Véra Belmont

Though Parisian Véra Belmont is known as a lauded film producer, her career in show business began as an actress. In 1959, the then 27-year-old Belmont broke into television with a string of small roles in such French TV shows as the historical drama "La Camera Explore le Temps" and the crime procedural "The Last Five Minutes." But after dabbling in acting, she leapt into producing in 1960, helping bring the FBI thriller "«a Va  tre ta F'te" to theaters. Since then, Belmont has proved a prolific producer, helping craft more than 40 films. Notably, she has also tried her hand at writing and directing--and with grand results. In 1985, she wrote and directed the acclaimed politics-and-romance-fueled drama "The Red Kiss," which earned Belmont a Golden Berlin Bear nomination from the prestigious Berlin International Film Festival. Her leading lady, Charlotte Valandrey went on to win the Silver Berlin Bear, and also scored a César nomination for Most Promising Actress. Twelve years later she won more acclaim for the cheeky historical drama "Marquise"; Belmont served as writer, director, and producer on the award-winning film. With more than 50 years of filmmaking behind her, Belmont has slowed her pace, producing only a handful of films since the late 1990s.