Bouchez 'Shooting' U.S. pic

Celebrated actress to make overseas debut

By ANDREW HINDES

Elodie Bouchez, who won a best actress award at Cannes last year for her role in the French drama "The Dreamlife of Angels," will make her U.S. feature debut in the indie production "Shooting Vegetarians," which starts lensing in upstate New York next month.

"Vegetarians," the first feature from writer-director Mikey Jackson, is described as a dark comedy about a meat-averse punk rock skateboarder whose father is a butcher.

Bouchez plays the love interest in the pic, which also features Brooke Smith, Didi Conn and punkers MxPx. Pic will be produced by Gill Holland, who produced director Morgan J. Freeman's Sundance award winner "Hurricane Streets" and co-produced his follow-up, "Desert Blue."

Kudo parade

In addition to the Cannes award, which Bouchez shared with "Dreamlife" co-star Natacha Regnier, Bouchez also won a Cesar for her role in the same pic. Sony Pictures Classics recently released "Dreamlife" in the U.S.

The actress just completed shooting the lead role in the French production "Lovers," helmed by actor Jean-Marc Barr.

Bouchez's deal on "Vegetarians" was negotiated by David Vattinet of Paris-based Agents Associes.