Saint-Gaudens Art film meetings: jury, prizes, international partnership… what’s changing this year

The time has come for the Rencontres du film d’art festival to gain new momentum. In 11 editions, the Saint-Gaudinois event has gradually gained popularity and legitimacy. This year marked a turning point in the history of the festival: in March, the Rencontres team was invited to the Montreal International Festival of Films on Art (FIFA). “The most important in this field in terms of international influence and professional recognition”, according to the Rencontres team.

The Louvre in Saint-Gaudens

During this stay, Saint-Gaudinois were invited to participate in discussions around the distribution of art films, alongside programmers from all over the world. On this occasion, the Saint-Gaudens Art Film Meetings joined the “Films on art network”, which promotes links between the different actors in the field at the international level. The festival is taking advantage of this stage to offer a new event within the 12th edition: an “En echo” evening which gives carte blanche to another structure in this international network. “We had reached the end of something, we had to take a new step,” said Thomas Miquel, director of the Le Régent cinema and the festival.

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For the first edition with this formula, a French festival is invited: the International Art Film Days (JIFA) at the Louvre. Pascale Raynaud, the director of this festival, will be present with François Catonné, the director she has chosen to highlight. “With this format, we want to play on reciprocity to in turn be invited to international festivals, export the Comminges and take the Saint-Gaudens Art Film Meetings on the road,” explains the director.

A jury and prizes

And as good news never comes alone, this novelty is accompanied by the establishment of an awards ceremony. Until now, the Meetings have taken place without competition or prizes – apart from the traditional “Corridor noise”. “The absence of a jury and a prize raised a lot of questions during the discussions in Montreal. It’s as if we had recognition but we didn’t take responsibility for it,” admits Thomas Miquel, for whom it was important to find a formula which is faithful to the philosophy and the initial spirit of the festival, namely the meeting.

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Of the 29 films in the program, 10 will be in competition. The invited structure will be responsible for presenting them with prizes and awards. “We invite them to take a look at our programming,” explains Michel Tonelli, the president of the festival. “For the films, it’s recognition and opportunities for distribution.” The “unlike the others” awards ceremony will also be held in an original way, at the Bistrot du cinéma on Sunday morning around a drink.