Countless filmmakers owe their success, in part, to Premiers Plans Film Festival, including Paolo Sorentino, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, François Ozon, Fatih Akin, Arnaud Desplechin, Matteo Garrone, Abdellatif Kechiche, Kornél Mundruczó, Jessica Hausner, Cristi Puiu, Miguel Gomes, Joachim Trier, Laurent Cantet, Joachim Lafosse, Rúnar Rúnarsson, and more recently the likes of Lukas Dhont, László Nemes, Guillaume Senez and Carla Simón. And with 100 films due to be showcased, the 31^st edition (25 January to 3 February), directed by Claude-Eric Poiroux (read the interview here) has no intention of deviating from its excellent editorial line, which focuses on emerging European talent.

The nine feature films competing in the international competition will be decided by a jury chaired by the French director Cédric Kahn and comprised of the Danish actress Sidse Babett Knudsen, the filmmaker and screenwriter Léa Mysius, the producer Sylvie Pialat and the composer Amine Bouhafa. Three films discovered at Locarno are in the running: All Good [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by the German director Eva Trobisch (Winner of Best Film at the Swiss Festival), Ray & Liz [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Richard Billingham
scheda film] by the British director Richard Billingham (special mention in international competition) and Those Who Work [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Antoine Russbach
scheda film] by the Swiss director Antoine Russbach (unveiled in the Filmmakers of the Present section). They will be up against Lemonade [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Ioana Uricaru
scheda film] by the Romanian director Ioana Uricaru (screened in the Panorama section at the Berlinale), Blossom Valley [+leggi anche:
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intervista: László Csuja
scheda film] by the Hungarian director László Csuja (Special Jury Prize in the East of the West competition at Karlovy Vary), the harrowing Cutterhead [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Rasmus Kloster Bro
scheda film] by the Danish director Rasmus Kloster Bro and three films that premiered at Toronto: Light as Feathers [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Rosanne Pel
scheda film] by the Dutch director Rosanne Pel, Saf [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Ali Vatansever
scheda film] by the Turkish director Ali Vatansever and Core of the World [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by the Russian director Natalia Meshchaninova (selected in the New Directors section at San Sebastian Festival).

The French first feature section includes five films: Daniel [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Marine Atlan (which will also be competing at Berlin in the Generation section), Truk [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Sarah Marx
scheda film] by Sarah Marx (a great discovery in the Horizons section at Venice), the documentary Young and Alive [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Matthieu Bareyre
scheda film] by Matthieu Bareyre (special mention in the Filmmakers of the Present section at Locarno), Paper Flags [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by the very young Nathan Ambrosioni and Father and Sons [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Félix Moati.

In addition to the four other competitions (including the European First Short competition, the French School competition, and the Animated Short competition), the Angers festival, which is due to be opened by Claire Burger’sReal Love [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Claire Burger
scheda film], will also be screening Renault 12 by Mohamed El Khatib and I See Red People [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Bojina Panayotova in the Figures Libres section.

Festival premieres include the Venetian title Pearl [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Elsa Amiel
scheda film]by Elsa Amiel, the Toronto features Teret [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Ognjen Glavonić
scheda film] by the Serbian Ognjen Glavonić and Arctic [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by the Brazilian director Joe Penna and the animated films Wardi [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Mats Grorud
scheda film] by the Norwegian director Mats Grorud and Funan [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Denis Do
scheda film] by Denis Do. 

Finally, the programme is due to include a number of tributes and retrospectives to the likes of Costa-Gavras, the Romanian director Corneliu Porumboiu, the Romanian Institute of UNATC, the German directors Maren Ade (who won’t be in attendance) and Valeska Grisebach, and the Dutch animation director Michael Dudok de Wit (who is due to chair the short film jury). And that’s not without forgetting a screenplay lecture on Amore mio, due to be directed by Guillaume Gouix, Les Versants by Guillaume Renusson and Gagarine [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Fanny Liatard e Jérémy Tro…
scheda film] by the director duo Fanny Liatard and Jérémy Trouilh.