The world's largest festival of French film hits Hollywood this month embracing the #MeToo moment with a line-up dedicated to the country's best female filmmaking talent.

The 22nd 'City of Light, City of Angels'(COLCOA) is offering a record 86 films, television shows, digital series and virtual reality experiences, many never seen before in the United States, as well as a handful of international and US premieres.

It is the first edition of the annual event since the Harvey Weinstein sex abuse scandal that sparked the #MeToo and Time's Up campaigns, and the program reflects the push to celebrate the work of women.

"Through its different competitions, we are proud to dedicate this year's programming of COLCOA to women, both in their role in the making of the films and series, and their central roles in the majority of the stories selected this year," said executive producer Francois Truffart.&nbsp;

Originally styled COLCOA boasts some 75 entrants for a slew of honors, including the audience award, best documentary, best TV movie, critics award and critics special prize.

With the film industry still reeling from the shock of the sexual harassment and assault firestorm that ended the careers of Weinstein and numerous other powerful Hollywood figures, the female aspect of many COLCOA entrants should resonate on both sides of the Atlantic.

These include Oscar-nominated Xavier Legrand's feature debut 'Custody,' a social realist thriller about a violent abuser who forces his way back into his ex's life that won best director and debut at the Venice film festival.

'The Party is Over,' another feature directorial debut, this time from Marie Garel-Weiss, is about two women who bond as they battle drug addiction, becoming inseparable.&nbsp;

More than half of the selection of short films are by women, while panels will address the role of women in the French film industry and first films directed by women.

Over at the festival's 'virtual reality corner,' an experience called 'Uturn' examines the gender gap from both sides with interwoven stories that allow the viewer to embody either a female or male character.

The experience was created by Nathalie Mathe, a NASA scientist turned filmmaker and VR specialist whose credits include 'Persepolis,' 'The Dark Knight Rises,' 'Skyfall,' 'Captain Phillips' and 'Fast and Furious 6. "For 50 years women have been told how they should adapt and learn to survive in order to succeed in male-dominated industries like tech and media," she said in a statement about the project.

Mathe said that while a few women had risen to the top of their field, the vast majority were still under-represented and under-valued, an assertion borne out in numerous studies of employment patterns in showbusiness.&nbsp;

"Now is the time for changing strategy. Men need to see gender issues as their problem too, an overall outdated cultural framework that needs to be reframed," Mathes added.

COLCOA also boasts a focus on filmmaker and actress Melanie Laurent ('Inglourious Basterds'), screening her first movie 'The Adopted' before a discussion about her career, followed by a US premiere screening of her latest film, 'Diving.'

The festival opens on April 23 with the North American premiere of writer-director Eric Barbier's 'Promise at Dawn,' a celebration of motherhood starring Pierre Niney and Charlotte Gainsbourg.

 
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World's largest French film festival is dedicated to the country's best female filmmaking talent.

The world's largest festival of French film hits Hollywood this month embracing the #MeToo moment with a line-up dedicated to the country's best female filmmaking talent. The 22nd 'City of Light, City of Angels'(COLCOA) is offering a record 86 films, television shows, digital series and virtual reality experiences, many never seen before in the United States, as well as a handful of international and US premieres. It is the first edition of the annual event since the Harvey Weinstein sex abuse scandal that sparked the #MeToo and Time's Up campaigns, and the program reflects the push to celebrate the work of women. "Through its different competitions, we are proud to dedicate this year's programming of COLCOA to women, both in their role in the making of the films and series, and their central roles in the majority of the stories selected this year," said executive producer Francois Truffart. Originally styled COLCOA boasts some 75 entrants for a slew of honors, including the audience award, best documentary, best TV movie, critics award and critics special prize. With the film industry still reeling from the shock of the sexual harassment and assault firestorm that ended the careers of Weinstein and numerous other powerful Hollywood figures, the female aspect of many COLCOA entrants should resonate on both sides of the Atlantic. These include Oscar-nominated Xavier Legrand's feature debut 'Custody,' a social realist thriller about a violent abuser who forces his way back into his ex's life that won best director and debut at the Venice film festival. 'The Party is Over,' another feature directorial debut, this time from Marie Garel-Weiss, is about two women who bond as they battle drug addiction, becoming inseparable. More than half of the selection of short films are by women, while panels will address the role of women in the French film industry and first films directed by women. Over at the festival's 'virtual reality corner,' an experience called 'Uturn' examines the gender gap from both sides with interwoven stories that allow the viewer to embody either a female or male character. The experience was created by Nathalie Mathe, a NASA scientist turned filmmaker and VR specialist whose credits include 'Persepolis,' 'The Dark Knight Rises,' 'Skyfall,' 'Captain Phillips' and 'Fast and Furious 6. "For 50 years women have been told how they should adapt and learn to survive in order to succeed in male-dominated industries like tech and media," she said in a statement about the project. Mathe said that while a few women had risen to the top of their field, the vast majority were still under-represented and under-valued, an assertion borne out in numerous studies of employment patterns in showbusiness. "Now is the time for changing strategy. Men need to see gender issues as their problem too, an overall outdated cultural framework that needs to be reframed," Mathes added. COLCOA also boasts a focus on filmmaker and actress Melanie Laurent ('Inglourious Basterds'), screening her first movie 'The Adopted' before a discussion about her career, followed by a US premiere screening of her latest film, 'Diving.' The festival opens on April 23 with the North American premiere of writer-director Eric Barbier's 'Promise at Dawn,' a celebration of motherhood starring Pierre Niney and Charlotte Gainsbourg.

Hollywood French film festival showcases women's triumphs

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Hollywood French film festival showcases women's triumphs