Bruno Dumont, Du Welz, Chazelle, Sciamma & Wiseman Among 2014 Directors’ Fortnight Selections

Bruno Dumont finds a special place on the croisette to premiere his latest work (his television mini-series Li’l Quinquin) and Frederick Wiseman makes another appearance in the section with London Museum bliss in National Gallery as the 2014 edition of the Directors’ Fortnight is low of first time works (only three) and filled with renowned auteurs. Rumored as a possible Main Comp entry, it is the hotly anticipated Bande De Files from Céline Sciamma that will open the section which will be book-ended by what could be a feel-good The Full Monty type in Matthew Warchus’ Pride. Starring Bill Nighy, Dominic West and Imelda Staunton, this 1984 Margaret Thatcher set drama sees gay and lesbian activists support the families of National Union of Mineworkers and thus form to a surprising partnership. Also on the English side, Ken Loach and Mike Leigh will have some company in John Boorman, Queen and Country (#143 of 200 on our Most Anticipated List) is the semiautobiographical sequel to his 1987 film, Hope and Glory.

For those wondering where the Sundance replays might show up, artistic director Edouard Waintrop lands a pair of U.S Dramatic Comp items for international premieres: the most buzzed about titles in Park City in the double award-winning Whiplash from Damien Chazelle gets lassoed while Jim Mickle who was there for We Are What We Are, returns to the fest with Cold in July, (which placed high on our must see Sundance post-fest coverage). Speaking of returnees, Diego Lerman (who we first discovered with La Mirada invisible) will likely be a tear jerker about a toddler who arrives at a women’s shelter with his mother and a plastic toy and Quebecois helmer Stéphane Lafleur who made a trip to the Critics’ Week for En terrains connus now moves up to will Tu Dors Nicole, (#190 of 200 on our Most Anticipated List).

In the bloodcurdling items, joining the 4K restored The Texas Chain Saw Massacre which premiered in the section way back in the day, we find one of our our accurately predicted DF predictions in (see pic above) Fabrice Du Welz Alleluia (#20 of 200 on our Most Anticipated List). Here’s the complete selection including the shorts:

OPENING FILM: Bande De Files, dir: Céline Sciamma
CLOSING FILM: Pride, Matthew Warchus

FEATURES
Alleluia, Fabrice Du Welz
Catch Me Daddy, Daniel Wolfe
Next To Her, Asaf Korman
Cold In July, Jim Mickle
Fighters, Thomas Cailley
Gett — The Trial Of Viviane Amsalem, Ronit & Shlomi Elbaketz
Kaguya-Hime No Monogatari, Isao Takahata
Eat Your Bones, Jean-Charles Hue
A Hard Day, Seong-Hun Kim
National Gallery, Frederick Wiseman
Queen And Country, John Boorman
Refugiado, Diego Lerman
These Final Hours, Zach Hilditch
Tu Dors Nicole, Stéphane Lafleur
Whiplash, Damien Chazelle
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Tobe Hooper

SPECIAL SCREENING
Li’l Quinquin, dir: Bruno Dumont

SHORT FILMS
Fragments, dir: Aga Woszczynska
In August, dir: Jenna Hasse
Cambodia 2099, dir: Davy Chou
The Revolution Hunter, dir: Margarida Rego
8 Bullets, dir: Frank Ternier
It Can Pass Through The Wall, dir: Radu Jude
Torn, dirs: Elmar Imanov & Engin Kundag
Heartless, dirs: Nara Normande & Tião Tiao
Man On The Chair, dir: Dahee Jeong
Jutra, dir: Marie-Josée Saint-Pierre
Guy Moquet, dir: Demis Herenger