Alliance Française French Film Festival

L'Alliance Française French Film Festival is an annual French film festival in Australia organised by Alliance Française.

The Alliance Française[]

The Alliance Française was founded in 1883 in Paris and is dedicated to promoting and encouraging a love of French language and culture around the world. The Paris Alliance was created in 1884 by a board of directors featuring illustrious names such as Jules Verne (writer) and Louis Pasteur (chemist and biologist). The first Alliance Française abroad was created the same year in Barcelona.

Today there are 1040 Alliance Françaises in 136 countries. Each Alliance Française is an independent, local, not-for-profit organisation. With over 30 Alliance Françaises in Australia this is a language and cultural network which reaches deep into the Australian community.

The Alliance Française French Film Festival is jointly organised by the Alliance Françaises of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Perth and Adelaide and is supported by the French Embassy.

The French Film Industry in Australia[]

The French film industry is one of the world's most dynamic film industries, with over 300 films released commercially each year, including co-productions. This high level of production is assisted by the cinema agency of the Ministry of Culture and Communication, CNC (the equivalent of Screen Australia), tax revenue from cinema tickets, and a requirement that TV stations invest heavily in film production. Due to the strength of the film industry, many French stars are able to maintain successful careers in France, without needing to 'make it' in Hollywood.

A rich variety of genres is one of the main characteristics of popular French films. This is exemplified in the films of world-famous directors, including Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Philippe Lioret, Jacques Audiard, Jean Becker, Cédric Klapisch.

Other examples include hit comedies such as Intouchable (The Intouchables) by Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano; biopics like the recent hit Gainsbourg or the world acclaimed and Best Picture and Best Director winner at the 2012 Academy Award (Oscars) The Artist; romances like Paris-Manhattan; thriving art house cinema by talented young directors such as Mia Hansen-Love (Father of my children), Catherine Corsini (Leaving), Alix Delaporte (Angèle & Tony).

Of course, that "French touch" can also be seen in big productions like Taken 2 from Luc Besson, Asterix and Obelix in Britain, or Populaire all of which are French productions.

In Australia, there has been a strong growth in audiences for French films over the past five years, with more than 3.5 million admissions in 2012, as compared to less than 500,000 in 2005.

In Australia, French films are the fourth most popular, preceded only by English language films from the US, UK and Australia. Each year, between 25 and 32 French films are sold to Australian distributors for commercial release, not including films released on DVD. SBS buys the rights to distribute over 70 French films annually for broadcast on free-to-air TV, and generally screens one or two French films per week.

The Festival[]

The Alliance Française French Film Festival is the main French cultural event in Australia and is one of the most important film events in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane. The festival continues to grow from strength to strength, encapsulating a growing international interest in French cinema. French cinema has an appeal that reaches far beyond France's local community. As one of Australia's only national film events, it has great appeal to national media and sponsors. It is the largest foreign film festival in Australia showcasing the best of contemporary French cinema including action, romance, comedy, thrillers, children's films, animation and documentaries.

What a remarkable outcome for the 27th edition of the festival with 168,000 attendees, and 45 films presented in 2560 screenings which makes this event the most important worldwide in its field.

Films are shown at Palace Cinemas Como, Balwyn, Brighton Bay, Westgarth and Kino in Melbourne; the Hayden Orpheum in Cremorne, Palace Chauvel, Verona and Norton Street in Sydney, Greater Union Cinema and NFSA in Canberra, Palace Barracks and Centro in Brisbane, Palace Nova in Adelaide and Cinema Paradiso, Luna on Essex and Windsor Cinema in Perth.

The Alliance Française French Film festival is used to welcome special guests : Catherine Deneuve in 2008, Gérard Jugnot in 2009, Jean-Pierre Jeunet for his movie Micmacs, Jan Kounen for Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky and Philippe Lioret for Welcome in 2010. in 2011, Clotilde Hesme came, starring in Angèle & Tony. For 2012, Rémi Bezançon came for presenting his movie "A Happy Event". In 2017, Inna Modja, Rebecca Zlotowski & Emmanuelle Bercot were guests and presented their films.

2017 Line-up[]

Opening Night[]

• The Odyssey

Closing Night[]

• A Bun in the Oven

Laugh it off[]

• Just to Be Sure
• Lost in Paris
• Max & Leon
• Penny Pincher!
• Souvenir

Centre Stage[]

• Monsieur Chocolat
• Ogres
• Polina
• The Dancer

In the Court of Versailles[]

• Farewell, my Queen
• Mozart's sister

A Little Bit of Cannes[]

• A Journey Through French Cinema
• From the Land of the Moon
• It's Only the End of the World
• Slack Bay
• The Unknown Girl

On the Road[]

• A Bag of Marbles
• One Man and His Cow
• Saint Amour
• The Country Doctor

Girl Power[]

• 150 Milligrams
• Eternity
• In Bed with Victoria
• Planetarium
• The Innocents
• The Midwife
• Things to Come

Growing Up[]

• Adama

Age of Innocence[]

• Being 17
• Elementary
• Keeper
• Standing Tall

Wish You Were Here[]

• A Kid
• A Woman's Life
• Daguerrotype
• Heal the Living
• Kalinka
• Moka

A Great Adventure[]

• Mercenary
• The First, the Last
• The Stopover
• Tomorrow
• Wùlu

2013 Line-up[]

Opening Night[]

• Haute Cuisine : Les saveurs du palais

Director: Christian Vincent

Cast: Catherine Frot, Arthur Dupont, Jean d'Ormesson, Hippolyte Girardot, Arly Jover

The world of Hortense Laborie (Catherine Frot), a successful chef in Périgord, is tipped upside down when she is appointed as personal cook for the President at the Elysée Palace. At first she faces resentment and resistance from the kitchen staff, but the spirited Hortense gradually wins them over. However, she soon discovers that the real heat is not in the kitchen, but in the halls of the Palace with constant battles for influence over the Chief of State.

Closing Night[]

• Children of paradise : Les enfants du paradis

Director: Marcel Carné

Cast: Arletty, Jean-Louis Barrault, Pierre Brasseur, Maria Casarès, Marcel Herrand

Set in 1830s Paris, the film follows the ill-fated relationship between a mime, Baptiste (Jean-Louis Barrault), and an actress, Garance (Arletty). When Garance is falsely accused of a crime, she seeks the protection of one of her many admirers, however Baptiste's love never goes away.

Love is all around[]

• Another woman's life

Director: Sylvie Testud

Cast: Juliette Binoche, Mathieu Kassovitz, Aure Atika, François Berléand, Danièle Lebrun

• The cherry on the cake

Director: Laura Morante

Cast: Laura Morante, Isabelle Carré, Pascal Elbe, Samir Guesmi, Patrice Thibaud

• Fly me to the moon

Director: Pascal Chaumeil

Cast: Diane Kruger, Dany Boon, Alice Pol, Robert Pagnol, Jonathan Cohen, Etienne Chicot, Damien Bonnard

• Happiness never comes alone

Director: James Huth

Cast: Sophie Marceau, Gad Elmaleh, Maurice Barthélémy, François Berléand, Michaël Abiteboul

• In a rush

Director: Louis-Do de Lencquesaing Cast: Louis-Do de Lencquesaing, Valentina Cervi, Marthe Keller, Denis Podalydès, Xavier Beauvois, Alice de Lencquesaing

• Meet me in real life

Director: Dorothée Sebbagh

Cast: Sophie Cattani, Moussa Maaskri, Gérard Dubouche, Franck Libert, Frédéric Restagno

• Welcome aboard

Director: Jean Becker

Cast: Patrick Chesnais, Jeanne Lambert, Miou-Miou, Jacques Weber, Xavier Gallais, Raphaëline Goupilleau

Women Stories[]

• A Lady In Paris

Director: Ilmar Raag

Cast: EmJeanne Moreau, Pa trick Pineau, Laine Mägi, Ita Ever, Corentin Lobet

• Laurence Anyways

Director: Xavier Dolan

Cast: Melvil Poupaud, Suzanne Clément, Nathalie Baye, Monia Chokri, Sophie Faucher

• Louise Wimmer

Director: Cyril Mennegun

Cast: Corinne Masiero, Jérôme Kircher, Anne Benoît, Marie Kremer, Jean-Marc Roulot

• On Air

Director: Joachim Lafosse

Cast: Niels Arestrup, Tahar Rahim, Emilie Dequenne, Baya Belal, Stéphane Bissot

• Our Children

Director: Rémi Bezançon

Cast: Louise Bourgoin, Pio Marmaï, Josiane Balasko, Thierry Frémont, Firmine Richard

When Art Goes To Cinema[]

• FEU By Christian Louboutin

Director: Bruno Hullin

Cast: Christian Louboutin, The Crazy Horse Dancers

• The Man Who Laughs

Director: Jean-Pierre Améris

Cast: Gérard Depardieu, Marc-André Grondin, Christa Theret, Emmanuelle Seigner, Serge Merlin

• Renoir

Director: Gilles Bourdos

Cast: Michel Bouquet, Christa Theret, Vincent Rottiers, Thomas Doret, Romane Bohringer

• Thérèse Desqueyrous

Director: Claude Miller

Cast: Audrey Tautou, Gilles Lellouche, Anaïs Demoustier, Catherine Arditi, Isabelle Sadoyan

• You Ain't See Nothing Yet!

Director: Alain Resnais

Cast: Denis Podalydès, Sabine Azéma, Mathieu Amalric, Michel Piccoli, Pierre Arditi, Jean-Noël Brouté, Anne Consigny

Should We Laugh?[]

• The Big Night

Director: Gustave Kervern, Benoît Delépine

Cast: Benoît Poelvoorde, Albert Dupontel, Brigitte Fontaine, Areski Belkacem, Bouli Lanners

• Granny's Funeral

Director: Bruno Podalydès

Cast: Denis Podalydès, Va lérie Lemercier, Michel Robin, Pierre Arditi, Bruno Podalydès

• Looking For Hortense

Director: Pascal Bonitzer

Cast: Jean-Pierre Bacri, Isabelle Carré, Kristin Scott Thomas, Claude Rich, Marin Orcand Tourres

• Mobile Home

Director: François Pirot

Cast: Arthur Dupont, Guillaume Gouix, Jackie Berroyer, Jean-Pa ul Bonnaire, Claudine Pelletier

• What's In A Name

Director: Matthieu Delaporte, Alexandre de la Patellière

Cast: Patrick Bruel, Va lérie Benguigui, Charles Berling, Guillaume de Tonquédec, Judith El Zein

Back In The Past[]

• After May

Director: Olivier Assayas

Cast: Lola Créton, Clément Métay er, Félix Armand, Carole Combes, Hugo Conzelmann

• Augustine

Director: Alice Winocour

Cast: Vincent Lindon, Soko, Chiara Mastroianni, Olivier Rabourdin, Roxane Duran, Lise Lamétrie

• Camille Rewinds

Director: Noémie Lvovsky

Cast: Noémie Lvovsky, Samir Guesmi, India Hair, Judith Chemla, Julia Faure

• The Dandelions

Director: Carine Tardieu

Cast: Agnès Jaoui, Denis Podalydès, Isabelle Carré, Isabella Rossellini, Juliette Gombert, Anna Lemarchand

• Farewell, My Queen

Director: Benoît Jacquot

Cast: Léa Seydoux, Diane Kruger, Michel Robin, Virginie Ledoyen, Noémie Lvovsky, Xavier Beauvois

• Twice Upon A Time

Director: Jean-Paul Rouve

Cast: Jean-Paul Rouve, Gilles Lellouche, Benoît Poelvoorde, Miou-Miou, Claude Brasseur

Make Me Thrill[]

• A Gang Story

Director: Olivier Marchal

Cast: Gérard Lanvin, Tchéky Karyo, Daniel Duval, Dimitri Storoge, Pa trick Catalifo

• In The House

Director: François Ozon

Cast: Fabrice Luchini, Ernst Umhauer, Kristin Scott Thomas, Emmanuelle Seigner, Denis Ménochet

• Pauline Detective

Director: Marc Fitoussi

Cast: Sandrine Kiberlain, Audrey Lamy, Claudio Santamaria, Antoine Chappey, Anne Benoît, Michèle Moretti

• Superstar

Director: Xavier Giannoli

Cast: Kad Merad, Cécile de France, Louis-Do de Lencquesaing, Ben, Alberto Sorbelli

• Three Worlds

Director: Catherine Corsini

Cast: Clotilde Hesme, Raphaël Personnaz, Arta Dobroshi, Reda Kateb, Adèle Haenel

Bring Your Kids[]

• Asterix & Obelix In Britain

Director: Laurent Tirard

Cast: Gérard Depardieu, Edouard Baer, Guillaume Gallienne, Valérie Lemercier, Catherine Deneuve, Dany Boon

• Ernest & Celestine

Director: Benjamin Renner, Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar

Voices: Lambert Wilson, Pauline Brunner, Anne-Marie Loop

• The Field Of Enchantment

Director: Claude Nuridsany, Marie Pérennou

Cast: Simon Delagnes, Lindsey Henocque, Jean-Claude Ayrinhac Narrated by Denis Podalydès

Beyond Fiction[]

• The Invisibles

Director: Sébastien Lifshitz

• Journal de France

Director: Raymond Depardon, Claudine Nougaret

• Leadersheep

Director: YanChristian Rouaud

Cast: Pierre Bonnefous, José Bové, Christiane Burguière, Pierre Burguière, Michel Courtin

• Les Françoises, When French Singer Go Wild

Director: Yvan Schreck

Cast: Camille, Jeanne Cherhal, La Grande Sophie, Emily Loizeau, Olivia Ruiz, Rosemary Standley

See also[]

• Cinema of France

External links[]

• The Alliance Francaise French Film Festival
• Alliance Française
• Alliance Française de Sydney
• Alliance Française de Melbourne
• Alliance Française de Brisbane
• Alliance Française de Perth
• Alliance Française de Canberra
• Alliance Française d'Adelaide
• La France en Australie