By RAY KELLY
The 40th anniversary of the death of Orson Welles will be marked with a three-month exhibition organized by the prestigious Cinematheque francaise in Paris.
While a formal announcement on programming has yet to be made, a legal notice for a consulting contract for scenographic design work, graphics and lighting for the “Orson Welles” exhibition at the Cinémathèque française was posted this week on a French government website.
The Welles event will run from October 8, 2025 through January 11, 2026, according to a 12-page notice posted on PLACE, the government’s website for procurement procedures. There is a June 9 deadline for bids listed at marches-publics.gouv.fr.
Welles’ work has long been lauded by French cinephiles.
Portions of some his films were shot in France including The Trial, F for Fake, Filming Othello and The Other Side of the Wind. His Othello and Chimes at Midnight took high honors at France’s Cannes Film Festival.
In February 1982, Welles was invited to Paris to be decorated with the Legion of Honor by President François Mitterrand, and to preside over the César Awards ceremony. While in Paris, he spoke to an audience composed mainly of young film lovers. Footage of his appearance can be seen at youtu.be/oCD1_niFIgc?si=4QD79pZA7h6ed3wu
Welles died on October 10, 1985 at the age of 70.
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