Gérard Jugnot, Guest of Honour

Actor, director and screenwriter, Gérard Jugnot made his name with the Splendid theatre troupe. There, he created a gallery of characters who are grumpy, clumsy, cowardly or overwhelmed by events, often embodying the “average Frenchman”. His appearance, voice and acting style have helped make him an instantly recognisable face of French comedy. Over the years, his comic style has also enabled him to develop roles in which the burlesque blends with a great sensitivity.

One of the defining features of his cinema lies in this expression, which he himself uses: “ordinary characters confronted with extraordinary events”. He describes this way of observing the world and its absurdities, somewhere between laughter, drama and melancholy, as ‘sneering sociology’. This vision is evident in his own films, from Une époque formidable (1991) to Monsieur Batignole (2002).

With his latest film, Mauvaise Pioche (2026), which will be screened at the festival in his presence, Jugnot returns to this theme: a man caught up in a situation that is beyond his control.

This visit also forms part of the VIFFF’s ongoing history. The festival has, in fact, already had the opportunity to screen some of Gérard Jugnot’s most memorable films during Patrice Leconte’s visit in 2019, including French Fried Vacation 2 (Les Bronzés font du ski, 1979) and Tandem (1987), followed by Jean-Marie Poiré in 2022, with Santa Claus Is a Stinker (Le Père Noël est une ordure, 1982) and Gramps Is in the Resistance (Papy fait de la résistance, 1983).

A genius of comedy, Gérard Jugnot has been entertaining generations of filmgoers for over fifty years. The VIFFF is delighted to welcome him to Vevey and to give the public the chance to talk to him about his career and his vision of comedy.

The programme and details of this event will be announced shortly.