Film Producer
24 September 2025, at Maceo, Paris
We were delighted to welcome Sylvie Pialat for a LeadHers dinner, just after the 2025 Cannes Film Festival opened with Partir un jour, the first feature by Amélie Bonnin, produced by Les Films du Worso, the company Sylvie founded and continues to lead with bold vision. This latest selection is a tribute to her strong commitment to original filmmaking and new voices in cinema.
Both a screenwriter and producer, Sylvie is one of the most influential figures in French cinema today. Her path into the industry was anything but traditional: originally preparing for the École normale supérieure, she left academia behind to follow her passion for film. After working in bars popular with artists, she got her start as a set runner on À nos amours in 1982, directed by Maurice Pialat, who would later become her husband and creative partner.
Together, they co-wrote Police and Under the Sun of Satan, which won the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 1987. After Maurice’s passing in 2003, Sylvie founded Les Films du Worso in 2005, named after a Peul festival in Chad. It marked the beginning of a new and remarkable chapter in her career.
Since then, she has produced over 40 films, with 14 selected at Cannes, 28 nominated for César Awards, and one, Timbuktu (2015), nominated for an Academy Award. Her collaborations include celebrated directors like Joachim Lafosse (Our Children), Alain Guiraudie (Stranger by the Lake), and Xavier Beauvois (The Guardians). She has twice received the Daniel Toscan du Plantier Prize for Best Producer, recognized for her daring choices and deep trust in her filmmakers.
Sylvie has also led juries at major festivals such as Les Arcs and the Queer Palm at Cannes, and currently serves as President of the Festival La Rochelle Cinéma.
We invited you to join us for an evening with Sylvie to explore her inspiring journey, from working behind the scenes with one of France’s greatest directors to building a production house known for excellence and powerful storytelling.