DEAUVILLE, THE CITY OF CINEMA
Numerous images come to mind when evoking Deauville and the cinema: silhouettes of legendary actors in settings and light that are naturally seductive to the cameras. We no longer know who was first to marry the filmmaker or the town. The cinematographic history of deauville continues each year with enthusiasm, passion and the desire to surprise and move the public, to accompany and support creation. Portrait in cinemascope and in nine stages.
A setting for filmmakers
Since the 1920s, film shoots and "professional" vacations have been intertwined. Today, more than sixty films have been shot in Deauville. Deauville is particularly attentive to facilitating filming conditions in its public spaces and to accompanying film crews as closely as possible to their needs. From Henri Pouctal's "Dieu du hasard" (God of Chance) shot in 1919 to Claude Lelouch's "Les plus belles années d'une vie" (The Best Years of a Lifetime) (2019), not forgetting Jean-Pierre Melville's "Bob le Flambeur" (1956): many directors have chosen Deauville as their setting. Among them Jean Delannoy, Marcel Carné, Gérard Blain, Alain Resnais Jacques Doillon, Serge Leroy, Georges Lautner, Patrice Leconte, Sophie Marceau, Diane Kurys, Jean-François Richet or Anne Fontaine.
A lucky director
It was a camera - Claude Lelouch's - that immortalized Deauville in the colors of love... and helped make the town known the world over.
1975, the key year
At the time, Deauville was a mecca for summer festivities. But the ambition was to bring the resort to life beyond the racing season. This was achieved with the birth of the American Film Festival under the impetus of writer Lionel Chouchan and television director André Halimi, with the enthusiastic support of then Mayor Michel d'Ornano and Lucien Barrière, CEO of the family group. Success was immediate. The film industry took root in Deauville, benefiting from a proactive tourism policy based on the creation and development of major events. In 1999, this policy led to the creation of the Asian Film Festival, a showcase for Asian cinema in Europe until 2014.
A promenade à la Sunset boulevard
Since 1991, the names of actors and directors invited to the Festival have been inscribed on the promenade des Planches, reminding visitors that "Hollywood has found an orchard in Normandy", as Anne d'Ornano once said. Each year, these cabins are inaugurated by those who have the honor of having their names inscribed facing the sea.
A role model
Philippe Augier, Mayor of Deauville, is convinced that culture is an essential element in the social equilibrium and attractiveness of towns and regions, and has worked hard to develop the cultural field through festivals and permanent public events. Five cultural events have been held since the birth of the American Film Festival, all the fruit of an open cultural policy that favors discovery, sharing and learning.
April: EASTER FESTIVAL and BOOKS & MUSIC FESTIVAL
August: AUGUST MUSICAL FESTIVAL
All year round: THE FRANCISCAINES CULTURAL SEASON
October: PLANCHES CONTACT PHOTOGRAPHY FESTIVAL
A commitment
In 1995, the American Film Festival became involved in the promotion of American cinema in France by creating an official competition dedicated to independent filmmakers, for whom we are grateful today. The Festival, in partnership with the City of Deauville, is particularly committed to renewing its programming when it comes to better reflecting the world's evolutions. Its sections have constantly evolved over the years.
Ecology through cinema
Alongside the American Film Festival, and bringing together companies, public authorities and NGOs, the Deauville Green Awards Festival is a platform for gathering and conviviality, a time for exchanging best audiovisual practices to highlight concrete achievements in favor of sustainable development. It is supported by the City of Deauville, which has hosted it in June since 2012.
The audience, always the audience
From its very beginnings in 1975, the American Film Festival has established a strong link with its primary stakeholders: the spectators, who now have a full role to play through the Prix du Public de la Ville de Deauville. An information system at each screening encourages them to vote as they leave the cinema. At the same time, and as it has done for many years, the town organizes privileged access for Deauvillais with the "Soirée des Deauvillais" and the distribution of 400 tickets throughout the festival*.
A universe at Les Franciscaines
In 2021, Deauville opened Les Franciscaines. In a former place of worship, reconfigured to suit an innovative cultural project, visitors can let their imaginations run wild and enjoy an unprecedented experience, open to all possibilities: getting informed, talking, listening, learning, discovering, enriching, hanging out, having fun, through itineraries tailored to each visitor's profile. In the galleries surrounding the magnificent cloister, a universe is dedicated to cinema and entertainment, one of Deauville's most cherished themes. Here, visitors can discover Deauville's history with cinema over more than a century, through a film and documents available for consultation.
