Billed as the largest festival in Hollywood dedicated to foreign film, the City of Lights, City of Angels (COL•COA) Festival will be bringing the best in contemporary French cinema from Paris to Los Angeles in what will be its 20th year.

Of note, films you should be familiar with by now, given how much coverage they’ve received here on S&A, that are scheduled to screen include Omar Sy’s latest French-produced feature film "Chocolat," which is based on the life of Rafael Padilla – a former Cuban-born slave, who became a performer in France during the Belle Epoque era.

In short, nicknamed "Chocolat," Padilla was born in Cuba in 1868 and was sold into slavery at the age of 9, to a Portuguese merchant. After escaping slavery, he traveled to Paris and launched a career in the circus, captivating the French with his talents as a singer and dancer, and as a clown, working under the stage name "Chocolat," a term that, because of the roles he played, became slang for "ridiculed or abused." 

When his parents died, the woman charged with looking after him sent him to Europe, where Rafael hoped to find his freedom. He did odd jobs in Spain, and eventually arrived in Paris in 1887, at the age of 18, where he was discovered by Footit, a British clown who needed a partner. Rafael then joined the circus, where he was habitually cast in denigrating roles – like king of the monkeys, slave to Cleopatra, King of the jungle, etc. And it was there that he began to find himself, struggling with the distorted public image that made him a star, reconciling that with the human being that he was but few actually knew.

He died in Bordeaux on November 4, 1917.

French-Moroccan actor/director Roschdy Zem, is director of "Chocolat."

This will be the film’s North American premiere, which will open the festival.

Also of note, is Tunisian filmmaker Leyla Bouzid’s impressive debut feature film, "As I Open My Eyes" which is set in the summer of 2010, on the eve of Tunisia’s Jasmine Revolution, and follows Farah, a rebellious 18-year-old. Her over-protective mother wants her to study medicine, but fearless Farah prefers to sing with an underground band. When the police are alerted to the band’s subversive performances, and begin to harass them, Farah is detained and interrogated, and she begins to realize that one of her friends is a snitch.

Baya Medhaffer and Ghalia Benali star in the film.

Inspired by the filmmaker’s personal experience, "As I Open My Eyes" (a France, Tunisia, Belgium, United Arab Emirates co-production) won the Best European Film at the Venice Film Festival last fall, and continues to travel. Reactions to the film after its early film screenings were stellar. Toronto (TIFF) called it a "remarkably accomplished first film," directed "with unflagging honesty and an impeccable eye for detail," adding that "Bouzid’s behind-the-camera talent is complemented by Iraqi musician Khyam Allami’s compositions and Ghassen Amami’s hard-hitting lyrics, and by the engaging, truthful performances of the cast – particularly Medhaffer, a joy to watch on stage as the fiery Farah, sharing a marvelous onscreen chemistry with celebrated singer-performer Benali."

This will be the film’s West Coast Premiere.

And there are others which I’ll profile in later posts leading up to the event.

Of course all films to be screened at COLCOA, are in French with English subtitles. The film festival is set to run in Hollywood from April 18-26.

“This 20th anniversary deserves a spectacular, strong programme that reflects the diversity of French production, as well as the creativity and dynamism of French film-makers and producers,” said COLCOA executive producer and artistic director François Truffart. “More than ever, we are about to involve audiences in a journey that will stir them, make them laugh, cry, tickle their curiosity, and help them remain optimistic, while recognizing the urgent world zeitgeist.”

Check out the COL•COA website for the full lineup and more information.