Bridging Gaps with the 29th French Film Festival
For its 29th edition, the French Film Festival is set to bring people of different ages and interests together through diverse film screenings and roundtable discussions.
Organized by the Embassy of France to the Philippines, Institut Français, SM Supermalls, and SM Cinema, the annual film festival aims to bring French cinema to the masses, in collaboration with artists, historians, and organizations such as Gabriela - National Alliance of Filipino Women.
“Film is more than entertainment but bridges,” said Joaquin San Agustin, the Executive Vice President for marketing of SM Supermalls, during the festival press conference at the Alliance de Française de Manille in Makati last Oct. 29.
Centered around literature, history, feminism, and animation, the film lineup includes new adaptations of beloved classics such as Les Misérables and Le Fantôme de l’Opéra and prominent Philippine-French co-productions Magellan and Filipiñana.
Film screenings are free and will be held at the Alliance de Française de Manille, SM Aura, and SM City Manila.
Meanwhile, Filipino classics restored by the Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée (CNC) such as Lino Brocka’s Jaguar and Ginauhaw Ako, Ginagutom Ako, the first full-length film in Hiligaynon, will be screened at Cinematheque Centre Manila.
The festival is also partnering with the QCinema International Film Festival and Animahenasyon to offer more French cinema this year.
Through these free film screenings, the festival responds to the decline in cinema attendance by bringing a variety of award-winning and thought-provoking titles in the hopes of providing viewers more options to experience cinema instead of just relying on handheld devices.
Regarding festival accessibility outside of Metro Manila, Martin Macalintal, the Cultural and Audiovisual Attache of the French Embassy, said that they are moving step by step to be able to achieve nationwide availability, citing previous locations of regional screenings in Cebu and Davao.
LITERATURE
Les Misérables by Fred Cavayé
Le Fantôme de l’Opéra (The Phantom of the Opera) by Alexandre Castagnetti
Délicatesse by David Foenkinos and Stephanie Foenkinos
Jalouse (Jealous) by David Foenkinos and Stephanie Foenkinos
HISTORY
De Gaulle: L’âge de Fer (Résistance) and De Gaulle: J’écris ton nom (Liberté) by Antoin Baudry
Moulin by Laszlo Nemes
Onoda: 10,000 Nights in the Jungle by Arthur Harari
FEMINISM
La Maison de Femmes (A Place for Her) by Mélissa Godet
l’Objet du Délit (Crescendo) by Agnès Jaoui
Maria by Jessica Palud
ANIMATION
Muyi by Julien Chheng
La Vie de Château (My Life in Versailles) by Clémence Madeleine-Perdrillat and Nathaniel H'limi
Ernest and Celestine by Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar, and Benjamin Renner
FRENCH-FILIPINO COOPERATION
Jaguar by Lino Brocka
Ginauhaw Ako, Ginagutom Ako by Quin Baterna and Leonardo Belen
Magellan by Lav Diaz
Filipiñana by Rafael Manuel
QCINEMA
Du Fioul dans les Artères by Pierre Le Gall
Le Journal d’une Femme de Chambre (The Diary of a Chambermaid) by Radu Jude
La Gradiva by Marine Atlan
L’Inconnue (The Unknown) by Arthur Harari
FRENCH CINEMA DIVERSITY SHOWCASE
Sarah Bernardt, La Divine by Guillaume Nicloux
Trois Amies by Emmanuel Mouret
Miséricorde by Alain Guiraudie
Pacifiction by Albert Serra
L’Empire by Bruno Dumont
The 29th French Film Festival runs from Nov. 6-30. Visit the social media pages of the Embassy of France to the Philippines and Micronesia for more details on scheduling and venues.
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