Richard Linklater’s Nouvelle Vague opens the Chanel-backed Biarritz festival as Sofia Coppola marks 25 years of The Virgin Suicides with a masterclass.
The third edition of the Nouvelles Vagues Film Festival in Biarritz, France, will open on June 24 with Richard Linklater’s Nouvelle Vague, a cinematic tribute to the French New Wave that premiered earlier at the Cannes Film Festival.
The event, dedicated to celebrating fresh talent in cinema, is supported by Chanel and will feature acclaimed filmmaker Sofia Coppola as this year’s guest of honor.
Coppola will participate in a screening of her seminal debut film The Virgin Suicides, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. Following the screening, she will host a masterclass attended by an audience largely composed of aspiring film students.
Her involvement underlines the festival’s mission of bridging the gap between new voices in cinema and seasoned industry icons.
Chanel, a key partner of the festival, continues to amplify its commitment to emerging talent through initiatives like this. On June 3, the fashion house hosted a glamorous dinner at the Grand Café du Grand Palais in Paris to celebrate the upcoming festival.
The evening drew an impressive roster of film and fashion personalities, showcasing Chanel’s deep-rooted connection to the cinematic arts.
Among the notable attendees were Happening director Audrey Diwan, author Anne Berest (Vie Privée), filmmaker Ramata Toulaye Sy (Banel & Adama), MK2 Films co-CEO Elisha Karmitz, producer Michele Halberstadt, and Chi-Fou-Mi’s Hugo Selignac.
Actors such as Ana Girardot (The Count of Monte Cristo), Dali Benssalah (Athena), Virginie Ledoyen (Just the Two of Us), Finnegan Oldfield (Alpha), and Rebecca Marder (Mon crime) also made appearances.
The festival’s organizing team, including founder and president Jérôme Pulis, general delegate Sandrine Brauer, and programming director Lili Hinstin, were joined by Chanel’s president of fashion Bruno Pavlovsky. Their presence reinforced the festival’s prestigious stature and strong industry ties.
This year’s jury is composed of a diverse group of rising stars and established artists, including filmmakers Ludovic and Zoran Boukherma (And Their Children After Them), Mallory Wanecque (Beating Hearts), and actors Anamaria Vartolomei (Happening), Nicholas Galitzine (The Idea of You), Sofia Carson (The Life List), and Malick Bodian.
The festival will conclude with a screening of Homebound, a poignant Indian drama directed by Neeraj Ghaywan that was showcased in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section.
With a program that bridges cinematic heritage and contemporary voices, the Nouvelles Vagues Festival continues to position itself as a vital platform for the future of international cinema.
Source Variety
