YES, Cinema on the Bayou 2021 is now open for submissions! The annual eight-day Cinema on the Bayou Film Festival is an international juried film festival dedicated to presenting narrative, documentary, animated and experimental films and filmmakers with truly original voices in one of the friendliest, most unique cultures in the world here in the heart of Cajun Country. COTB is also committed to promoting both established and emerging filmmakers and the relationship-building that is crucial to their continued work. The dedication and commitment of COTB in this regard continue regardless of the pandemic -- we will have a juried Festival in January 2021, whether in person or, if necessary, on line, or a combination of the two.
We invite all filmmakers to submit to the 16th Cinema on the Bayou Film Festival, January 20-27, 2021, and join us for one of the best regional film festivals in the world.
The COTB 2020 Award winners were:
Best Narrative Feature
Les fleurs oubliées (Forgotten Flowers) - CANADA (Québec) – Director André Forcier in attendance
Director’s Choice Narrative Feature
Philophobia – U.K. – Director Guy Davies in attendance
Special Jury Award Narrative Feature
Pour mieux t’aimer (To Better Love You) - CANADA (New Brunswick) – Co-Director Denise Bouchard and Co-Director Gilles Doiron and Editor Martin Goguen in attendance
Things I Do For Money – CANADA (Toronto) – Director Warren Sonoda, Writer Gary Nolan, Producer Avi Federgreen and Actors Maximilian Aoki and Theodor Aoki in attendance
Inside the Rain – U.S.A. – Director Aaron Fisher in attendance
Best Narrative Short
Unspoken – U.S.A. - Director Andrew Ascough
Director’s Choice Narrative Short
Vieux Revolver (Old Revolver) - FRANCE – Director Shaan Couture and Actor Yamee Couture in attendance
Special Jury Award Narrative Short
All Around Cowboy – U.SA. – Director Cole Brewer; Actor Knut Brekke in attendance
Oksana and Victor - CANADA (Ontario) – Director Mark Datuin and Actors Ekaterina Baker and Nicolas Sampedro-Sillmann in attendance
Juste toi et moi (Just You and Me)– CANADA (Québec) - Director Sandrine Brodeur-Desrosiers
Best Actor in a Feature Film
Roy Dupuis - Les fleurs oubliées (Forgotten Flowers) - CANADA (Québec)
Best Actor in a Short Film
Knut Brekke – All Around Cowboy – U.S.A.
Best Documentary Feature
Des histoires inventés (Imaginary Tales) - CANADA (Québec)- Director Jean Marc E. Roy; Subject André Forcier in attendance
Director’s Choice Documentary Feature Award
Vaillancourt: regard si c’est beau (Vaillancourt: Isn’t It Beautiful) - CANADA (Québec)
Special Jury Award Documentary Feature
Entre mer et mur (A Wall Within) – CANADA (Québec) – Director Catherine Veaux-Logeat in attendance
Que l’amour (When Love Is All You Have) - FRANCE - Director Laetitia Mikles
The Raven and the Seagull – DENMARK – Director Lasse Lau in attendance
Best Documentary Short
Train Hopper – CANADA (Québec) - Director Amelie Hardy
Director’s Choice Documentary Short
Belle-Ile en Acadie - CANADA (New Brunswick) – Director Phil Comeau in attendance
Special Jury Award Documentary Short
L’esprit du violon trad - CANADA (Québec) – Director André Gladu in attendance
Katatjatuuk Kangirsumi (Throat Singing in Kangirsuk) - CANADA (Québec) - Directors Eva Kaukai, Manon Chamberland
Mon père, Elvis (My Dad, Elvis) - CANADA (Québec) - Director Eric Piccoli
Three Seasons of Sarony – CANADA (Québec)- Director Christian Fleury in attendance
Best Animation Short
A Japanese Boy Who Draws – JAPAN - Director Masanao Kawajiri
Special Jury Award Animation Short
Shumshu - JAPAN - Director Ryo Okawara
Best Experimental Feature
Electric Swan – GREECE - Director Konstantina Kotzamani
Vu pas vue (Under the Gaze) - CANADA (Québec) - Mireille Dansereau
Best Experimental Short
Drei Atlas (Three Atlas) - HAITI / CANADA (Québec) - Director Miryam Charles
Special Jury Award Experimental Short
I Am He Who Created Himself / U.S.A. - Director Emma Penaz Eisner
Le Train Bleu Award
Return to Calais / U.S.A – Director Edith Goldenhar in attendance
Inspiration Award
Barefoot : The Mark Baumer Story / U.S.A. – Director Julie Sokolow in attendance
Cinematography Award
When We Kill The Creators / U.S.A. – Director Cynthia Mort and Actor Shelby Lynne in attendance
Audience Award
When We Kill The Creators / U.S.A. – Director Cynthia Mort and Actor Shelby Lynne in attendance
Louisiane-Acadie Award
Phil Comeau
Gilles Doiron
On January 22, 2020, the 15th Cinema on the Bayou Film Festival will kick off an incredible eight days of films and the filmmakers who make them with the World Premiere screening of WHEN WE KILL THE CREATORS, a film by Los Angeles-based writer/director Cynthia Mort and starring Grammy Award-Winning singer-songwriter Shelby Lynne. The film tells the story of a singer's improbable journey to reach her dreams, and when she does, the price she has paid. The film also features Ally Walker and Tony Joe White. All original songs were written for the film by Cynthia Mort and Shelby Lynne.
Ms. Lynne and Ms. Mort will attend the screening along with producer Jan O'Connell.
Come join us at the Vermilionville Performance Center for this Red Carpet event on Wednesday, January 22, 2020, at 6:30 p.m. The film screening will be followed by a gala reception with complimentary hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar. Tickets can be purchased through Eventbrite using the Get Tickets button, above.
When We Kill The Creators Trailer
The Festival, which will screen nearly 200 films from across the United States and around the world, including over 50 French language films, will continue through January 29, 2020, at venues across Acadiana, including the Vermilionville Performance Center, Cite des Arts, the Acadiana Center for the Arts and the Lafayette Parish Library South Regional Branch in Lafayette and St. Landry Cinema in Opelousas.
The Festival will close on Wednesday evening, January 29, 2020, with the International Premiere of POUR MIEUX T'AIMER (TO BETTER LOVE YOU), a narrative feature film by Moncton-based directors Denise Bouchard and Gilles Doiron, who will be in attendance for the film screening. The film, which made its World Premiere at the Festival International du Cinema Francophone En Acadie in November, won the Leonard Forest Prize for Best Acadian Long Film.
Come join us at the Vermilionville Performance Center for this Red Carpet event on Wednesday, January 29, 2020, at 6:30 p.m. The film screening will be followed by a gala reception with complimentary hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar. Tickets can be purchased through Eventbrite using the Get Tickets button, above.
A complete schedule of film screenings, filmmaker expert panels and social events will be posted in early January 2020. Festival passes are available for purchase now.
15th Cinema on the Bayou Film Festival Official Selections - Feature Films
Narrative Features
Dérive (The Far Shore) / Canada (Longueuil) / 104 min / U.S. Premiere / Director: David Uloth
Effigie - Das Gift und die Stadt (Effigy - Poison and the City)/ Germany / 85 min / Louisiana Premiere / Director: Udo Flohr
Electric Swan / Greece / 40 min / Southern U.S. Premiere / Director: Konstantina Kotzamani
Empty Nester’s Handbook / U.S.A. (Texas) / 87 min / Louisiana Premiere / Director: David N. Reyes
History of Love / Slovenia / 105 min / Southern U.S. Premiere / Director: Sonja Prosenc
Hydra / Japan / 77 min / Southern U.S. Premiere / Director: Kensuke Sonomura
Inside the Rain / U.S.A. / 90 min / Louisiana Premiere / Director: Aaron Fisher
La Cinta de Alex (Alex’s Strip) / Spain, India / 115 min / U.S. Premiere / Director: Irene Zoe Alameda
Les fleurs oubliées (Forgotten Flowers) / Canada (Montréal) / 102 min / U.S. Premiere / Director: André Forcier
Mad Dog Labine / Canada (Montréal) / 77 min / U.S. Premiere / Directors: Renaud Lessard, Jonathan Beaulieu-Cyr
Moi sans toi (Me Without You) / Canada (Montréal) / 70 min / U.S. Premiere / Director: Guillaume Collin
Nipponia Nippon Fukushima Rhapsody / Japan / 112 min / U.S. Premiere / Director: Ryo Saitani
No Such Thing As Monsters / Australia / 95 min / U.S. Premiere/ Director: Stuart Stanton
Philophobia / United Kingdom / 125 min / Louisiana Premiere / Director: Guy Davies
Pour mieux t’aimer (To Better Love You) / Canada (Moncton) / 111 min / International Premiere / Directors: Denise Bouchard, Gilles Doiron
Romance Analyst / U.S.A. / 92 min / Louisiana Premiere / Director: Rachel Wortell
Spiral Farm / U.S.A. / 90 min / Louisiana Premiere / Director: Alec Tibaldi
The Last Earth Girl / U.S.A. / 93 min / Louisiana Premiere / Director: Jim Weter
Things I Do For Money / Canada (Toronto) / 89 min / U.S. Premiere / Director: Warren P. Sonoda
Tokyo Offerings Flower / Japan / 83 min / Southern U.S. Premiere / Director: Masaya Kato
When We Kill The Creators / U.S.A. / 95 min / World Premiere / Director: Cynthia Mort
Wretch / U.S.A. / 85 min / Louisiana Premiere / Director: Matthew Dunehoo
Documentary Features
Avec un sourire la revolution (And With A Smile, The Revolution) / Canada / 87 min / U.S. Premiere / Director: Alexandre Chartrand
Barefoot: The Mark Baumer Story / U.S.A. / 87 min / Louisiana Premiere / Director: Julie Sokolow
Des histoires inventées (Imaginary Tales) / Canada (Québec) / 71 min / International Premiere / Director: Jean Marc E. Roy
Entre mer et mur (A Wall Within) / Canada (Montréal) / 75 min / U.S. Premiere / Director: Catherine Veaux-Logeat
Ever, Rêve, Hélène Cixous / France / 118 min / U.S. Premiere / Director: Olivier Morel
Felix In Wonderland / Germany, France / 50 min / Louisiana Premiere / Director: Marie Losier
Last Night I Saw You Smiling / Cambodia / 78 min / Southern U.S. Premiere / Director: Kavich Neang
Le prince de l’acadie / Canada (Moncton) / 48 min / U.S. Premiere / Directors: Gilles Doiron, Julien Robichaud
Les Coasters (Coasters) / Canada (Québec) / 85 min / International Premiere / Directors: Nicolas-Alexandre Tremblay, Stéphane Trottier
Life After Life / U.S.A. / 63 min / Louisiana Premiere / Director: Christopher Boulton
Patrinell: The Total Experience / U.S.A. / 94 min / Louisiana Premiere / Directors: TiaYoung, Andrew Elizaga
Que l’amour (When Love Is All You Have) / France / 80 min / U.S. Premiere / Director: Laetitia Mikles
ruth weiss, the beat goddess / U.S.A. / 85 min / Louisiana Premiere / Director: Melody C. Miller
The Condor & The Eagle / U.S.A. / 79 min / Louisiana Premiere / Directors: Sophie Guerra, Clement Guerra
The Raven and the Seagull / Denmark / 71 min / Louisiana Premiere / Director: Lasse Lau
Un homme sage-femme (Midwife Man) / Canada (Québec) / 64 min / U.S. Premiere / Director: Martine Asselin
Vague d’Acadie (Acadian Music Wave) / Canada (Montréal) / 100 min / U.S. Premiere / Director: Phil Comeau
Vaillancourt: regard si c’est beau (Vaillancourt: Isn’t It Beautiful) / Canada (Québec) / 80 min / U.S. Premiere / Director: John Blouin
The 15th Cinema on the Bayou Film Festival, an annual international juried Film Festival, will be held on January 22-29, 2020, at venues in and around Lafayette, Louisiana. Come join us for the screening of nearly 200 independent films, along with the filmmakers who make them, from across the United States and around the world. The World, U.S. and Louisiana Premieres will include narrative and documentary features, and narrative, documentary, animated and experiemental shorts. All-Access Passes can be purchased through Eventbrite at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/15th-cinema-on-the-bayou-film-festival-tickets-77756057461. Individual tickets, day-passes and tickets for the opening and closing night films and receptions will go on sale in December. A description of all films and a complete schedule of film screenings and events will be post on our web site in early January, 2020. See you in January!!!
Photo courtesy of Shannon Murray, star of RAG DOLL, which won a Best Narrative Feature Award at COTB 2019 along with Ms. Murray's Best Actor Award.
