2024 was no common year for the Deauville American Film Festival.

Created in 1975 to counteract the drop in September tourism, every year Deauville in France with Le Public Système Cinéma host the festival to celebrate independent American cinema. This year, spectators were thrilled to be part of the 50^th anniversary of the event, which retraced its 50 years of glorious history!

For 50 years, Le Public Système Cinéma has been committed to bringing the magic of the festival to life. With a varied and carefully crafted program, the agency offers its audience the chance to discover the universe of American independent cinema. The competing films, rigorously selected by the teams at Public Système Cinéma, allow spectators to appreciate these promising creations, all under the watchful eyes of stars and cinema professionals.

This year, audiences were fortunate to attend the premiere of Sean Baker’s film Anora, an independent film that won the Palme d’Or at Cannes, and to dive into the iconic universe of Tim Burton by watching the new Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, a major box office success, as well as Megalopolis, the latest film by director Francis Ford Coppola. Fifty years of the festival, fifty years of cinema, an opportunity to see or revisit classics, including must-sees Inception, Matrix, and many more.

Beyond films, the festival sought to honor key figures in the world of cinema. Among them were actresses Michelle Williams and Natalie Portman, both awarded the Deauville Talent Award. Not to forget the legendary Michael Douglas, alongside French actor Benoit Magimel, President of the Jury, and French actress Alice Belaïdi, President of the Revelation Jury.

Numerous media outlets provided exceptional coverage of the event: Canal+, Konbini, Telerama, INA, TDD, and WeLoveCinéma. A handful of influencers had the chance to walk the red carpet, including Youzy, Sparkdise, and Marcus.

As is tradition and under the amused gaze of festivalgoers, Le Public Système Cinéma held the traditional inauguration of the beach cabana for Natalie Portman and Michelle Williams.

In summary, an exceptional edition with a selection of over 100 films presented to the public, nearly 170 screenings and events, more than 100 American guests in attendance, and over 500 accredited cinema professionals. Notable coverage across all social media platforms: more than 300,000 interactions!

All this, under the amazed gaze of 60,000 spectators throughout the festival.

For its 50th anniversary, the book “Deauville, 50 Years of American Cinema” was published, as a tribute to these years of the festival, to the films honored, and to the celebrities who have graced the red carpet. A beautiful spotlight, reflecting a particular interest and respect from France for American independent cinema.

See you next year for the 51st edition of the Deauville American Film Festival!

For more information about the Festival, visit: https://www.festival-deauville.com/

*Article thumbnail image ©Jacques Basile