Leyla Bouzid's In a Whisper Wins Best Emerging Filmmaker at Rendez-Vous

Mar 19, 2026 8:37am PT Leyla Bouzid’s ‘In a Whisper’ Wins Best Emerging Filmmaker at Rendez-Vous With French Cinema Showcase in New York By Elsa Keslassy Plus Icon Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent @elsakeslassy Latest Yariv Mozer Doc ‘Blood Brothers,’ About Rival Iranian and Israeli Olympians, in the Works at Sipur Studios, Fox Entertainment Studios and Fulwell 3 hours ago Piers Morgan Walks Out of Explosive Interview With HSTikkyTokky, Influencer Featured in Louis Theroux’s ‘Inside the Manosphere’: ‘I Think You’re a F—ing Idiot’ 4 hours ago ‘The Fabelmans’ Breakout Gabriel LaBelle to Star in Darkly Comic Thriller ‘Not Safe for Life’ (EXCLUSIVE) 24 hours ago See All Leyla Bouzid’s “In a Whisper” and Cédric Klapisch’s “Colors of Time” were the top winners at the 31st edition of Unifrance and Film at Lincoln Center’s Rendez-Vous With French Cinema. “In a Whisper,” which premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival, took the Best Emerging Filmmaker Award at the New York showcase. Bouzid’s third film, following “A Tale of Love and Desire” and “As I Open My Eyes,” “In a Whisper” stars Eya Bouteraa (“Red Path”) as Lilia, a woman who returns to Tunisia for her uncle’s funeral and uncovers revelations about his life that echo secrets within her own family. Bouteraa stars opposite Hiam Abbass in the drama. Strand Releasing acquired it for U.S. distribution in Berlin. Related Stories 'Invincible' Bosses Explain Those Young Nolan Flashbacks and Eve's Big Reveal in Season 4 Premiere: 'That's Going to Be Heightening Things Moving Forward' The award was decided by a six-member student jury composed of New York City college students selected by partner universities. The jury praised the film’s cinematography, “noting how it elevates every aspect of the work and contributes to a seamless blend of emotion, storytelling and visual artistry.”Cédric Klapisch’s “Colors of Time,” meanwhile, won the Audience Award. The Studiocanal movie, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, unfolds between Normandy and Paris and follows four distant cousins who reunite at a family home and retrace the journey of a 19th-century ancestor. The ensemble-driven narrative explores themes of family legacy and generational ties with a cast led by Suzanne Lindon, Abraham Wapler, Vincent Macaigne and Julia Piaton.This year’s edition saw an uptick in participation as ticket sales climbed 23% compared with 2025, with 10,500 tickets issued across the event. Featuring 10 films directed by women and seven helmed by first- or second-time filmmakers, the event also welcomed 897 students to free screenings and hosted talks attended by more than 50 participants. Popular on Variety The Rendez-Vous kicked off on March 5 with the New York premiere of François Ozon’s adaptation of Albert Camus’ novel “The Stranger” and wrapped with Julia Ducournau’s “Alpha.” Other films that premiered at the showcase include Pauline Loquès’ “Nino;” Olivier Assayas’s Venice-premiering political drama “The Wizard of the Kremlin,” starring Jude Law as a fictionalized Vladimir Putin opposite Paul Dano; Dominik Moll’s procedural “Case 137,” set during the Yellow Vests protests and starring Léa Drucker; Valérie Donzelli’s “At Work”; Arnaud Desplechin’s melodrama “Two Pianos”; Stéphane Demoustier’s historical epic “The Great Arch,” Hafsia Herzi’s coming-of-age drama “The Little Sister;” and Jean-Paul Salomé’s “L’Affaire Bojarski,” among others. Some of the highlights included a masterclass hosted by Assayas discussing “The Wizard of the Kremlin” at Columbia University; as well as a Q&A with Assayas after a screening of his 2002 film “Demonlover.” Industry events also included a panel that brought together producers Julie Billy (‘The Little Sister’), Leah Chen Baker (‘The President’s Cake’) and Stephanie Roush (‘Union County’). Jump to Comments Tig Notaro Needed to ‘Let Go’ of Cheryl Hines Friendship and Exited Their Podcast Over RFK Jr.’s MAGA Ties: ‘Oh, She’s Gone… It’s Been Very Strange’ JavaScript is required to load the comments. Loading comments...