The Alliance Française French Film Festival is an annual French film festival in Australia organised by Alliance Française.
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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 USA, 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 23rd edition of the festival with 126,000 attendees, and 43 films presented in 1436 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"
Opening Night
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
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
Director: Sylvie Testud
Cast: Juliette Binoche, Mathieu Kassovitz, Aure Atika, François Berléand, Danièle Lebrun
Director: Laura Morante
Cast: Laura Morante, Isabelle Carré, Pascal Elbe, Samir Guesmi, Patrice Thibaud
Director: Pascal Chaumeil
Cast: Diane Kruger, Dany Boon, Alice Pol, Robert Pagnol, Jonathan Cohen, Etienne Chicot, Damien Bonnard
Director: James Huth
Cast: Sophie Marceau, Gad Elmaleh, Maurice Barthélémy, François Berléand, Michaël Abiteboul
Director: Louis-Do de Lencquesaing Cast: Louis-Do de Lencquesaing, Valentina Cervi, Marthe Keller, Denis Podalydès, Xavier Beauvois, Alice de Lencquesaing
Director: Dorothée Sebbagh
Cast: Sophie Cattani, Moussa Maaskri, Gérard Dubouche, Franck Libert, Frédéric Restagno
Director: Jean Becker
Cast: Patrick Chesnais, Jeanne Lambert, Miou-Miou, Jacques Weber, Xavier Gallais, Raphaëline Goupilleau
Women Stories
Director: Ilmar Raag
Cast: EmJeanne Moreau, Pa trick Pineau, Laine Mägi, Ita Ever, Corentin Lobet
Director: Xavier Dolan
Cast: Melvil Poupaud, Suzanne Clément, Nathalie Baye, Monia Chokri, Sophie Faucher
Director: Cyril Mennegun
Cast: Corinne Masiero, Jérôme Kircher, Anne Benoît, Marie Kremer, Jean-Marc Roulot
Director: Joachim Lafosse
Cast: Niels Arestrup, Tahar Rahim, Emilie Dequenne, Baya Belal, Stéphane Bissot
Director: Rémi Bezançon
Cast: Louise Bourgoin, Pio Marmaï, Josiane Balasko, Thierry Frémont, Firmine Richard
When Art Goes To Cinema
Director: Bruno Hullin
Cast: Christian Louboutin, The Crazy Horse Dancers
Director: Jean-Pierre Améris
Cast: Gérard Depardieu, Marc-André Grondin, Christa Theret, Emmanuelle Seigner, Serge Merlin
Director: Gilles Bourdos
Cast: Michel Bouquet, Christa Theret, Vincent Rottiers, Thomas Doret, Romane Bohringer
Director: Claude Miller
Cast: Audrey Tautou, Gilles Lellouche, Anaïs Demoustier, Catherine Arditi, Isabelle Sadoyan
Director: Alain Resnais
Cast: Denis Podalydès, Sabine Azéma, Mathieu Amalric, Michel Piccoli, Pierre Arditi, Jean-Noël Brouté, Anne Consigny
Should We Laugh?
Director: Gustave Kervern, Benoît Delépine
Cast: Benoît Poelvoorde, Albert Dupontel, Brigitte Fontaine, Areski Belkacem, Bouli Lanners
Director: Bruno Podalydès
Cast: Denis Podalydès, Va lérie Lemercier, Michel Robin, Pierre Arditi, Bruno Podalydès
Director: Pascal Bonitzer
Cast: Jean-Pierre Bacri, Isabelle Carré, Kristin Scott Thomas, Claude Rich, Marin Orcand Tourres
Director: François Pirot
Cast: Arthur Dupont, Guillaume Gouix, Jackie Berroyer, Jean-Pa ul Bonnaire, Claudine Pelletier
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
Director: Olivier Assayas
Cast: Lola Créton, Clément Métay er, Félix Armand, Carole Combes, Hugo Conzelmann
Director: Alice Winocour
Cast: Vincent Lindon, Soko, Chiara Mastroianni, Olivier Rabourdin, Roxane Duran, Lise Lamétrie
Director: Noémie Lvovsky
Cast: Noémie Lvovsky, Samir Guesmi, India Hair, Judith Chemla, Julia Faure
Director: Carine Tardieu
Cast: Agnès Jaoui, Denis Podalydès, Isabelle Carré, Isabella Rossellini, Juliette Gombert, Anna Lemarchand
Director: Benoît Jacquot
Cast: Léa Seydoux, Diane Kruger, Michel Robin, Virginie Ledoyen, Noémie Lvovsky, Xavier Beauvois
Director: Jean-Paul Rouve
Cast: Jean-Paul Rouve, Gilles Lellouche, Benoît Poelvoorde, Miou-Miou, Claude Brasseur
Make Me Thrill
Director: Olivier Marchal
Cast: Gérard Lanvin, Tchéky Karyo, Daniel Duval, Dimitri Storoge, Pa trick Catalifo
Director: François Ozon
Cast: Fabrice Luchini, Ernst Umhauer, Kristin Scott Thomas, Emmanuelle Seigner, Denis Ménochet
Director: Marc Fitoussi
Cast: Sandrine Kiberlain, Audrey Lamy, Claudio Santamaria, Antoine Chappey, Anne Benoît, Michèle Moretti
Director: Xavier Giannoli
Cast: Kad Merad, Cécile de France, Louis-Do de Lencquesaing, Ben, Alberto Sorbelli
Director: Catherine Corsini
Cast: Clotilde Hesme, Raphaël Personnaz, Arta Dobroshi, Reda Kateb, Adèle Haenel
Bring Your Kids
Director: Laurent Tirard
Cast: Gérard Depardieu, Edouard Baer, Guillaume Gallienne, Valérie Lemercier, Catherine Deneuve, Dany Boon
Director: Benjamin Renner, Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar
Voices: Lambert Wilson, Pauline Brunner, Anne-Marie Loop
Director: Claude Nuridsany, Marie Pérennou
Cast: Simon Delagnes, Lindsey Henocque, Jean-Claude Ayrinhac Narrated by Denis Podalydès
Beyond Fiction
Director: Sébastien Lifshitz
Director: Raymond Depardon, Claudine Nougaret
Director: YanChristian Rouaud
Cast: Pierre Bonnefous, José Bové, Christiane Burguière, Pierre Burguière, Michel Courtin
Director: Yvan Schreck
Cast: Camille, Jeanne Cherhal, La Grande Sophie, Emily Loizeau, Olivia Ruiz, Rosemary Standley