxing in Cinema” retrospective: ten feature films in which “life is a match” and the world of boxing, a “metaphor for life”. A Masterclass on writing and directing was presented by Irwin Winkler; the actor and director Steve Buscemi met the audience.The Jury
Alain Corneau (Président), Enki Bilal, Dominique Blanc, Romane Bohringer, Rachida Brakni, Christophe, Dominik Moll, Melvil Poupaud, Brigitte Roüan
Palmares
Grand Prix : Crash — Paul Haggis
Prix du jury (ex-aequo) : KEANE Lodge Kerrigan & On the Outs — Lori Silverbush & Michael Skolnik
Critics Prize : KEANE Lodge Kerrigan
Scenario’s Prize : TRANSAMERICA Duncan Tucker -
2004
30th editionFrom 3rd to 12th September 2004.
In the Festival catalogue, none other than directors Steven Spielberg and George Lucas saluted the Festival’s 30th anniversary, in the company, moreover, of several representatives of the big studios and figures from the world of cinema. The Jury at this anniversary event was composed solely of women, gathered around its President, Claude Lelouch. In celebration, the Festival screened all the films directed by Steven Spielberg. Tributes were paid to George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola, Glenn Close, Christine Vachon, Malcolm McDowell, Richard D. Zanuck and, posthumously, to Marlon Brando. Director Jonathan Nossiter and scriptwriter Charlie Kaufman were there at the Rendez-vous with Festivalgoers.The Jury
Claude Lelouch (Président), Anouk Aimée, Marie-Josée Croze, Danièle Heymann, Diane Kurys, Jeanne Labrune, Lio, Claudie Ossard, Bettina Rheims, Mathilde Seigner
Palmares
Grand Prize : MARIA, PLEINE DE GRÂCE (Maria Full of Grace) Joshua Marston
Jury’s Prize : THE WOODSMAN Nicole Kassell
Critics Prize : Maria Full of Grace — Joshua Marston
Scenario’s Prize : The Final Cut — Omar Naim -
2003
29th editionFrom 5th to 14th September 2003.
The Festival decided to take America’s pulse by shining a spotlight on documentaries and devoting the new “Uncle Sam’s Docs” section to them. Tribute was paid to the American pay TV channel HBO, and the Festival hosted Colin Callender, CEO of its cinema department, for the occasion. The Festival also wished to pay tribute, in their presence, to Jessica Lange, James Ivory, and Ridley Scott. The Masterclass was given jointly by director Stephen Gyllenhaal and scriptwriter Naomi Foner Gyllenhaal, James Foley and Edward Burns met with the public during the Rendez-vous. A symposium entitled “Musique, Music: France, USA” was organized. Furthermore, to keep the numerous Festival autograph hunters happy, two blank pages were inserted into the Festival catalogue… but these were gradually to be phased out as festivalgoers developed their talents as amateur photographers!The Jury
Roman Polanski (President), Claudia Cardinale, Pawel Edelman, Jacques Fieschi, Sir Ben Kingsley, Zbigniew Presner, Ludivine Sagnier, Fernando Trueba, Tom Tykwer
Palmares
Grand Prix : WHAT ALICE FOUND A. Dean Bell
Prix du jury : THIRTEEN Catherine Hardwicke
Critics Prize : AMERICAN SPLENDOR Shari Springer Berman & Robert Pulcini -
2002
28th editionFrom 30th August to 8th September 2002.
Harrison Ford received his second tribute from the Festival (a third will follow in 2009), in a prestigious line-up alongside Ellen Burstyn, Matt Dillon, Robert Evans, John Frankenheimer, and Jerry Weintraub. Doug Liman’s The Bourne Identity, Christopher Nolan’s Insomnia, M. Night Shyamalan’s Signs, and John Woo’s Windtalkers premiered. Entitled “In the Company of Neil LaBute: From Playwriting to Film Directing” the writer, scriptwriter and director Neil LaBute gave a cinema Masterclass.The Jury
Pierre Lescure (President), Chantal Akerman, Richard Anconina, Jean-Marc Barr, Charles Berling, Amira Casar, Julie Gayet, Irène Jacob, Cédric Kahn, Bruno Wolkowitch
Palmares
Grand Prize : LONG WAY HOME Peter Sollett
Jury’s Prize (ex-aequo) : Long Island Expressway — Michael Cuesta & One Hour Photo — Mark Romanek
Critics Award : THE SAFETY OF OBJECTS Rose Troche -
2001
27th editionFrom 31st August to 9th September 2001.
The Festival presented an exceptional (complete!) retrospective of Stanley Kubrick’s work, on the occasion of the screening of Steven Spielberg’s A.I. Artificial Intelligence, based on an original adaptation by Stanley Kubrick on which he had worked for nearly twelve years. Tributes were paid to Julianne Moore, Burt Reynolds, Joel Silver and posthumously to James Dean; Oliver Stone was given “Carte Blanche”. A symposium was organized around the theme: “The influence of new technologies on creation in future cinema”.The Jury
Jean-Jacques Annaud (President), Sandrine Bonnaire, Marion Cotillard, Gérard Darmon, Arielle Dombasle, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Darius Khondji, Benoît Poelvoorde, Gabriel Yared
Palmares
Grand Prize : HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH John Cameron Mitchell
Jury’s Prize : GHOST WORLD Terry Zwigoff
Critics prize : HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH John Cameron Mitchell -
2000
26th editionFrom 1st to 10th September 2000.
The Festival took it upon itself to pay tribute to Hollywood Musicals, in the presence of Leslie Caron, Joel Grey and Mickey Rooney. For the third time, the Festival honoured one of its most faithful friends, Clint Eastwood, alongside first-time tribute recipients Susan Sarandon, Dino de Laurentis, Chow Yun-fat (on the occasion of the presentation of the American film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, directed by Ang Lee) and Samuel L. Jackson. Deauville welcomed new technologies in dedicating a day to digital cinema. This year’s event also saw the launch of CanalFestival, the official Festival television broadcast.The Jury
Neil Jordan (President), Clotilde Courau, Guillaume Canet, Tchéky Karyo, Philippe Labro, Samuel Le Bihan, François Ozon, Vincent Perez, Danièle Thompson, Marie Trintignant
Palmares
Grand Prix : GIRLFIGHT Karyn Kusama
Prix du jury (ex-aequo) : LES INITIÉS (Boiler Room) Ben Younger & MEMENTO Christopher Nolan
Prix de la critique internationale : MEMENTO Christopher Nolan -
1999
25th editionFrom 3rd to 12th September 1999.
This year, the Festival honoured the talents of actors Al Pacino, Michael Caine, and Robin Williams, director Ang Lee and composer Maurice Jarre. Robin Williams, moreover, during his tribute, gave the sole press conference in the Festival’s history that was completely untranslatable in any language! The Cinema Workshop featured director Randa Haines. The festivalgoers discovered premieres from promising young directors: Spike Jonze, Amos Kollek, Doug Liman, Michael Polish, Marc Levin…Jury
Régis Wargnier (President), Jean-Hugues Anglade, Humbert Balsan, Richard Berry, Gabriel Byrne, JeanPierre Dionnet, Marie Gillain, Michel Houellebecq, Marie-France Pisier, Elsa Zylberstein
Palmarès
Grand Prize
Being John Malkovich — Spike Jonze
The Jury Prize (ex-aequo)
Twin Falls Idaho — Michael & Mark Polish
GUINEVERE — Audrey Wells
Critics Award
Being John Malkovich — Spike Jonze -
1998
24th editionFrom 4th to 13th September 1998.
For its Opening, the Festival celebrated the centenary of the birth of George Gershwin. The new Short Film competition section was launched but had to be closed down in 2004… due to a lack of competitors! By way of anecdote, Michael Douglas, to whom the Festival was paying tribute, met the woman who was to become his wife, Catherine Zeta-Jones, in Deauville, where she was promoting Martin Campbell’s The Mask of Zorro. Steven Spielberg also came, with his family, to present Saving Private Ryan, of which two sequences had been shot, during the previous year’s Festival, at the nearby American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer.Jury
Jean-Paul Rappeneau (President), Russell Banks, Maurice Bernart, Alessandro Gassman, Michèle
Halberstadt, Sandrine Kiberlain, Virginie Ledoyen, Ewan McGregor, Liam Neeson, Éric Serra, Christian
VincentPalmarès
Grand Prize
NEXT STOP WONDERLAND Brad Anderson
Jury Prize
HIGH ART Lisa Cholodenko -
1997
23rd editionFrom 5th to 14th September 1997.
The Festival offered a “Carte Blanche” to director William Friedkin, and paid tribute to Morgan Freeman, John Waters, and Arnold Kopelson. Sylvester Stallone made an appearance in Deauville as a surprise guest! Those he joined included Harrison Ford, Roy Schneider, Ray Liotta, Claudia Cardinale, William Hurt, Rupert Everett, John Woo…Jury
Sophie Marceau (President), Élodie Bouchez, Philippe Carcassonne, Étienne Chatiliez, Alain
Finkielkraut, John Hurt, Michèle Laroque, Nathalie Quintane, Inès Sastre, Lambert WilsonPalmarès
The Grand Prize
SUNDAY Jonathan Nossiter
The jury Prize (ex-aequo)
In the Company of Men
Neil LaBute & ULEE’S GOLD Victor Nunez -
1996
22nd editionFrom 30th August to 8th September 1996.
Brian de Palma’s film Mission Impossible was presented at the Opening, followed, later during the Festival and in a riotous atmosphere, by Roland Emmerich’s Independence Day. Two tributes were paid, one to filmmaker Abel Ferrara and the other to producer Arnon Milchan. Also in Deauville, were Gena Rowlands, Andie MacDowell, Eddie Murphy, Kevin Spacey, Kurt Russell, Christopher Walken… and Gérard Depardieu. The Festival staged a “Jazz in Cinema” retrospective. Encounters between American directors and scriptwriters and students from French cinema schools were organized during the Festival: the new “Cinema Workshops”.Jury
Charlotte Rampling (President), Sabine Azéma, René Cleitman, Dominique Farrugia, Charlotte
Gainsbourg, Chiara Mastroianni, Laura Morante, Ornella Muti, Melvil Poupaud, Alain RoccaPalmarès
THE GRAND PRIZE/strong>
The Daytrippers — Greg Mottola
THE JURY PRIZE (ex-aequo) |
Welcome to the Dollhouse — Todd Solondz
The brothers Wachowski -
1995
21st editionFrom 1st to 10th September 1995.
Under new management by Bruno Barde, the Festival opened to Competition. The first Jury was chaired by director Andreï Konchalovsky, in company with vice-president actress Anouk Aimée. Previously devoted to actors and directors, the Deauville Festival Tributes would henceforth also honour producers, the key figure of Irwin Winkler being the first to receive tribute. Also on the Boardwalk were Jack Nicholson, Sean Penn, Kevin Costner, and Billy Crystal… The Festival staged a retrospective “New York in Cinema”, in the presence of Robert de Niro. Clint Eastwood was given “Carte Blanche” to invite festivalgoers to discover his 8 favourite films… all westerns! A new Festival Village provided space for the event’s partners and hosted press conferences and photo calls. The first Festival Grand Prize was awarded to Tom DiCillo’s Living in Oblivion.Le Jury
Andreï Kontchalovski (Président), Anouk Aimée (Vice-Présidente), Yvan Attal, René Bonnell, Élie
Chouraqui, Valérie Kaprisky, Michael Lonsdale, Mathilda May, Claudie Ossard, Steven ZaillianPalmarès
Yhe Grand Prize
Living in Oblivion — Tom DiCillo
The jury prize (ex-aequo)
Denise Calls Up — Hal Salwen
The Brothers McMullen — Edward Burns -
1994
20th editionFrom 2nd to 11th September 1994.
Jack Nicholson, to whom the Festival paid tribute, cancelled his trip to Deauville at the last minute. Amongst the others honoured, Van Johnson was present, as was James Woods, who came with his mother, rapidly adopted as a mascot by the Festival public! Amongst the wide variety of films previewed were Robert Zemeckis’s Forrest Gump, James Gray’s Little Odessa and Chuck Russell’s The Mask. In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the D‑Day Landings, the Festival staged a retrospective entitled “Cinema at Arms: Hollywood during the Second World War” and a program of war films, “Hollywood ‘44”. -
1993
19th editionFrom 3rd to 12th September 1993.
Three tributes, three passions for cinema: Jessica Lange, Richard Fleischer, and John Malkovich. Tom Cruise was on site! As were Meg Ryan, Rebecca de Mornay, Angela Bassett, Sydney Pollack, Ben Kingsley, Matt Dillon, Danny Glover, Abel Ferrara… The Festival hosted the dinosaurs of Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park, and skipped blithely from Ang Lee’s The Wedding Banquet to Sydney Pollack’s The Firm via Nora Ephron’s Sleepless in Seattle. -
1992
18th editionFrom 4th to 13th September 1992.
The American Film Festival inaugurated its “Palais des Festivals”, the Centre International de Deauville (C.I.D). For the purpose of ensuring an unforgettable “Stars’ Night” for the 17 prestigious guests of honour who had journeyed to the Festival – amongst them Cyd Charisse, James Coburn, Claudette Colbert, Brian de Palma, Joseph L. Mankiewicz and even Buzz Aldrin (who roamed the beach in his astronaut’s uniform!) – they each received a piece of Deauville’s Boardwalk as a souvenir. The Festival also honoured Jack Lemmon, Paul Schrader, Jessica Tandy, and Hume Cronyn, and got back together with Whoopi Goldberg in Emile Ardolino’s Sister Act to the great delight of the public. -
1991
17th editionFrom 30th August to 9th September 1991.
The Festival was bereaved… It opened for the first time without Lucien Barrière and without Michel d’Ornano, both of whom passed away a few months before the Festival. Esther Williams, Richard Dreyfuss, Mel Ferrer, John Frankenheimer, Robert Mulligan, John Sayles, and Richard Widmark were the prestigious recipients of tributes. John Travolta and actress Kelly Preston were honeymooning in Deauville: they were married in Paris just before arriving at the Festival. The Michel d’Ornano Prize was created on the initiative of the Motion Picture Association member companies. Dedicated to the memory of this former Minister and Mayor of Deauville, the prize initially was to be awarded to a first French screenplay, and subsequently, after 1998, a first French Film, with the goal of assisting in its recognition, promotion and export. -
1990
16th editionFrom 31st August to 9th September 1990.
Audiences fell under the spell of Gerry Marshall’s Pretty Woman and Jerry Zucker’s Ghost, and their stars, Julia Roberts, Demi Moore, and Whoopi Goldberg. In their presence, the Festival honoured Jane Russell, Sidney Lumet, Robert Duvall, John Boorman, Richard Chamberlain, and John Voigt and, for the cinema industry, the production company American Playhouse, the Universal studios’ 75 years. «Bugs Bunny is 50 years old!» — the Festival joined in the half century celebrations by providing free accessible screenings of over 200 films from Warner Bros. -
1989
15th editionFrom 1st to 10th September 1989.
The festivalgoers put all the passion in their cinema-loving hearts by welcoming stars receiving tribute: Lauren Bacall and Kim Novak, alongside Ben Gazzara, Robert Mitchum, and George Roy Hill. They gave a triumphant reception to Rob Reiner’s When Harry Met Sally. The Audience Prize was awarded for the first time, going to Paul Bogart’s Torch Song Trilogy. The institution receiving tribute this year was UCLA Film and Television Archive (University of California in Los Angeles). On the initiative of Unifrance, a Franco-American symposium was organized on the theme of «What type of European Cinema works in the United States?». -
1988
14th editionFrom 2nd to 11th September 1988.
The festivalgoers were welcomed into an entirely renovated Casino cinema. On the occasion of «Sixty Years of the Oscars» tribute, and in the presence of Charles «Buddy» Rogers (the first American actor to win an Oscar), the silent film Wings by William A. Wellman (1927, the first film to win an Oscar) was screened in Deauville with a pianist on stage playing the film music live. The cinema VIP’s to whom the Festival wished to pay tribute this year were Claudette Colbert, Ann-Margaret, George Sydney, William Friedkin, and Jonathan Demme. The festivalgoers discovered previews of American films that would go on to become box office hits, among them Charles Crichton’s A Fish called Wanda, John McTiernan’s Die Hard and Barry Levinson’s Good Morning Vietnam. -
1987
13th editionFrom 5th to 14th September 1987.
The star Bette Davis, who was in Deauville for the first time at the age of 79, was given a triumphant reception at the Festival and from festivalgoers. The Festival also paid tribute to Rita Hayworth, who passed away a few months earlier, and was represented in Deauville by her daughter, the Princess Yasmin Aga Khan. The others receiving tribute were Janet Leigh, Shirley MacLaine, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Stewart Granger, Robert Parrish, and Brian de Palma. Further tributes were paid to Hollywood’s 100 years («Hollywood Celebrates its Centenary – Legends and Reality») and the 20th anniversary of Studio Action, the Parisian theatre specializing in «Anglo-Saxon» cinema. A new «Coup de Coeur» prize, awarded by the press or audiences, and sponsored by the LTC laboratory, would henceforth hail independent cinema. -
1986
12th editionFrom 6th to 14th September 1986.
According to French Minister of Culture Philippe Léotard, present in Deauville, the Festival was «a success, an inevitable dialogue between our cultures». The program was particularly abundant and eclectic, both in the tributes paid (Tony Curtis, James Coburn, Paul Mazursky, June Allyson, Jean Negulesco, Richard Brooks, and Alan Rudolph) and in the films premiering (Steven Spielberg’s The Colour Purple, Tony Scott’s Top Gun and James Cameron’s Aliens). The Michel Audiard Prize was awarded to Gérard Krawczyk’s French Film Je hais les acteurs. -
1985
11th editionFrom 7th to 15th September 1985.
The star of all stars was here at last! Elizabeth Taylor, to whom the Festival paid an exceptional tribute, arrived for four days in Deauville, with… 270 kilograms of luggage! Tributes were also paid to Debbie Reynolds, Robert Wise, Alan Jay Lerner and Jerome Kern, as well as the American Film Institute (AFI), the first American institution in the history of the Festival to be honoured by a tribute. Robert Zemeckis’s Back to the Future and Ron Howard’s Cocoon featured on the year’s playbill. -
1984
10th editionFrom 31st August to 9th September 1984.
The Festival paid tribute to Shelley Winters, George Stevens Jr. and Rock Hudson and previewed Joe Dante’s Gremlins: this time around, delighted festivalgoers journeyed back into childhood, laughing and cheering, finishing with thunderous applause! This year’s selection also included Steven Spielberg’s Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Albert Magnoli’s Purple Rain, the Coen brother’s Blood Simple and Ron Howard’s Splash. For the 40th Anniversary of D‑Day the Festival also featured a retrospective of Second World War films. -
1983
9th editionFrom 3rd to 11th September 1983.
For the first time, the Festival hosted 70mm screenings. The young festivalgoers gave a triumphant welcome to Adrian Lyne’s musical Flashdance: they demanded a second screening and refused to leave the cinema, leading to the Festival management’s request for an intervention by the security personnel. In the company of Joan Fontaine, Henry Hathaway, Lee Marvin, Arlene Dahl and James Mason, to whom the Festival was paying tribute that year, Deauville welcomed the French artists Claude Brasseur, Jean-Pierre Aumont, Jean Carmet, Victor Lanoux, Gérard Oury and Michel Blanc. -
1982
8th editionFrom 4th to 12th September 1982.
In witness to their fondness for the Festival, Gene Kelly, Richard Brooks, Harrison Ford, Joseph Mankiewicz, Geraldine Chaplin, Norman Mailer and Caroline de Monaco were present on the Boardwalk…along with Cyd Charisse, Robert Altman, Carl Foreman, Charlton Heston and Mervyn LeRoy for the tributes honouring them. After the USA and the presentation of the film at the culmination of the Festival de Cannes (the very last screening in the former Palais des Festivals!), and three months prior to its opening in France, it was Deauville’s turn to fall under the charm of E.T. Alongside Stephen Spielberg’s film, the Festival previewed Taylor Hackford’s An Officer and a Gentleman, Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner and Blake Edward’s Victor, Victoria. -
1981
7th editionFrom 5th to 13th September 1981.
Lana Turner, Joseph Mankiewicz, Arthur Penn, Sean Connery and Gene Hackman honoured Deauville with their presence, reflecting the tribute offered to them by the Festival. The noted absence from the new Minister of Culture Jack Lang sparked controversy. Festivalgoers greeted Raiders of the Lost Ark with enthusiasm – in the presence of Harrison Ford – as they did Martin Scorsese’s New York, New York, but lost the plot amidst the swirling vapors of Polyester, the first (and only!) film presented in «Odorama». -
1980
6th editionFrom 5th to 11th September 1980.
The actor Danny Kaye opened the Festival officially, arriving on the Casino cinema’s stage on all fours, without a word said but with a loud blast on a whistle! Elia Kazan, to whom the Festival was paying tribute, cancelled his attendance following the death of his wife, the director Barbara Loden, whose film Wanda was screened at the Festival on the very day she died. The others receiving tributes that year were Danny Kaye, Glenn Ford, Yul Brynner and, for his first tribute, Clint Eastwood. The heads of 35 major Hollywood studios held their governing board meetings in Deauville, during the Festival. -
1979
5th editionFrom 2nd to 11th September 1979.
The Roll of honour of those receiving tribute at this Festival was highly prestigious: William Wyler, Burt Lancaster, Stanley Donan and Stanley Kramer. A symposium on the economics of American Cinema was organized by the Festival, in the presence of Jack Valenti, Chairman of the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America, the powerful American cinematographic industry syndicate) and faithful friend to both the Festival and Deauville. -
1978
4th editionFrom 4th to 10th September 1978.
The star Gloria Swanson came to Deauville! The Festival paid her an exceptional tribute, alongside King Vidor, Kirk Douglas and Norman Jewison. On the fringes of these tributes, the Festival decided to « tip it’s hat » to one of the talents of American 7th Art. And in the great tradition of silent cinema, it staged an exceptional screening of The Crowd, directed by King Vidor in 1928, with creation and improvisation on stage of the film’s music by violinist Ivry Giltis. The Festival culminated in a frenzy with Grease, in the presence of its young actors, including an actor-dancer of promising talent: John Travolta. For the first time, the organizers were obliged to resign themselves to engaging bodyguards to ensure the personal safety of the visiting American stars. -
1977
3rd editionFrom 5th to 11th September 1977.
Anne d’Ornano succeeded her husband, Michel d’Ornano, as Mayor of Deauville. «Hollywood has found itself an orchard in Normandy» as she fetchingly put it during the Festival’s opening ceremony. Under impetus from Lionel Chouchan, the Festival innovated and decided henceforth to «pay tribute»: Gregory Peck, Vincente Minelli and Sydney Pollack were present on the Boardwalk on this occasion. However, Elizabeth Taylor, to whom the Festival had decided to present the finest of tributes, cancelled her trip to Deauville at the last minute. The screening of the film Star Wars saw the Festival’s first big rush. And enthusiastic audiences fell under the spell of the character Annie Hall in Woody Allen’s film, which premiered at the Festival. -
1976
2nd editionFrom 31st August to 5th September 1976.
The Festival celebrated the bicentenary of The American Revolution. It decided to launch a new literary prize, The Lucien Barrière Prize for Literature, awarded every year during The Deauville Film Festival to an American author. The first auction of film posters was also staged. This became one of the Festival’s traditions over subsequent years. -
1975
1st editionFrom 2nd to 7th September 1975.
The Deauville Festival of American Cinema was born, thanks specifically to the determination of the Mayor, Michel d’Ornano, for establishing the event in Deauville, and to the support lent by Lucien Barrière and his group in providing a luxurious setting for the new festival. It immediately conquered the hearts of the public at large even if the American stars were to wait a few years before gathering there every year at the end of the Summer. In the words of Lionel Chouchan and André Halimi, the organizers and directors of the new festival, its goal was to «show films that only a few privileged – amazed or astonished – people had discovered, in New York or Los Angeles, to French audiences, without exclusion, barriers or bias».

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