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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


“THE STORY OF MY LIFE” WINS AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD AT 9TH ANNUAL CITY OF LIGHTS, CITY OF ANGELS FESTIVAL

WRITER-DIRECTOR LAURENT TIRARD’S FILM SHOWN AS BONUS MATINEE

LOS ANGELES, CA – APRIL 18, 2005 – Paris-based writer-director Laurent Tirard was awarded the Audience Choice Award for most popular film of the 9th Annual City of Lights, City of Angels Film Festival for his film “The Story of My Life.” During the festival, audience members were able to cast votes as they were leaving each screening. Votes were tallied Saturday evening. In second and third place were “The First Time I Was Twenty, by writer-director Lorraine Lèvy and “The Light,” by writer-director Philippe Lioret, respectively.

“This award not only is a bonus for our growing festival audiences, but serves as a new platform for films to gain the attention of U.S. distributors, particularly since AFM is no longer held in February,” stated festival director Claudia Durgnat. “Festival sales were up by 37% from 2004, and the COL•COA partners plan to make an even larger impact in the market next year, the 10th anniversary of the festival,” she added.

Mr. Tirard addressed the audience at the beginning of the program prior to returning to France with the Franco American Cultural Fund delegation. The French writer-director, who attended film school in New York, was a writer for Studio Magazine and had written and directed two shorts before co-writing and directing this first feature length film.

One of the most successful comedies of the year in France, “The Story of My Life” is the story of Raphaël (Édouard Baer), a frustrated celebrity ghostwriter writing the autobiography of a soccer player, while dreaming of being an acclaimed novelist. Clovis Cornillac was awarded the César for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Kevin, a soccer superstar with an enormous ego and a very low IQ. Alice Taglioni (The Barbarian Invasions, Ararat), plays Claire, Kevin’s girlfriend and Raphaël’s former college flame.

City of Lights, City of Angels Film Festival is funded by the Franco American Cultural Fund, a unique collaboration of the Directors Guild of America (DGA); SACEM, France’s Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music; Writers Guild of America, west (WGAwest); the Motion Picture Association (MPA) and with the vital support of L’ARP, France’s Association of Directors and Producers; the Film and TV Department of the French Embassy in Los Angeles and Unifrance.

City of Lights, City of Angels Film Festival is sponsored by Air France, TV5, Los Angeles magazine, LA.com (Official Sponsors), Club Culinaire of French Cuisine, Airstar Space Lighting (Presenting Sponsors), LA Weekly, Variety, Mondrian, Valrhona, Vivendi Universal Games (Major Sponsors), Astralwerks, Hollywood Blond and Piera Rossi-Blodwell (Sponsors).

Press Contact: Cathy Mouton (323) 668-2820 • camouton@pacbell.net