PRESENTATION

Champs-Élysées Film Festival, a major international film festival in Paris founded in 2012 by producer, distributor and exhibitor Sophie Dulac, is an unmissable event to discover the best of French and American independent cinema. The festival aims to be a bridge between the French and American cinema as well as a meeting platform for the young creation, cinema & music. The festival takes place every year in June in all the theaters with a selection of French and American films in competition, 3 juries, premieres, guests of honor and a cutting-edge music selection.

The 12th edition of Champs-Élysées Film Festival will be held from June 20th until June 27th 2023.

Built around its independent feature and short films competitions, the festival puts unreleased films under the spotlight, offering a curated look on the latest French and American independent productions. The festival fervently supports emerging talents, freedom of tone, art house and experimental areas and each year presents daring, unseen and committed films.

The program of Champs-Élysées Film Festival presents:

The Official Selection :
- 6 Independent American feature films in competition
- 6 Independent French feature films in competition
- 8 to 12 French short films in competition
- 8 to 12 American short films in competition
- NEW THIS YEAR: A selection of French middle lenght films in competition

- A section dedicated to female filmmakers
- Several tributes dedicated to our French and American guests of honor.
- French and American premieres in presence of the cast & crew.

All films will be screened in their original version. American feature and short films will be subtitled in French and French feature and short films will be subtitled in English.

Awards & Prizes

Jury Prizes for:
- Best American Independent Feature Film / 11,000€ cash prize for the director to help him/her to do his/her next project.
- Best French Independent Feature Film / 11,000€ cash prize for the director to help him/her to do his/her next project.
- Best American Feature Film Director / 2,500€ cash prize for the director.
- Best French Feature Film Director / 2,500€ cash prize for the director.
- Best American Short Film / 2,500€ cash prize for the director.
- Best French Short Film / 2,500€ cash prize for the director.
- Best French Middle Lenght Film / 2,500€ cash prize for the director.

Audience Awards for:
- Best American Independent Feature Film
- Best French Independent Feature Film
- Best American Short Film
- Best French Short Film

Critic Awards for:
- Critic Award for Best American Independent Feature Film
- Critic Award for Best French Independent Feature Film

Rules & Regulations

ELIGIBILITY
To be eligible to Champs-Élysées Film Festival’s competitions, the films must comply with the following requirements:

- For FRENCH feature, middle length and short films:
. French produced or in case of co-production, a French-majority co-production.
. The film must have been completed not more than 18 months before the festival.
. English subtitles have to be delivered in case of official selection.
o Feature films :
> Length must be over to 60 minutes
> Must not have been broadcast online or released on DVD/VOD in France.
> Must be a Parisian premiere (Île-de-France premiere) - except A list festivals
reruns
o Short films:
> Length must not exceed 25 minutes
> Must not have been broadcast online or released on DVD/VOD in France.
> Must be a Parisian premiere (Île-de-France premiere) - except A list festivals reruns
o Middle Length films:
> Length must be over 25 minutes and not exceed 60 minutes
> Must be a Parisian premiere (Île-de-France premiere) - except A list festivals reruns

- For AMERICAN feature and short films:
. USA produced or in case of co-production, a USA-majority co-production.
. The film must have been completed not more than 18 months before the festival.
. Must not have been broadcast online or released on DVD/VOD in France.
o Feature films:
> Length must be over to 60 minutes
> Must be a French premiere
o Short films:
> Length must not exceed 25 minutes
> Must be a Parisian premiere (Île-de-France premiere)

FILM SUBMISSION
Submission is subject to the payment of a fee: 49 euros for feature films, 25€ for middle lenght films and 19 euros for short films. If you want to register several films, you’ll have to pay fees for each film registered.
All applications must be submitted through our FilmFreeway Platform.
Films made for advertising, didactic or scientific purposes will not be admitted.
Films selected for the official competition must not – in any way – be available online from its selection to the end of the festival. The festival retains the right to disqualify an entry, if these submission guidelines are not met.

SELECTION & COMMITMENT
The selection committee will announce the official selection of the 12th edition of Champs-Elysées Film Festival by email, on the week of May 8th 2023. The selected film’s cast, crew and production must keep the information secret until the official announcement date that will be communicated shortly. The list of each competition will be revealed on the festival’s website and social networks right after the official publication by the press release.
If your film is selected, the material requirements, as it is written on the registration form, must be respected. Production or sales agent must provide an unencrypted DCP for the festival screenings and a H264 file.

SCREENING MATERIAL
All the information concerning the material shipping and delivery will be communicated later on to the representatives of the selected films. A Technical Data Form will be filled by the production, filmmakers or sales agents and send by email to the festival programming team.
Champs-Elysées Film Festival covers the storage and the insurance costs for the screening material of the selected films during the festival, in Paris. In case of loss or damage of a material during the festival, the festival’s responsibility may only be engaged to the extent of the value indicated by the rights owners on the Technical Data Form. The festival is not responsible of material’s loss or damage during its shipping in and out of the festival.

TELEVISION BROADCASTING, INTERNET AND THEATERS.
If your film is selected, you will be asked to share a 3 minutes excerpt of your film with the festival. The excerpts will be provided to the festival as a courtesy from the right owners and used for promotional purposes only (actual or future editions promotion, tv or web programs, festival official trailer).

PUBLICATION AUTHORIZATION
By submitting a film, you allow the Festival to use any information and pictures gathered during the registration and publish them on all relevant media such as but not limited to its website or in press releases/magazines. These pictures must be royalty-free and if necessary, the copyright will be needed.

UNFORESEEN CASES AND DISAGREEMENTS
Once a film has been selected, it cannot be withdrawn from the festival program after the official announcement of our lineup as we would not be able to recover costs incurred. If appropriate, the Festival may be untitled to use Justice to claim any compensation needed.

The acceptance of an official invitation from the Festival implies the agreement of the present document. The Association of the Festival can cancel a submission and take any other measures necessary if the regulations and forms aren’t respected, or if any attitude goes against the running of the event.
For unforeseen cases, the final decision will be taken by the Festival’s board. The French version of this regulation shall prevail.
For any inquiries, do not hesitate to contact the programming team at programmation@cefilmfestival.com

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Skinner Myers

    One of the best festival experiences I have ever had! I love the entire team behind the festival. If you get in, then it's a festival you must attend! Made some friends for life from this festival.

    September 2021
  • Paul Rigoux

    Amazing time at Champs-Élysées Film Festival. Great team, amazing hospitality, great programme. Go for it. Thank you again.

    September 2021
  • Ellie Foumbi

    Amazing festival. So much fun and the venues were incredible!

    July 2017
  • Great, French-American festival! Highly recommended! Sophie, Chantal, and the whole staff run a top-notch, world-class film festival. The programming was terrific and the screening experience - at beautiful theaters along the Champs-Elysées - was amazing. Full of special screenings, retrospectives, and master classes with living legends, it's truly a festival not to be missed. The parties were also great, and there was ample opportunity to network with other industry members and filmmakers. Terrific experience! Proud to be an alum of Champs-Elysées!

    January 2017
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    Response from festival:

    Thanks Michael!! Hope to see you again! Cheers