French Film Festival: this year’s program

This article is in English. Click here to read it in French.

Each year, the Alliance Française in Australia organise a French Film Festival in the country’s main capital cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane.

For one month, between March and April, these cities wear French blue, white and red, and a selection of cinemas screen around 40 French movies.

Here is this year’s program…

French movies for a large audience

When we look closely at the selection of French movies for the 2013 festival, we can see immediately that they are mainly mainstream films that have been chosen to satisfy a large audience.

At the preview, we were lucky to see ‘In the House’, an exciting and surprising film. Directed by François Ozon, starring Fabrice Luchini, Kristin Scott-Thomas and Emmanuelle Seigner, the movie tells a story inside the story, which amuses, disturbs, astonishes. Suspense guaranteed!

In each Australian city, the opening night screening for the festival will present the comedy ‘Haute Cuisine’, a film made by Christian Vincent starring the famous Catherine Frot. ‘Children of Paradise’, made by Marcel Carné in 1945, will have the last word at the closing night screening.

Amongst the 43 movies selected this year, the most promising are most likely, apart from those above, ‘Thérèse Desqueyroux’, by Claude Miller, ‘Looking for Hortense’, by Claude Bonitzer, ‘The Big Night’ by Gustave de Kervern and Benoît Delépine, ‘You ain’t see nothing yet’ by Alain Resnais, and ‘Farewell, My Queen’, by Benoît Jacquot.

French Film Festival: practical information

The French Film Festival will be on…

From 5 to 24 March in Sydney
6 to 24 March in Melbourne
7 to 24 March in Canberra
14 March to 4 April in Brisbane
19 March to 7 April in Adelaide and Perth.

Each city has its own dates and special events, including screenings and cocktails…

Sydney

The festival was launched in Sydney on 5 March.

Rendez-vous at the ‘French Cabaret Night’ on 7 March at Palace Verona to watch ‘Feu by Christian Louboutin’, directed by Bruno Hullin.

12 March will be the time for ‘Painting the French Riviera’, with the screening of ‘Renoir’, by Gilles Bourdos, in the same cinema.

Finally, ‘Love etc’. on 14 March will come to life wit the screening of ‘The Cherry on the cake’ by Laura Morante, at Chauvel Cinema.

Melbourne

In Melbourne, the first event, ‘Join the Circus’, will feature a screening of ‘The Man who Laughs’, on 7 March, at Palace Balwyn.

The same night, ‘L’amour always’ will show ‘The Cherry on the cake’ at Palace Brighton Bay. ‘Versailles Extravangaza’, on 12 March, will see the big picture with the screening of ‘Farewell, my queen’, by Benoît Jacquot, at Palace Wetgarth.

To finish, ‘An Artist in Provence’, will feature the movie ‘Renoir’ on 13 March at Kino Cinema.

Canberra

In Canberra, the only event – except of course the opening and closing night screenings – will be a ‘Cabaret Night’ honoring ‘Feu‘, on 17 March at Palace Electric Cinema.

Brisbane

In Brisbane, four evenings must be on your agenda. The ‘Bon Voyage !‘ event features a screening of ‘Fly me the moon’, directed by Pascal Chaumeil, on 19 March at Palace Barracks.

The delightful movie by Noémie Lvovsky, ‘Camille rewinds’, will be the focus of a ‘Flashback’ evening on 21 March at Palace Centro.

On 23 March at Palace Barracks, it’s the time for ‘Ernest & Célestine’ to be honored for the event ‘Film, Fun & Friends’.

Finally, come for ‘Oh la la, soirée Cabaret‘ and watch (once again!) ‘Feu‘, on 26 March in the same cinema.

Adelaide

In Adelaide, two events are planned: the first one will happen on 21 March at Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas. The Mums/Dads and Bubs evening will feature the anticipated movie by Sylvie Testud, ‘Another woman’s life’.

Finally, another ‘Cabaret Night’ on 5 April in the same cinema will celebrate cabaret with a live show!

Perth

At last, Perth will welcome ‘Astérix and Obélix in England’ on 23 March at Luna on SX; ‘Renoir’ on 24 March at Windsor Cinema; and ‘Feu‘ on 26 March at Cinema Paradisio. Not forgetting of course everyday screenings in all these cities, at $19.50 for one film.

And you, which movies are you going to see this year?