FREE HAPPY HOUR TALKS
FREE ADMISSION, NO RESERVATION
If you are planning to see a film at the festival, come earlier and attend a Happy Hour Talk panel on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Monday. The panel series Happy Hour Talks is part of the TAFFF industry program and is scheduled at 3:00 pm (3:45 pm on Saturday). It presents topics of interest to industry professionals and cinephiles.
Each panel is followed by a complimentary Wine & Cheese reception in the Festival Lounge. For 21+ panel attendees only. Panel attendees also have priority access to the theaters for the next screenings. Only panel attendees have access to the reception. You can enter panels up to 20 minutes after they start.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29 – Truffaut Theater – 3:00 pm
(Panel ends at 3:50 pm)
Followed by a complimentary Wine & Cheese reception
MADE IN FRANCE POWERED BY VFX MAGIC
Moderator: Todd Longwell (Editor ~ Variety)
Panelists:
Béatrice Bauwens, Head of Studio – MPC
Annabelle Zoëllin, Head of Production – BUF
Thierry Onillon, Head of VFX – Mac Guff
Presented in association with CNC
In recent years, the French VFX industry has experienced an unprecedented boom, positioning itself among the best in the world. Heir to the legacy of Georges Méliès, the French VFX sector now encompasses a wide range of expertise — from genre films such as Alpha by Julia Ducournau and Dracula by Luc Besson, to period pieces like Colors of Time by Cédric Klapisch (in competition at TAFFF 2025), and the meticulous re-creation of the Nouvelle Vague universe (also premiering at TAFFF 2025). French visual effects are playing a key role in redefining the artistic language of contemporary cinema. Three leading studios — BUF, MPC, and Mac Guff — will present this distinctive “French Touch” and showcase how VFX are transforming French filmmaking.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31 – Truffaut Theater – 3:00 pm
(Panel ends at 3:50 pm)
Followed by a complimentary Wine & Cheese reception
WHEN AUDIENCE MEETS FRENCH FILMMAKERS
Moderator: Patricia Saperstein (Deputy Film Editor ~ Variety)
Panelists:
Cédric Anger, writer/director – The Hunt; writer – The Richest Woman in the World
Nicolas Bary, producer – Bardot
Enya Baroux, writer/director – Bon Voyage Marie
Hugo Becker, actor – The Lost Station Girls, All the Blue in the Sky; writer/director The Lifeline
Romane Bohringer – writer/director, actor – Tell Her
Elodie Bouchez, actor – The Party’s Over, Enzo
Anna Cazenave-Cambet, writer/director – Love me Tender
Martin Jauvat, writer/director, actor – Baise-en-ville
Cédric Klapisch, writer/director – Colors of Time
Thierry Klifa, writer/director – The Richest Woman in the World
Pauline Loquès – writer/director – Nino
Alex Lutz, writer/director – Connemara
Hélène Merlin, writer/director – Cassandre
Delphine Malaussena, composer – Cassandre, The Seduction
Nadia Melliti, actor – The Little sister
Camille Razat, actor – The Lost Station Girls
Ken Scott, writer/director – One Upon My Mother
Chloé Thévenin, composer – Guru
Roschdy Zem, Actor – 13 Days 13 Nights
Festival goers are invited to meet French writers, directors, producers, composers and actors in person, as they talk about their film or series presented at the festival and the impact of American cinema on their work.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1– Truffaut Theatre – 3:40 pm
(Panel ends at 4:40 pm)
Followed by a complimentary Wine & Cheese reception
ENGAGING YOUNG AUDIENCES BEYOND THE ALGORITHM
Moderator: Caleb Hammond – Film Writer and Editor
Panelists:
Ziyu Gao – USC Cinematic Arts
Malin Kan – Director of ELMA (European Languages and Movies in America)
Pauline Loquès – Writer/Director (Nino)
Hélène Merlin – Writer/Director (Cassandre) Hanna Stettler – USC Cinematic Arts
Bonnie Voland, Consultant and Founder B. Voland International
Presented in association with ELMA
In an era of streaming platforms, social media, and overwhelming choice, how can festivals, filmmakers, and educators inspire young audiences to choose international and subtitled cinema? This panel brings together filmmakers, critics, students, and industry professionals to explore strategies for building cultural curiosity, exposing young people to foreign cinema, cultivating the next generation of filmgoers, and broadening engagement with diverse cultures and perspectives.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3– Truffaut Theatre – 3:00 pm
(Panel ends at 3:40 pm)
Followed by a complimentary Wine & Cheese reception
FOCUS ON FRENCH FILM COMPOSER: GUILLAUME ROUSSEL
Moderator: Frederic Cassidy, Filmmaker, Musician
Panelist: Guillaume Roussel
Presented in association with SACEM
With a dual French American musical background, Guillaume Roussel is a composer whose work bridges European sophistication and the energy of American cinema. Trained in classical music, jazz, and orchestral conducting, he has established himself internationally across film, television, and animation. His scores include Expendables 4, Black Beauty (Disney+), BAC Nord, and The Three Musketeers, both of which earned him César nominations for Best Original Music. After conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra at Abbey Road in 2006, Roussel settled in Los Angeles and joined Hans Zimmer’s Remote-Control Studios, contributing to Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and The Smurfs. He has developed lasting collaborations with writers/directors Cédric Jimenez (BAC Nord, Chien 51), Martin Bourboulon (The Three Musketeers, Carême), and Jérôme Salle (Kompromat). In 2025, his work includes 13 Days 13 Nights (Cannes Official Selection, North American Premiere at TAFFF 2025), Carême (Apple TV), and Chien 51 (U.S. Premiere at TAFFF 2025).