I’m a film guru, and I’ve started to notice that French festivals vary greatly from coast to coast, Los Angeles to New York City. In L.A., we have one main French extravaganza; it’s COLCOA, the largest French film production with premieres and press events held over a week at the beautiful Director’s Guild Theatre on Sunset Boulevard.

In New York, instead of one large French film festival, there are 4-5 prestigious festivals produced throughout the year. The Big Apple offers such a competitive festival circuit lineup, of the festivals the biggest in size is Rendez-vous with French Cinema, organized by UniFrance, but there is also Films On the Green held by the French Embassy in NYC parks throughout the summer, Focus On French Cinema presented by the Alliance Française of Greenwich and now French Cinema Week created in partnership with the Festival du Film Francophone d'Angoulême, which made its debut this week.

While I love the chance to frequent the various festivals and watch films year-round, I wonder what it would be like if all the festivals combined forces in New York City and presented one large French week with exciting premieres and talents that would take the city by storm? Every New Yorker, not just the expats and francophiles, would be compelled to attend a French screening and witness the power of French cinema.

In Rendez-vous d’Amérique, we don’t take sides, we love all-things cinema, but we are always interested in you—the viewers’ opinions! We promote the most intimate theaters and performances around the country to the large-scale events of Los Angeles and New York. What’s your preferred festival layout, events held year-round or one large production presented annually?

To learn more about French film festivals and French culture in America, read our blog and tune in to episodes of Rendez-vous d’Amérique on TV5MONDE USA. Click here for more information.

Exploring cultural diversity entwined with the insatiable energy of the American public, Rendez-vous d'Amérique invites you on a journey to discover Francophone culture in America. Your host on this cultural experience is Didier Allouch - reporter, cinephile, and a familiar face at movie premieres. Click here to learn how you can subscribe to TV5MONDE USA and never miss an episode!