2010 - The world was introduced to the Crawleys and their personnel. “Downton Abbey” took viewers by storm. I’m bed-ridden. I’m fighting a letter that more often than not, carries a death sentence.
Years pass by, I travel extensively in-between treatement sessions, I co-produce a documentary, and I write a lot. I’m young but I feel a higher sense of urgency. I eventually conquered, the beast is down.
2017 - R...
Watch the One Hour Discussion that took place during the Happy Hour Talk at COLCOA with Mélanie Laurent.
Moderated by Wade Major
Mélanie Laurent is a multi-talented artist, who began her career as an actress at the tender age of 16 years old. She quickly went on to become a familiar face in mainstream French cinema.
In 2008, she made her film directorial debut with a short entitled "De Moins en Moins". A first attempt that lands her a nominati...
The ColCoa film festival is known to showcase la crème de la crème of French cinema in Los Angeles. Their edition of 2018 didn’t disappoint. French filmmaker Xavier Legrand came to present Custody. We met at the Sunset Marquis hotel by the pool, quite a significant gap between his social reality drama and that charming setting.
Let’s be honest, unless you’re into short-films or theater, the name of Xavier Legrand didn’t really ring a bell – until r...
ColCoa, the French Film festival in Los Angeles kicked off last night with a screening of Eric Barbier’s film : "Promise at Dawn" based on Romain Gary’s autobiography starring Pierre Niney as Gary and Charlotte Gainsbourg as his mother.
The festival premieres a wide gamut of French films in America, ranging...
Stacey Keach - M Fenigstein
On April 18th, Los Angeles had an Israeli flavor as the 27th edition of the Israel Film Festival kicked off. The festivities were in full swing. The audience was treated to a plentiful buffet, before walking in the theater of the WGA.
The opening film was The Ballad of The Weeping Spring, an emotional drama that won 4 Israeli Oscars (Ophir Awards) in 2012: Best Original Music, Best Original Soundtrack, Best Production design, and Best Costume design.
It s...
Salvador Litvak based his film on Ward Hill Lamon's memoirs. This outstanding first-hand account describes the unique bound uniting Abraham Lincoln to his bodyguard, U.S. Marshal Ward Hill Lamon.
Despite encountering many obstacles during the process, Salvador Litvak took up the challenge of shooting an epic film on Lincoln on a very low budget, and conquered!
Clearly inspired by Lincoln's strength and determination, Salvador Litvak gave a new meaning to ...
The French Film Festival in Los Angeles -- ColCoa -- which kicked off on April 15th is reaching its adolescent phase, therefore the festival gets quite bold and offers a variety of unique cinematic experiences wide open to the audience.
The Happy Hours is a highly anticipated rendez-vous throughout the week.
On April 16th, the French Delegation came to meet a public enamored of French cinema. Here's the unedited session of what was anything but a "brief encounter"!...
Oscar winning producer Richard Zanuck hit "the Road" at 77 years old.
I remember very vividly the first time I met Richard Zanuck. We were in Deauville at the American Film Festival to premier "Road to perdition". He was flanked by his son and Tom Hanks.
No matter how accomplished I may be in my career, the little Frenchie who dreamed of making films, and meeting her idols, is still very much part of who I am today.
Even though I can't say I ...
The news broke yesterday, legendary writer and director, Frank Pierson passed away. He was 87 years old.
Sometimes I'm glad to be some kind of a "hoarder". I have religiously kept the interview I made of him in 1996. We spent nearly 2 hours chatting over lunch next to his office. In these days, I was fresh off the university, and it was a big deal that he so kindly accepted to be interviewed by a swooning rookie with a thick French accent.
As a side note, he was ...
Time to spill the well-kept secrets: I'm a Frenchie in Hollywood! and you know you belong to the city, when you take your first shot of coffee in the morning with the "trades" - lingo for Hollywood Reporter, Variety, The Wrap and likes. Lately, that reading has been pretty gloomy. Cuts and drastic economic measures have prevailed, and muffled the jolly tunes of the industry. So much so that another industry is soaring as a side-effect of the "depression"...Therapists!...
2011 Film Selections
Online Tickets Now Available!2011 Highlights
2011 Film Categories
CONFLICTS and ISSUES
TRADITION and IDENTITY
HISTORY and LEGACY
INSPIRATION
CONFLICTS and ISSUES
He's My Girl (La Folle Histoired'Amour de Simon Eskenazy)
Los Angeles Premiere!
Comedy/France/100 minutes/2009
Written & Directed by Jean-Jacques Zilbermann
Starring Antoine de Caunes, Mehdi Dehbi and Elsa Zylberstein
French with English subtitles
Based on th...
The Southern California Israeli Chamber of Commerce & Greenberg Traurig Invite you to a Breakfast Presentation By The Operating Room IMPORTING CREATIVITY FROM ISRAEL The exclusive panel discussion and press conference will focus on the efforts, challenges and potential of importing Israeli entertainment content to the United States and Hollywood. As part of the panel discussion, exciting recent developments and production deals will be announced. Panel Participants:HOWA...
The Future Of Film Summit kicks off December 8th in Los Angeles.
Confirmed speakers include OREN PELI, Director and Screenwriter (Paranormal Activity, Area 51), MARK HORAK, President, Warner Home Video Americas, RENA RONSON, Co-Head, Independent Film Group, United Talent Agency, JOHN RUBEY, President, AEG Live, BLAIR WESTLAKE, Corporate VP, Media & Entertainment Group, Microsoft Corporation, CHRIS CAREY, EVP, Worldwide Technical Operations, Paramount Pictures, SIBYL GOLDMAN, VP...
Sometimes Hollywood lives up to its legend. Years ago, I was producing 2 entertainment weekly shows in L.A, and multi-talented French icon Thierry Lhermitte, was promoting "An Indian in the City" -- which went through an "extreme (re)make-over" by Disney later on... As we asked him if he pictured himself pursuing a career in Hollywood, he replied "No way, it's like the Cannes Film Festival 365 days a year!".However, recently, the recession hit, and what reached an a...
Stephanie RONNET: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself, your background?
Hilary HELSTEIN: I’m originally from New York with a background in theatre. But my passion for theater, film and the arts quickly turned me to documentary filmmaking. My own film As Seen Through These Eyes, narrated by Maya Angelou has been screened internationally and garnered 8 awards to date. It has afforded me the wonderful opportunity to participate in many film festivals and meet hugely talented people...
