The director of the Deauville film festival withdrawn after accusations of harassment and sexual assault

Bruno Barde is targeted by the testimonies of seven collaborators in an investigation published Wednesday by Mediapart.

Bruno Barde was “exemption” from his position as director of the Deauville American Film Festival, announced Hopscotch, the group which oversees the event, Thursday June 13. He is the target of accusations of harassment and sexual assault of seven employees between 2014 and 2023, according to a Mediapart investigation published on Wednesday.

The Hopscotch communications group told AFP it was taking “these testimonies take these testimonies very seriously”. Bruno Barde, general director of Public Système Cinéma, which takes care of the organization of festivals and press relations, “was officially exempted from activity while the necessary investigations were carried out”explains Hopscotch, who decided to “mandate an independent organization to set up a system for listening and supporting employees”. Hopscotch assures that Bruno Barde will not be director of the Deauville American Film Festival this year.

A new management of Public Système Cinéma “is confirmed and will be announced in the coming days”, continues the communications group. Transition management”is set up with Alexis Delage-Toriel, director of press relations and communications and Jérôme Lasserre, director of programming.specifies Hopscotch, who affirms that“no reports” did not have “was reported neither to the group’s human resources teams nor to harassment referents”.

The anonymous testimonies published by the investigative media range from sexist remarks, to a hand under a t-shirt, or even a proposal for a bath with massage. “If it is true that I have a Latin temperament, that I am an aesthete, who is perhaps too easy to compliment, I have never made a remark with a sexual connotation, nor had the slightest gesture or incitement to sexual or sexist character towards my colleagues”defends Bruno Barde, who could not be reached by AFP, to Mediapart. “And, if anyone has ever felt offended, I sincerely apologize,” he adds.

Note that in addition to the Deauville festival, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year (September 6-15), Bruno Barde is also director of the Gérardmer International Fantastic Film Festival and the Reims Police Film Festival, which have already taken place .