Jean-Michel Arnold
Encyclopedia
Jean-Michel Arnold, General Secretary of the Cinémathèque Française
, vice President of UNESCO’s IFTC (International Council for Film Television and Audiovisual Communication
), founder of the Cinéma du Réel
, Director of CNRS Image/Media, General Secretary of RIAVS, and President of CAMERA. Without being a filmmaker, Mr. Arnold has been the instigator of some very important events in the world of cinema.
There he was befriended by Henri Langlois
, founder of the Cinémathèque Française, “one of the most important figures in the history of film” who became his mentor and spiritual father, his own father having died at the time of his birth. At the instigation of Langlois, he went out to the newly independent Algeria and helped found the Cinémathèque Nationale Algérienne first with Ahmed Hocine and later with Boudjema Karèche and helped organise the “Rencontres des Cinémas du Monde” at the first Panafrican Cultural Festival in 1969 (the second was forty years later in August 2009).
Under his direction it was responsible for the production of hundreds of film productions, TV programs, film expeditions, multimedia packages and seminars dedicated to science and the arts.
He created formal links with La Fémis
, The French State Film School whose first President was Jean-Claude Carrière
(also President of RIAVS), and with UNESCO's IFTC
.
In 1977 together with Jean Rouch
he founded the Cinéma du Réel
As Koïchiro Matsuura
, Director General of UNESCO, wrote: “it is a unique initiative supported by UNESCO… which brings together in one place: science, culture, communication and education”
There are special screenings of rare cinema items, Symposia (see pictures on right) and the official Festival program, some of which are detailed below:
This is the core Festival. It started as a means of bringing together two groups who hardly knew each other, on the one hand the scientists working in their laboratories and on the other the media. It has now grown to become an iconic meeting place at the Eiffel Tower for science and the media.
More than 300 TV production companies from 66 countries in 5 continents submit TV Science programs for several prizes: namely a) the Grand Prix; b) Prix Special du Jury; c) Prix pour l’Imagerie Scientifique; d) Prix Aventures et Decouvertes; e) Prix Science et Societe; f) Prix Sante; g) Prix Jeunesse; h) Prix du Magazine; and i) Mention Speciale du Jury
This is a prize which is awarded each year to those web sites which show startling originality, unpredictability and the ability to create new affinities across continents
This is a prize which is awarded each year to a TV company not for any individual TV program but for their policy towards their viewing public as expressed by the quality of their TV programs overall
This is a prize which is awarded each year to the best movie produced by a film school (in cooperation with CILECT
) and for the best movie by a non-professional (in cooperation with UNICA)
CAMERA is on the executive committee of UNESCO’s IFTC
and, in coproduction with the French Ministère des Relations Extérieures, it produced a series of movies on “Les peintres cinéastes”.
CAMERA is most celebrated for “Le Prix CAMERA” which is awarded each year at UNESCO to
which has shown the most outstanding contribution to Culture and Education
As President of CAMERA he also has the responsibility of advising UNESCO with regard to its initiative to select "Creative Cities of Cinema"
ever since his first meeting with Henri Langlois
at the age of 15. He was elected General Secretary in 1981 and has been consistently re-elected since then, working closely with past Presidents, Jean Rouch
, Jean-Charles Tacchella
, and Claude Berri
and with the current President Costa-Gavras
.
(IFTC) at UNESCO in 2000 and is currently its vice President. The IFTC is UNESCO’s advisory body on all matters concerned with film, television and new media. It has functioned for over 50 years as an independent NGO in official formal associate relations with UNESCO, based at UNESCO’s headquarters in Paris.
Cinémathèque Française
The Cinémathèque Française holds one of the largest archives of films, movie documents and film-related objects in the world. Located in Paris, the Cinémathèque holds daily screenings of films from around the world.-History:...
, vice President of UNESCO’s IFTC (International Council for Film Television and Audiovisual Communication
International Council for Film Television and Audiovisual Communication
The International Council for Film, Television and Audiovisual Communication is the UNESCO advisory body on all matters concerned with film, television and new media...
), founder of the Cinéma du Réel
Cinéma du Réel
Cinéma du Réel is an international documentary film festival organized by the BPI-Bibliothèque publique d'information in Paris and was founded in 1978. The festival presents about 200 films per year in several sections by experienced documentary directors as well as first timers...
, Director of CNRS Image/Media, General Secretary of RIAVS, and President of CAMERA. Without being a filmmaker, Mr. Arnold has been the instigator of some very important events in the world of cinema.
Early life
The only child of the “Pasionaria of the Poor”, with a street named in her honour and her life documented on film, he left his home town of Angers, and headed for Paris at the age of 15.There he was befriended by Henri Langlois
Henri Langlois
Henri Langlois was a French film archivist and cinephile. A pioneer of film preservation, Langlois was an influential figure in the history of cinema...
, founder of the Cinémathèque Française, “one of the most important figures in the history of film” who became his mentor and spiritual father, his own father having died at the time of his birth. At the instigation of Langlois, he went out to the newly independent Algeria and helped found the Cinémathèque Nationale Algérienne first with Ahmed Hocine and later with Boudjema Karèche and helped organise the “Rencontres des Cinémas du Monde” at the first Panafrican Cultural Festival in 1969 (the second was forty years later in August 2009).
CNRS Image/Média
In 1974 the CNRS (the French National Scientific Research Council) appointed him director of a newly formed audiovisual division “CNRSAV” (initially called Service d'étude de réalisation et de diffusion de documents audio-visuels or SERDDAV) and finally simplified to “CNRS Image/Média” which he headed until 2001 and for which he was awarded “La Medaille de Cristal” for his creativity and innovation.Under his direction it was responsible for the production of hundreds of film productions, TV programs, film expeditions, multimedia packages and seminars dedicated to science and the arts.
He created formal links with La Fémis
La Femis
La Fémis , is the French state film school. FEMIS is an acronym for Fondation Européenne pour les Métiers de l’Image et du Son. Based in Paris, it offers courses balanced between artistic research, professional development and technical training...
, The French State Film School whose first President was Jean-Claude Carrière
Jean-Claude Carrière
Jean-Claude Carrière is a screenwriter and actor. Alumnus of the École normale supérieure de Saint-Cloud, he was a frequent collaborator with Luis Buñuel...
(also President of RIAVS), and with UNESCO's IFTC
International Council for Film Television and Audiovisual Communication
The International Council for Film, Television and Audiovisual Communication is the UNESCO advisory body on all matters concerned with film, television and new media...
.
In 1977 together with Jean Rouch
Jean Rouch
Jean Rouch was a French filmmaker and anthropologist.He is considered to be one of the founders of the cinéma vérité in France, which shared the aesthetics of the direct cinema spearheaded by Richard Leacock, D.A. Pennebaker and Albert and David Maysles...
he founded the Cinéma du Réel
Cinéma du Réel
Cinéma du Réel is an international documentary film festival organized by the BPI-Bibliothèque publique d'information in Paris and was founded in 1978. The festival presents about 200 films per year in several sections by experienced documentary directors as well as first timers...
RIAVS Rencontres Internationales de l’Audiovisuel Scientifique
In 1976 he created the Rencontres Internationales de l’Audiovisuel Scientifique (RIAVS) an annual event lasting several weeks during which scientists, artists, movie makers, TV producers and the public meet at the Eiffel Tower and UNESCO to celebrate “a débauche of initiatives, projections, discussions and exhibitions”.As Koïchiro Matsuura
Koichiro Matsuura
is a Japanese diplomat. He is the former Director-General of UNESCO. He was first elected in 1999 to a six-year term and reelected on 12 October 2005 for four years, following a reform instituted by the 29th session of the General Conference...
, Director General of UNESCO, wrote: “it is a unique initiative supported by UNESCO… which brings together in one place: science, culture, communication and education”
There are special screenings of rare cinema items, Symposia (see pictures on right) and the official Festival program, some of which are detailed below:
- The International Festival of TV Science Programs
This is the core Festival. It started as a means of bringing together two groups who hardly knew each other, on the one hand the scientists working in their laboratories and on the other the media. It has now grown to become an iconic meeting place at the Eiffel Tower for science and the media.
More than 300 TV production companies from 66 countries in 5 continents submit TV Science programs for several prizes: namely a) the Grand Prix; b) Prix Special du Jury; c) Prix pour l’Imagerie Scientifique; d) Prix Aventures et Decouvertes; e) Prix Science et Societe; f) Prix Sante; g) Prix Jeunesse; h) Prix du Magazine; and i) Mention Speciale du Jury
- Prix Argos
This is a prize which is awarded each year to those web sites which show startling originality, unpredictability and the ability to create new affinities across continents
- Prix Jules Verne
This is a prize which is awarded each year to a TV company not for any individual TV program but for their policy towards their viewing public as expressed by the quality of their TV programs overall
- Prix l’Affiche du Monde
This is a prize which is awarded each year to the best movie produced by a film school (in cooperation with CILECT
CILECT
CILECT is the association of the world's major film and television schools...
) and for the best movie by a non-professional (in cooperation with UNICA)
CAMERA
He is President of CAMERA (Conseil Audiovisuel Mondial pour les Etudes et les Réalisations sur l'Art) an organization which promotes creativity, education and culture by means of symposia, production and awards.CAMERA is on the executive committee of UNESCO’s IFTC
International Council for Film Television and Audiovisual Communication
The International Council for Film, Television and Audiovisual Communication is the UNESCO advisory body on all matters concerned with film, television and new media...
and, in coproduction with the French Ministère des Relations Extérieures, it produced a series of movies on “Les peintres cinéastes”.
CAMERA is most celebrated for “Le Prix CAMERA” which is awarded each year at UNESCO to
- a City
- a Foundation
- a Film/TV Production Company
- a Publisher
- a Museum
which has shown the most outstanding contribution to Culture and Education
As President of CAMERA he also has the responsibility of advising UNESCO with regard to its initiative to select "Creative Cities of Cinema"
Cinémathèque Française
He has been associated with the Cinémathèque FrançaiseCinémathèque Française
The Cinémathèque Française holds one of the largest archives of films, movie documents and film-related objects in the world. Located in Paris, the Cinémathèque holds daily screenings of films from around the world.-History:...
ever since his first meeting with Henri Langlois
Henri Langlois
Henri Langlois was a French film archivist and cinephile. A pioneer of film preservation, Langlois was an influential figure in the history of cinema...
at the age of 15. He was elected General Secretary in 1981 and has been consistently re-elected since then, working closely with past Presidents, Jean Rouch
Jean Rouch
Jean Rouch was a French filmmaker and anthropologist.He is considered to be one of the founders of the cinéma vérité in France, which shared the aesthetics of the direct cinema spearheaded by Richard Leacock, D.A. Pennebaker and Albert and David Maysles...
, Jean-Charles Tacchella
Jean-Charles Tacchella
Jean-Charles Tacchella is a French screenwriter and film director. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for his film Cousin, Cousine , which was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and which was later remade in a US version starring...
, and Claude Berri
Claude Berri
Claude Berri , born Claude Berel Langmann, was one of the great all-rounders of French cinema: an actor, writer, producer, director and distributor. "Out of my failure as an actor was born my desire to direct. Then my relative failure as a director forced me to become a producer. In order to get my...
and with the current President Costa-Gavras
Costa-Gavras
Costa-Gavras, is a Greek filmmaker, who lives and works in France, best known for films with overt political themes, most famously the fast-paced thriller, Z...
.
UNESCO
He was elected President of the International Council for Film Television and Audiovisual CommunicationInternational Council for Film Television and Audiovisual Communication
The International Council for Film, Television and Audiovisual Communication is the UNESCO advisory body on all matters concerned with film, television and new media...
(IFTC) at UNESCO in 2000 and is currently its vice President. The IFTC is UNESCO’s advisory body on all matters concerned with film, television and new media. It has functioned for over 50 years as an independent NGO in official formal associate relations with UNESCO, based at UNESCO’s headquarters in Paris.