The 25th edition of Colcoa, the world's largest festival dedicated to French films and television series in the US, unveiled its line-up Monday.

Colcoa, which stands for "City of Lights, City of Angels", the nicknames of Paris and Los Angeles, will open on 1st of November with the film Between Two Worlds or Ouistreham, in which Oscar-winner Juliette Binoche goes undercover to expose the insecurity of the gig economy.

The film leads a field of 55 movies and series, as well as 19 shorts.

"Contrary to what could have been expected after all these months of lockdown, this very eclectic and high-profile program reflects the amazing number of films actually produced in France during the last two years," François Truffart, the festival's executive producer and artistic director, said.

The Covid-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of last year's event. But, says deputy director Anouchka van Riel, the boom in non-English language films and television during lockdown is proof that there is a sizable market for things other than Hollywood's usual fare.

"In a world that had to shelter in place for a year due to the pandemic, French stories went global while individuals were isolated at home," she said, citing French-language series Lupin and Call My Agent.

Continuing hits such as Netflix's smash Korean-language Squid Game underline the point that audiences do not find subtitles off-putting, says van Riel.

Other titles on offer this year include Lost Illusions, writer-director Xavier Giannoli's adaptation of Honore de Balzac's novel of the same name, and Onoda: 10,000 Nights in the Jungle, the story of a Japanese soldier who refuses to believe World War II has ended and fights on for decades.

Colcoa will run from 1st of November 7th of November in Los Angeles, US.

(with AFP)