With premières of all the latest US films and pulling in big stars such as Brad Pitt and Ian McKellen, the annual American Film Festival is a real draw to this much-loved seaside resort in Normandy. Since its birth in 1975, it’s been highlighting the great diversity of American cinema – both Hollywood and independent – and consistently promotes new acting and production talent.
It encourages collaboration between film industry professionals, puts on film retrospectives and presents long-anticipated previews, as well as running an awards ceremony overseen by a French jury. The festival is held yearly on the first Friday of September until the Sunday of the following week. Films are projected on three sites: the Centre International de Deauville, the Lucien Barrière casino and the Le Morny cinema. A specific part of the festival called ‘Uncle Sam’s Docs’ is devoted entirely to documentaries.
