About the Festival

Since 1989, the Premiers Plans Film Festival takes place each year in the city of Angers, France. Through the years, the Festival has become a major meeting of European cinematographic creation, as numerous directors such as Fatih Akin, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Joachim Lafosse, Matteo Garrone, Arnaud Desplechin, Xavier Beauvois, Nick Park, Cristi Puiu, Paolo Sorrentino and Thomas Vinterberg were originally discovered in Angers with the screening of their first films.

Each year, the Official Selection presents 100 european first films divided in nine competitive sections: European first feature and short films, French first short films, Diagonales (New section 2020), Student films, Animated films, Short films for kids, Films scripts- as well as out of competition sections. The official jury and the public award the laureates with 170,000 Euros in prize.

Premiers Plans has two major characteristics: it enables the meeting between the public and filmmakers from one generation and also gives the opportunity to discover or rediscover masterpieces of European cinema on screen through retrospectives highly appreciated and attended by journalists and professionals.

Festival objectives

Spotlight new European filmmaker with screenings of 100 first European films, presented in different competitive sections.
Promote the history of cinema and its patrimony with retrospectives of films from different European countries, tributes to major players in the industry -both the famous and the not-so-famous- and thematic programs.
Assist screenwriters and directors working on a new project by inviting professional actors to read their screenplays in front of audiences.
Introduce new audiences to European cinema, encouraging young film-goers to participate in the Festival and organizing film lessons led by industry professionals.
Highlight the diversity of European cinema by bringing together professionals around the questions of production and the circulation of European films.

A few figures

In 2024

204 films presented, including 83 first European films in competition,
24 European countries represented,
12 European film schools from 11 different countries,
Nearly 100 young European filmmakers, actors, producers and scriptwriters came to present their first film and meet the public,
950 European film and audiovisual professionals and 60 journalists in attendance.
Over 80,000 admissions, including 30,000 for children and young people under 25.

Jeanne Moreau

President of the jury in January 2003, Jeanne Moreau became the prestigious and faithful friend of Premiers Plans. She came back each year to meet and support young filmmakers. She was actively involved in the tributes to Ingmar Bergman, François Truffaut, Louis Malle, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Guillaume Depardieu and recently Bruno Ganz. In 2005 Jeanne Moreau created the Angers Workshops directed toward young filmmakers who are working on their first feature film.

The presidents of the Jury since 1989 (Feature films, Short films, Diagonales)

2024 Robin Campillo, Lola Quivoron 2023 Mia Hansen-Løve, Samir Guesmi, Vincent Le Port 2022 Melvil Poupaud, Chloé Mazlo, Anaïs Volpé 2021 Pierre Salvadori 2020 Juliette Binoche, Claude Barras 2019 Cédric Kahn, Michael Dudok de Wit 2018 Catherine Deneuve 2017 Lambert Wilson 2016 Arnaud Desplechin, Laetitia Casta, Dyana Gaye 2015 Laurent Cantet, Jiři Barta 2014 Catherine Corsini 2013 Noémie Lvovsky, Fabienne Godet 2012 Christophe Honoré, Mathieu Demy 2011 Robert Guédiguian, Tonie Marshall 2010 Lucas Belvaux, Matthias Luthardt 2009 Claire Denis, Raoul Servais 2008 Sandrine Bonnaire 2007 Abderrahmane Sissako 2006 Radu Mihaileanu 2005 Jacqueline Bisset, Claude Miller 2004 Benoît Jacquot 2003 Jeanne Moreau 2002 Nathalie Baye 2001 Pavel Lounguine 2000 Agnès Varda 1999 Lucian Pintilie 1998 Claude Chabrol 1997 Agnieszka Holland 1996 Freddy Buache 1995 Bertrand Tavernier 1994 Andrzej Zulawski 1993 Jane Birkin 1992 André Téchiné 1991 Vojtech Jasny 1990 Henri Alekan 1989 Théo Angelopoulos

Premiers Plans Association

Presidency

President of the Premiers Plans Festival Jérôme Clément
President of the Premiers Plans Association Louis Mathieu

Board of the Association

President Louis Mathieu
Vice-president Jérôme Clément
Vice-President Anne Loiseau
Treasurer Jacques Chambrier
Deputy Treasurer Pascale Humbert
Secretary Dominique Fraboulet