In a house located on the outskirts of Entrecasteaux, Bertrand starts the shooting with a quick “Action!” In front of the camera, Swan and Pauline act out a scene while the rest of the team is busy around the set. Since Tuesday, May 12, the village of Centre Var is living to the rhythm of cinema thanks to the short film festival organized by the Entrecasteaux tout court association.
The concept: two teams of five to six people have five days to imagine, shoot, and edit a short film entirely shot in the commune. No specific theme is imposed, but one rule stands: Entrecasteaux must be the main setting of the film. The works will be screened this Saturday, May 16, before a jury selects the winner.
Since Tuesday, the first shoots have been taking place in the village streets. Between impromptu briefings, the teams rehearse their scenes before the director yells, “Action!” But sometimes, they have to deal with gusts of wind that disrupt the takes. After several attempts, a relief finally comes from behind the camera: “Cut, the shot is good!”
At the heart of this project is Catherine Huteau, president of the organizing association. Following a successful first edition last year, the event returns with the same ambition: to bring Entrecasteaux to life through cinema. “The goal is to animate the village, make it known, and encourage film creation,” she explains.
Here, everything works thanks to volunteers, residents, and local businesses who sometimes lend their premises for shooting. The teams are also fed and accommodated throughout the festival. Among the participants are Bertrand, Pauline, Adil, Pedro, Hector, and Swan, who were winners last year and were invited back for this second edition.
In the other team, Justine, Bassem, Carla, Dana, and Juliette are experiencing the festival and its intensive operation for the first time. Their short film revolves around a sensitive and human approach, focusing on the meeting and relationships between characters, set in the village of Entrecasteaux. “We wanted to talk about loneliness, but in a more general way,” summarizes Justine, the project’s director.
A story that blurs fiction and reality, with the intention of fully integrating residents and the village setting into the narrative. Participants see this as a collective adventure and a true experimentation ground.
A few meters away, Carla, recruited through a theater group in Salernes, discovers the behind-the-scenes of a shoot. “I had never done this before, but I thought, why not? It’s a great experience,” she smiles.
For Bassem, a master’s student and audiovisual enthusiast, the atmosphere makes all the difference. “Filming here is not like filming in Paris. There is a closeness with people, something more sincere,” he confides.
So far, the teams have been busy with shoots and editing before the final screening open to the public at 7 pm at the cultural space. For a week, Entrecasteaux has truly turned into a cinematic setting.
