by Quentin Dupieux Yannicka French satire on high culture, vulgar critics and the intersection of art and entertainment, has won the Europa Cinemas Label award for best European film at the 76th Locarno Film Festival.

The very dark, crowd-pleasing comedy stars Raphaël Quenard as the titular Yannick, a theatergoer who has the audacity to stand up in the middle of a (frankly awful) play and tell the actors what he thinks of it. his work. “This show is not entertaining in the least! I have paid for a seat to cheer me up, but all it does is add to my problems… I feel worse than before. And I already have a shitty life.

A debate with the actors ensues and things take a scary turn when Yannick decides he wants to rewrite the script for the night.

Yannick premiered in Locarno on August 3 and was well received by both festival audiences and critics.

“We made the decision to award the Seal to a film that presented particular potential for European cinemas to attract a wide audience,” the Europa Cinemas jury said in a statement. “This comedy benefits from an original plot that questions the position of an elitist society but also the untouchability of art in general. It’s well written, smart, and funny. The lead actor’s performance is outstanding, keeping us on the edge of our seats, always wondering who is in control in this power game.”

As a winner of the Europa Cinema label, Yannick it will now gain promotional support from the group’s arthouse cinema network, which represents more than 3,000 screens in more than 700 European cities, to encourage exhibitors to extend the film’s run.

Yannick co-starring Pio Marmaï, Blanche Gardin and Sébastien Chassagne. It was produced by Atelier de Production and Chi-Fou-Mi Productions. Kinology handles international sales.