Paris falls for 'Young@Heart'

Philippines' 'Tribe' carries away Future Prize

By JOHN HOPEWELL, ELSA BERTET

PARIS — “Young@Heart,” Stephen Walker’s celebration of the U.S. senior citizen rock chorus, underscored its popular punch at the 6th Paris Cinema Intl. Film Festival, scooping two of the fest’s three major plaudits: the main jury prize and the audience award.

Produced by Walker George Films for Brit broadcaster Channel 4 and a Fox Searchlight release in the U.S., Walker’s docu already won the audience award at the Los Angeles Film Fest.

Docu feature turns on the preparations and annual show of Young@Heart, whose senior pop singers, who must be 70 or above, belt out covers of “Stayin Alive” Jimi Hendrix, the Clash and Radiohead with zest, originality and humor.

Filipino first-timer Jim Libiran’s “Tribe” took the Future Prize. Pic is a raw fiction take on the poverty, gang violence and drug use in a Manila slum quarter.

In the Paris Cinema Festival international short film competition, Mirabelle Kirkland’s “Les Couillus” took the audience kudos and “La Sainy-Festin,” from Annelaure Daffis and Leo Marchand, the jury prize.

Raphael Chevenement’s “Une Lecon particuliere” won the KookaiFilms Emotion award.

The brain child of city mayor Bertrand Delanoe, now centered at the Marin Karmitz-owned MK2 Bibliotheque, the 6th edition saw increased attendance, Paris Cinema Festival general delegate Aude Hesbert told Variety. Admissions to date are up to 6% to 70,000.

That allowed the fest to access bigger capacity screens, she added.

One highlight of this year’s edition, which runs July 1-12, was a Filipino Film tribute.

“Filipino cinema is a sort of Bollywood with its own star system," Hesbert said.

"There is a large Filipino community in Paris and it was amazing to see local celebrities like actresses Sharon Cuneta ("Caregiver") and Judy Ann Santos ("Ploning") drawing standing ovations from the public."