A tribute to Michel Blanc and a special prize to Costa-Gavras at the opening of the 16th edition of the Lumière festival in Lyon

During the nine days of the festival, 157 films are presented in more than 400 screenings throughout the city.

The 16th edition of the Lumière festival opened on Saturday evening in Lyon with a vibrant tribute to Michel Blanc, in the presence of big names in cinema in a room filled with 5,000 moviegoers. Monica Belluci and Tim Burton, Lambert Wilson, Vanessa Paradis, Alexandra Lamy, Vincent Lindon but also Régis Debray were present at the opening evening of the festival, which celebrates a cinema “heritage”in the birthplace of Cinématographe Lumière.

The festival, which offers retrospectives to honor actors or directors from yesterday or today, began with an extract from Tanned people go skiingwho made the room sing, in a moving tribute to the actor Michel Blanc who died last week. “It was very beautiful, very strong”commented the president of the festival and director of the Lumière Institute, Thierry Frémaux, in his opening speech.

The Franco-Greek Costa-Gavras, committed director made famous by his films Z (1969) and the confession (1970) received a special Lumière Prize, presented to him by Tim Burton. “It is such an honor to present you with this award.”said the latter, saluting the cinema “human, beautiful and thoughtful” of Costa-Gavras, moved to tears. The 91-year-old filmmaker presents his Last breathwhich will be released in theaters in January 2025, in the presence of the film crew.

During the nine days of the festival, 157 films will be presented in more than 400 screenings throughout the city. The festival also programs films by Vanessa Paradis (The girl on the bridge, Café de Flore), by the American-Spanish Benicio del Toro (Las Vegas Parano, Che) or the Canadian director Xavier Dolan (Laurence Anyways, Mommy). They will also take part in master classes.

Spectators will also be able to meet Justine Triet, the director of the highly acclaimed Anatomy of a fall (2023), Jacques Audiard, whose musical Emilia Perez is currently in theaters, where the legendary Mexican director Alejandro Jodorowsky (The sacred mountain1973).

This year’s Lumière Prize will be awarded to French actress and producer Isabelle Huppert. She succeeds German director Wim Wenders, winner in 2023. Two other actresses received it: Jane Fonda in 2018 and Catherine Deneuve in 2016. The festival must close on Sunday October 20 with a tribute with Alain Delon, who will appear in Full Sun (1960) by René Clément.