Atypical cinema festival, “ Premiers Plans » d’Angers is characterized by its desire to devote itself to the discovery of new talents in French and European cinema and by introducing its cinematographic heritage. The festival Premiers Plans » of Angers has become over time an emblematic cultural meeting recognized by artists and “ professionals of the profession » to paraphrase Godard and followed by a curious and enthusiastic audience.
Nearly 100 films screened in 7 competitive sections
Thus, every year, for more than 30 years, young French and European filmmakers have been invited to Angers to present their first work to the public, cinema professionals and the press. For this 37th edition, nearly 100 films will be screened in 7 competitive sections: European feature films, Diagonals, French and European short films, school films, animated shots and chenaplans. Screenplays for short and feature films will also be read in public. In this 2025 edition, it is the filmmaker, screenwriter and actress Nicole Garcia who will chair the jury in the feature film category.
Among the nearly 100 films screened in the 7 competitive sections are two overseas films. It is “ Under the blue sky of Guadeloupe » by the Guadeloupean director and decorator of stop motion animated films, Cléane Ambry, who will compete in the first animated short film category « Chenaplans 3+ » and “ Listen True », from the director of Guyanese origin in the category “ Diagonals ».
« Under the blue sky of Guadeloupe » by Cléane Ambry
2-minute animated film with the participation of Guadeloupean actress Firmine Richard, “ Under the blue sky of Guadeloupe », a title borrowed from the Guadeloupean poet Oruno Lara, evokes the discovery by Noa, a granddaughter living in France, of Guadeloupe, her island of origin, through the prism of West Indian cuisine. In this way, she gets closer to her Caribbean roots and projects, into the piles of cut vegetables, landscapes that remind her of Guadeloupe. This film will be submitted to the exclusive vote of children. It was chosen for young spectators aged 3 and over.
« Listen to Voice » by Maxime Jean-Baptiste
Projected in competition in the category « feature film – Diagonales », « Listen to Voice » is a reflection on the persistence of violence in Guyana, a region marked by the history of transatlantic slavery. Melrick, 13, spends the summer in Cayenne, Guyana, with his grandmother Nicole. His presence and his desire to learn to play the drum bring back the specter of Lucas, Nicole’s son, a drummer who died tragically 11 years earlier. Faced with the grief of the entire family and the desire for revenge of Lucas’ best friend, Melrick will chart his own path to forgiveness.
Released in 2024, this film has already been selected in numerous festivals, including Locarno in Switzerland where it received the Cineasti del Presente Special Mention and the Ciné+ Special Jury Prize. It was also presented at the FIFAC (Amazon-Caribbean International Documentary Film Festival) in Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, Guyana, at the Festival des 3 continents in Nantes, at the CinéMartinique in Fort-de-France and at the FIFAM (Festival International Film Festival of Amiens) where he won the Feature Film Jury Prize and the UPJV Student Jury Prize.
These two inventive, poetic and moving films will, each in their own genre, allow us to discover the artistic universes, the characters and the stories to share of these two young up-and-coming overseas filmmakers. And when we know that many directors recognized today have passed through the festival “ Premiers Plans » from Angers, we can envisage for them a career path full of promise.
E.B
37th edition of the festival « Premiers Plans » d’Angers
From January 18 to 26, 2025
Information and programming: www.premiersplans.org
9, rue Jeanne Moreau
49100 Angers
Tel: 07 49 15 77 02
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