Mar 16, 2012
Artist Development
The San Francisco Film Society Colleges & Universities program, in partnership with the Consulate General of France in San Francisco, the French American Cultural Society and Semaine de la Critique, today announces the winner of the third From College to Cannes contest. Ryan Lattanzio, who is pursuing a B.A. in English from U.C. Berkeley, has been selected to represent the USA and SFFS at the Cannes International Film Festival as a guest of Semaine de la Critique and the French American Cultural Society.
Lattanzio is lead film critic of the Daily Californian, an intern in the features department of the San Francisco Chronicle, a contributing writer to the San Francisco Bay Guardian and SF Appeal and a student employee at the Pacific Film Archive. At Cannes he will serve on the International Young Critics Jury, composed of five young amateur film critics from around the world. The five jury members will attend screenings, write about the festival for their respective publications and blogs, form an editorial board to publish coverage on Semaine’s website and select a Visionary Award winner from the Semaine de la Critique feature competition.
“I am thrilled to have been selected to travel to Cannes,” said Lattanzio. “I still have a lot to get through before the festival–writing my thesis, graduating, finding a job maybe–but everything else I’m doing up until May suddenly seems less important.”
“Semaine de la Critique–a very distinguished section of the Cannes Film Festival–and the French American Cultural Society asked us to find a young, outstanding and sharp writer, with a strong appetite for cinema, some experience in blogging, notions of French and an easygoing attitude,” said Ivan Bertoux, Deputy Cultural Attaché of the French Consulate San Francisco. “Ryan is just that.”
“The Film Society is thrilled to play a part in this new program that gives talented young film writers the opportunity to hone their skills and experience the excitement of Cannes,” said Joanne Parsont, the Film Society’s director of education. “We know Ryan will do an amazing job on the International Young Critics Jury, and we look forward to reading all of his coverage of the Festival. We are very grateful to our partners for making this possible.”
The prize will be officially awarded to Lattanzio at a reception for guests of the 55th San Francisco International Film Festival at the residence of the French Consul General during the Festival.
The Colleges & Universities program was created to support and encourage students as they prepare to transition from the academic arena to the professional world. Offering an array of creative, educational, social, financial and professional opportunities, it is a valuable bridge that connects and engages students with the Film Society and the Bay Area filmmaking community. Initiatives of the Colleges & Universities program include full-tuition scholarships to SFFS Film Craft & Film Studies classes; the From College to Cannes contest; internships at the Film Society; Golden Gate Awards prescreening opportunities; SFIFF College Days; and the SFFS Speakers Bureau. For more information sffs.org/Education/Colleges-and-Universities.