Niçois Actor Marc Duret To Play Role in 2014 International Emmys

It’s jury duty, of the fun kind, and Nice has a seat on the jury table of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

His outstanding talent and his commitment to building a thriving, internationally oriented performing arts scene in Nice have shaped Marc Duret’s stellar reputation as an actor, director, and writer on either side of the Atlantic. And that is why he has just been tapped to sit on the panel at one of the world’s most prestigious entertainment industry events – the 2014 International Emmy World Television Festival and the International Emmy Awards Gala.

Marc’s selection is a nod of recognition for his constant presence and consistent excellence on big and small screens over the past 30 years – in 2013, the influential trade blog Screenjunkies named him the No. 1 French film actor – but also an acknowledgement of his influence on the burgeoning motion picture industry in PACA. For several years, Marc has played a discrete if crucial role in shaping and growing it as an actor and director of several productions in and around Nice. One of his declared goals is to resurrect the Abattoirs and the Victorine Studios and transform these venues into spaces for film and theatre productions rivalling Parisian and international studios. He also seeks to link Nice to an international audience by emphasizing bi- and even trilingual productions (French/English/Italian) for which there is high demand.

This engagement, along with his acclaimed performances in international TV series like Tom Fontana’s epic Borgia (2011 – 2014), ARTE’s Au Nom d’Athènes and 1812 de Feu et de Glace, award-winning shorts such as L’Atente and A Tout Prix, or further back, Luc Besson’s cult films Le Grand Bleu and Nikita – to name but a few highlights of a 30 year career – earned the Italian-rooted, Nice-born, and American-naturalized actor the attention of leading writer and producer Steven Bawol (William Tell, Section de Recherches, Genie in the House) who invited him to participate at the 2014 International Emmy Award.

“It is a great honor to participate in this event which has the world’s eyes on it. I have been privileged to work with some of the best directors, writers, and producers in the world, and I have learned a great deal from all of them. I wouldn’t be where I am today without their trust and confidence in me. So I know what a responsibility it is to be a jury member and to have a say in what happens to a film, a series, or an actor’s career, and I take that responsibility seriously,” Marc tells us.

Marc, a Stella Adler alumnus, is no stranger to New York, having lived and worked there for many years. He has also previously been called to sit on film juries in Cannes and at other major industry events.

The 42nd International Emmy Awards Gala at the Hilton New York Hotel will be hosted by Matt Lucas, who has been entertaining audiences worldwide both as an actor and writer on television (Come Fly with Me, Little Britain) and film (Alice in Wonderland, Bridesmaids). Nominees include series that have stirred major international buzz such as Unsere Mütter, Unsere Väter (Germany), Les Revenants (France), Glee (Asia), Velvet (Brazil), and Braquo (France).

The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences is a membership based organization comprised of leading media and entertainment figures from over 60 countries and 500 companies from all sectors of television including internet, mobile and technology. The Academy’s yearly schedule of events includes the prestigious International Emmy Awards and International Emmy Kids Awards ceremonies held in New York, The International Digital Emmy Awards at MIPTV and a series of industry events such as Academy Day, The International Emmy World Television Festival and Panels on substantive industry topics.

The Academy was chartered with a mission to recognize excellence in television produced outside of the United States and it presents The International Emmy Awards in 20 categories. Previous winners include such international hits as French crime drama television series Braquo by Olivier Marchal, and Lilyhammer, a Norwegian television series, starring Steven Van Zandt, about a fictional New York mobster hiding in a remote village in Norway.

The International Academy also recognizes US primetime programming produced 50% or more in non-English languages, with a new category added to the 2014 International Emmy Awards competition.