The Department pursues a particularly dynamic and diverse policy in favor of cinema with the ambition of strengthening the cinematic vocation of the Alpes-Maritimes. It supports numerous events that serve as true nurseries for works and talents, such as the Cannes Film Festival or the “C’est trop court” Festival.
It accomplishes this through the actions of the Cinematic and Audiovisual Support Fund, allocated with a budget of 300,000 euros.
This system was created in 2006 by the Department, in connection with the National Cinema Center and the animated image, to encourage filming in the Alpes-Maritimes, a land of inspiration and excellence for the 7th art, which has continually inspired its greatest craftsmen such as Marcel Carné, Luis Buñuel, Alfred Hitchcock, François Truffaut; attracted its most brilliant performers like Grace Kelly, Brigitte Bardot, Alain Delon, Marion Cotillard; and given birth to the greatest classics, including “Les Enfants du Paradis,” “To Catch a Thief,” “And God Created Woman,” or “Day for Night”…
This effervescence led to the creation of the famous Victorine Studios in 1919, the mythical Cannes Film Festival in 1946, and new digital companies at the heart of Sophia Antipolis.
For the second consecutive year, actress Michèle Laroque chairs this Reading Committee composed of emblematic personalities from the small and big screen: Gabrielle Lazure, Noëlle Perna, Denis Amar, Cyril Gelbat, Claude de Saint-Vincent, Gérard Camy, Stéphane Keller, Olivier Torres.
The Committee members are responsible for giving their opinion on the cinematographic projects eligible to receive support from the Departmental Council. They provide solid expertise to favor the quality of productions over quantity, enabling bold projects to come to fruition, new talents to emerge, and creators of worlds to realize their dreams.
Such is the mission the Reading Committee fulfilled in 2015 by highlighting three admirable productions:
An imaginary escape: “Minuscule 2: Mandibles From Far Away,” by Thomas Szabo and Hélène Giraud, which follows the first episode already funded by the Department and winner of the 2015 César Award for Best Animated Feature Film;
An intimate gem brimming with charm and originality: “Gueule d’ange,” a feature film by Vanessa Filho, with Audrey Lamy, heroine of the popular series “Scènes de ménage,” in the leading role, which will be entirely filmed in the 06;
A suspenseful police series: “Section de recherche,” which has been filmed in the Alpes-Maritimes since 2014 and consistently achieves excellent viewership (an average of 6.8 million spectators for the 10th season in 2016).
