The 7th annualFrench Film Rendez-Vous opens today (Jan 21) with 350 foreign distributors and110 foreign journalists making the trek to Paris to get a taste of forthcomingFrench films.

Organised by French export body Unifrance, the event runs until Mondayand is an intimate gathering where buyers are treated to screenings and meetand greets with local talent.

Largely a European affair, the Rendez-Vous also attracts executives fromas far as Japan and China as well as US studio specialty arms such as ParamountClassics and Focus Features.

Seventy two screenings are set for this year's event, of which 34 aremarket premieres. Screenings are spread around five theatres in the centre ofParis and near the market hub just off the Champs-Elysees.

Hot market titles include Costa-Gavras' The Ax for whichStudioCanal will begin sales. Wild Bunch has also recently announced BertrandBlier's next film, How Much Do YouMake', starring Gerard Depardieu and Monica Bellucci and will be showingscript pages to buyers even though sales won't start until later in the year.

TF1 International will play up James Huth's surfing comedy Brice DeNice while Pyramide International has The Ex Love Of My Life fromdirector Josiane Balasko. ARP Selection brings comedy Espace Detente basedon the hit TV short and Celluloid Dreams is selling Francois Ozon's latest TimeTo Leave.

Pathe will offer Robert Guediguian's Berlin competitor Le PromeneurDu Champ De Mars about the life of the young Francois Mitterand and alsohas Claude Berri's L'Un Reste L'Autre Part which is the Saturday nightgala screening.