©️Newport Beach Film Festival

[Update: The event for 2022 has ended. Read my post: Highlights from the French Spotlight]

It’s almost here: the Newport Beach Film Festival’s French Spotlight takes place on October 18, 2022.

As a Francophile, I’m thrilled about my blog’s partnership with the event to celebrate French film, food, and culture!

About the Film

The Worst Ones (Les Pires) is a playful film-within-a-film about a Flemish director casting a group of teenagers from a working-class French town (cité Pablo Picasso, a housing project in the suburbs of Boulogne-Sur-Mer, in the north of France) in a movie about an impoverished pregnant teenager. The locals, however, are surprised by his casting of a few particularly troubled children, as he tells a prospective actor that he’s looking for children who haven’t had easy lives. The response is, “Seems like you’re just looking for the worst ones.”

Directed by Lise Akoka and Romane Gueret, and stars Mallory Wanecque, Timéo Mahaut, Johan Heldenbergh, and Esther Archambault, The Worst Ones (Les Pires) was awarded the Un Certain Regard Prize at the 2022 Cannes Festival. The film was also one of France’s entries to this year’s Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film.

“The Festival is proud to sustain the tradition of presenting outstanding films in contemporary French cinema,” stated Gregg Schwenk, CEO of Newport Beach Film Festival. “We are thrilled to have The Worst Ones (Les Pires) at this year’s Newport Beach Film Festival.”

The Worst Ones (Les Pires) will screen on Tuesday, October 18, 2022 at 7:45 p.m. at the Starlight Triangle Square Cinemas in Costa Mesa, California.

The post-screening celebration will be held at TIME Nightclub, where there will be hors d’œuvres prepared by top Orange County restaurants, traditional entertainment, as well as a DJ, live entertainment, and a bar supplied by Tito’s Handmade Vodka. Cocktail attire is strongly encouraged at this 21+ soirée – perfect for a Tuesday date night or night out with friends!

Get your tickets to the French Spotlight

To watch the trailer and buy tickets, visit French Spotlight and use the code: French2022 to save $5.

Recognized as one of the largest luxury lifestyle film festivals in the United States, the Newport Beach Film Festival brings an international curated collection of films and vibrant cultural gatherings to the beautiful Southern California coast. Committed to championing the work of original storytellers from around the globe, the Festival celebrates contemporary screen culture, cinematic excellence, and engages the community in compelling conversations with filmmakers and artists. The 23rd Annual Newport Beach Film Festival runs October 13-20, 2022 and will spotlight over 300 films from around the world.