EXCLUSIVE: Penélope Cruz Named Guest of Honor at Biarritz International Film Festival
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The new Biarritz International Film Festival is off to a stellar start. The fledgling film festival will welcome Penélope Cruz as the guest of honor for its very first edition, with the Oscar winner set to present a screening of her film “On the Fringe” ahead of its French premiere.
Cruz not only stars in but produced the film, which received a slew of Goya nominations — Spain’s version of the Oscars — for director Juan Diego Botto, costars Luis Tosar, Christian Checa, as well as a nod for Cruz herself.
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The Chanel ambassador will also partake in a public session following the screening. The story centers on the intertwining stories of people about to lose their homes, the lawyer who tries to help them, and the toll it takes on his family. It will premiere in France on July 5.
The Biarritz International Film Festival is billing itself as the first international film competition focused on the “stories of youth.” Young itself, the film festival launched this year under the direction of founder Jérôme Pulis, former director of international communications at Christian Dior Parfums.
For the festival’s prize, all of the members of the main jury are under age 35, while a second jury is comprised of students from films schools.
The jury brings a handful of popular American stars to the surfing city, including “Daisy Jones & The Six” actress Camila Morrone, “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” star Noah Centineo, “We Are Who We Are” actress Francesca Scorsese, daughter of legendary director Martin Scorsese.
French members of the jury include “Three Musketeers” star Lyna Khoudri, “No Time to Die” actor Dali Benssalah, and dancer and Jacquemus model Leo Walk.
Serving as president of the jury is Iranian director Saeed Roustaee. His film “Leila’s Brothers” won the International Film Critics Prize in Cannes last year.
The film festival will open today and run until Sunday in the French coastal resort town.
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