The prestigious Deauville American Film Festival recently hosted a glamorous dinner event, orchestrated by Canal+ Group and Chanel, drawing together an array of French cinematic luminaries and American talents, including Kristen Stewart and Zoey Deutch. This exclusive gathering took place at Les Franciscaines, a historic former convent dating back to 1875, serving as a dual celebration of both French and American creative excellence and acknowledging the unwavering support of the festival's primary sponsors, Canal+ and Chanel.

Among the evening's distinguished guests, Kristen Stewart was recognized with the Revelation Award for her directorial debut, “The Chronology of Water,” and shared insights during a masterclass. Zoey Deutch received the New Hollywood Award, presenting “Nouvelle Vague” alongside director Richard Linklater. The star-studded attendance further included prominent figures such as French-Iranian actor and filmmaker Zar Amir Ebrahimi; renowned directors Bertrand Bonello, Cédric Klapisch, Claude Lelouch, Alex Lutz, and Mia Hansen-Løve; and celebrated actors including Sandrine Kiberlain, Damien Bonnard, Jonathan Cohen, Ana Girardot, Lyna Khoudri, Vincent Macaigne, Benoît Magimel, and Kad Merad. Also present were jury members Golshifteh Farahani, Thomas Cailley, Eye Haïdara, Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, Benjamin Millepied, Katell Quillévéré, Emilie Tronche, Jean-Pascal Zadi, Suzy Bemba, Bilal Hassani, Julien Colonna, and Anaïde Rozam, highlighting the breadth of talent engaged and honored.

During the dinner, which commenced with a classical concert, Maxime Saada, CEO of Canal+ Group, underscored the television conglomerate's crucial role as a leading partner in French and European cinema. Established in 1984, Canal+ has forged significant partnerships with major studios like Paramount, Sony, Universal, and Warner Bros, as well as with prominent U.S. streaming platforms including Netflix, Apple+, HBO, and Paramount+. Actively engaged in theatrical distribution across key territories such as France, the U.K., Germany, and Australia/New Zealand, Canal+ is also currently in exclusive negotiations to acquire a 34-percent stake in UGC, the Paris-based film studio founded in 1971, which operates one of France’s leading cinema chains. Furthermore, last March, Canal+ signed an agreement with local film guilds, committing to invest at least €480 million in French and European films over the next three years, a figure that is €120 million less than their commitment in the preceding three-year period.

Saada also articulated Canal+’s steadfast ambition to finance debut films, citing Kristen Stewart’s “The Chronology of Water” as an example of a pre-bought project. He noted that approximately one-third of the films financed annually are debut features, and the group also extends support to second films, acknowledging the heightened challenges filmmakers often face after their initial project, particularly if it lacked significant commercial success. A special emphasis is placed on films directed by women, with Saada highlighting that “it is obviously much more difficult for women to find funding, as in many fields.” Consequently, Canal+ actively supports women filmmakers, with more than 40% of their financed first films being directed by women.

Chanel, another key sponsor, plays a deeply involved role in the cinematic world through various initiatives led by Elsa Heizmann, its global director of cinematic relations. The fashion house champions several film festivals, including Deauville, and actively contributes to the industry. At the festival, Chanel collaborated in organizing a masterclass with its ambassador, Kristen Stewart, where she discussed the French cinematic influences on her career as an actor and filmmaker. Chanel's involvement extended to “Nouvelle Vague,” for which it provided styling for Zoey Deutch, and it also contributed to the production of Alice Winocour’s film “Couture,” starring Angelina Jolie and set against the backdrop of Paris Fashion Week.