La Ciotat, cradle of cinema, launches the 41st edition of the First French-speaking Film Festival

The actress Françoise Fabian chairs the jury of this festival in a place which saw the birth of cinema and the first films in history. Narrative.

Eden lives up to its name. This Italian-style theater, with its columns and red velvet armchairs, prides itself on being the oldest cinema in the world still in operation. From June 5 to 9, 2024, the First French-speaking Film Festival will be held there.

Inaugurated in June 1889, it is located on the seafront, in an idyllic setting with a view of the bay of La Ciotat (Bouches-du-Rhône). It was in this city where their father owned a vast property that the Lumière Brothers, Louis and Auguste, shot many of their first films. The most famous will of course remain The arrival of the train at La Ciota stationt which very frightened the spectators of the time, frightened to see the locomotive rushing in their direction.

On September 21, 1895, Antoine Lumière, the proud father of the two brothers, invited all the notables of La Ciotat and the surrounding area and organized a screening of these surprising animated images. Around 150 people were amazed to discover these very short films – less than a minute – filmed in Lyon (Exit from the Lumière factories, Place des Cordeliers) and in La Ciotat (Sea swimming, Baby’s dinner).

The event takes place in the Grand Salon of his villa nicknamed “Le Palais Lumière”. Thanks to the support of Loto du Patrimoine, it has just been restored. On March 21, 1899, four years after the invention of the cinematograph, it was at Eden that the first paid screening in the history of cinema took place. On the program, around twenty short films including The launch of a ship in La Ciotat, A Bun Backcomb or, more exotic, American Cowboys And A caravan to the Pyramids of Egypt.

The Eden-Théâtre is now the world’s oldest cinema still in operation. In the reception hall, you can see the poster of the very first program with this comment: “The show, most scientific, absolutely moral and interesting, is enjoyed by adults as well as children who can be brought along without fear.

Upstairs, visitors to Eden can also discover some copies of these first films in history by operating the crank of the mini-cinematographs.

It is therefore not surprising that this historic cinema organizes each year, in the wake of the Cannes Film Festival, its own competition: the First French-speaking Film Festival. The jury for this 41st edition spread over five days will be chaired by actress Françoise Fabian.

On the poster, the luminous smile of a young actress: Céleste Brunnquell. She won the Best Actress Prize last year for her role in Fifi. The jury was chaired by screenwriter and director Danièle Thompson.

Nine feature films will be in competition this year: Pauline, life size by Nadège de Benoit-Luthy, Six feet on the ground by Karim Bensalah, New world by Vincent Cappello, Shock roommates by Elodie Lélu, The ghosts by Jonathan Millet, Waiting for the night by Céline Rouzet, Niki by Céline Sallette, Paternal by Ronan Tronchot and Lost steps by Thibaut Wolhfarht and Roda Fawaz. Some have already been released in theaters but most remain to be discovered. Three films are presented in preview in the presence of their directors and numerous actors

There are also nine short films in competition: The Invulnerable by Lucas Bacle, The Great Bear by Anthony Bajon, Why did you leave the horse alone? by Faouzi Bensaïdi, Tinikling by Nicolas Birkenstock, Totems by Arthur Cahn, Malandrin by Héloïse Fressoz, Little Queen by Julien Guetta and 4801 Nights by Laurence Michel.

Budding filmmakers will have the chance to make themselves known thanks to the 48 Hour Chrono Challenge organized in partnership with the SATIS film school of the University of Aix-Marseille and the City of La Ciotat. Participants will have to create a 3 to 5 minute film in just two days, respecting the theme and the instructions given to them. This challenge will be launched on Thursday June 6 at 8 p.m. The films made by these young talents will then be screened on Sunday to the seven members of the jury. The winner will have the honor of seeing their film on the big screen at Eden during the closing evening on June 9. For the record, in 2023, it was the director Jean-Baptiste Durand who won the “Lumière d’Or – Cradle of Cinema” for his first film: Dog of the breakage. The jury also granted the Male Interpretation Prize for its two actors: Anthony Bajon and Raphaël Quenard.

Information and reservations:

La Ciotat Cradle of Cinema
22, rue Adolphe Abeille
13600 La Ciotat
www.berceau-cinema.com