RESOURCES

Since 1989, the Premiers Plans Film Festival takes place each year in the city of Angers, France. Through the years, the Festival has become a major meeting of European cinematographic creation, as numerous directors such as Fatih Akin, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Joachim Lafosse, Matteo Garrone, Arnaud Desplechin, Xavier Beauvois, Nick Park, Cristi Puiu, Paolo Sorrentino and Thomas Vinterberg were originally discovered in Angers with the screening of their first films.

Each year, the Official Selection presents 100 european first films divided in nine competitive sections: European first feature and short films, French first short films, Diagonales (New section 2020), Student films, Animated films, Short films for kids, Films scripts- as well as out of competition sections. The official jury and the public award the laureates with 170,000 Euros in prize.

Premiers Plans has two major characteristics: it enables the meeting between the public and filmmakers from one generation and also gives the opportunity to discover or rediscover masterpieces of European cinema on screen through retrospectives highly appreciated and attended by journalists and professionals.

Spotlight new European filmmaker with screenings of 100 first European films, presented in different competitive sections.

Promote the history of cinema and its patrimony with retrospectives of films from different European countries, tributes to major players in the industry -both the famous and the not-so-famous- and thematic programs.

Assist screenwriters and directors working on a new project by inviting professional actors to read their screenplays in front of audiences.

Introduce new audiences to European cinema, encouraging young film-goers to participate in the Festival and organizing film lessons led by industry professionals.

Highlight the diversity of European cinema by bringing together professionals around the questions of production and the circulation of European films.

President of the jury in January 2003, Jeanne Moreau became the prestigious and faithful friend of Premiers Plans. She came back each year to meet and support young filmmakers. She was actively involved in the tributes to Ingmar Bergman, François Truffaut, Louis Malle, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Guillaume Depardieu and recently Bruno Ganz. In 2005 Jeanne Moreau created the Angers Workshops directed toward young filmmakers who are working on their first feature film.

Jérôme CLÉMENT: President of the Festival / Louis MATHIEU: President of the Association