French Film Festival Presents Its Exciting Lineup of Classics and Yet-to-Be Released Films5 min read

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The French Film Festival returns from 6 to 22 November 2020, with its biggest line-up of 37 feature films. Presented as part of the vOilah! France Singapore Festival 2020, the longest-running foreign film festival in Singapore continues to celebrate the best of French storytelling and share them with local movie-goers.

“French cinema holds an important place in our hearts and over the past editions of French Film Festival, we have seen many locals grow a greater appreciation for it. With our specially curated selection of films this year, the biggest ever, we hope to showcase the sensitive and beautiful elements of French storytelling, delving into topics that expose the vulnerabilities that make us human,” said the Ambassador of France to Singapore, Marc Abensour. “We are thankful for our faithful partners who have come onboard to make the French Film Festival the best experience for everyone – for the first time both in theatres and online – and we hope that the stories from this edition will continue to excite and inspire film enthusiasts.”

Powerful stories, led by powerful women

The festival’s line up of 37 films captures the diversity of French cinema that is expressed through a kaleidoscope of genres from emotional drama films to irreverent comedies, and fantastical animated movies for kids to hard-hitting documentaries.

Opening the festival is Mama Weed, starring celebrated Academy Award-nominated actress Isabelle Huppert. Based on Hannelore Cayre’s popular novel, Huppert plays the role of a French-Arabic translator working for the anti-drug squad in Paris, who crosses over to the other side and becomes an untypical drug dealer. The film spotlights the relationships of an intricate network of women who are forced into a grey area of choosing between survival and following their morals.

20 movies from 2020

This year, fans of French cinema are in for a treat as the French Film Festival will feature 20 new movies that are fresh from the box office in France, including some which have yet to be released. This gives local audiences the unique opportunity to experience the new wave of contemporary, ground-breaking innovation in French storytelling ahead of the rest of the world.

One of such is A Friendly Tale, a thought-provoking comedy that premiered in France in September that sheds light on the pursuit of happiness in the real world, and how success may not necessarily translate into inner contentment. It tells the story of awakened jealousies and tested loyalties among friends and family, after a woman finds success in writing a bestselling novel. Directed by French filmmaker Daniel Cohen, the film is led by an ensemble of internationally-recognised French actors including Vincent Cassel, who has starred in Hollywood hit Ocean’s Twelve and Ocean’s Thirteen, and Oscar nominee Bérénice Bejo, who starred in the award-winning film The Artist. Daniel Cohen will participate in a live Q&A session with the public of Alliance Française on 11 November after the 7:00pm screening. The session will also be live streamed on social media.

Making an international premiere at the French Film Festival is The Big Hit, which is due for a theatrical release in France this December. Based on a real-life event, the film tells the story of Etienne, an actor past his prime who takes on the challenge of directing a group of inmates from a high- security prison. An official selection at this year’s Cannes International Film Festival, audiences can look forward to the stellar performance that brings the unique relationships between the characters to live.

Other films to look out for at the French Film Festival includes the coming of age film Summer of 85, and the drama Love Affairs who are part of the official selection at the Cannes Film Festival 2020. Audiences can also enjoy the historical biopic De Gaulle, that follows General Charles De Gaulle as he
decides to lead the Free French Forces against Nazi Germany during World War II; or follow a fantastical love story of The Mermaid in Paris, in which a man crosses path with an injured mermaid along the River Seine in Paris.

An expanded partnership with a new online offering

These internationally acclaimed films will be presented at the Shaw Theatres, who have been a long supporting partner of the French Film Festival together with Alliance Française de Singapour, Gardens by the Bay and The Projector. In an expanded partnership with Shaw Theatres, audiences are now able to catch their favourite films from the line-up at Paya Lebar Quarter, on top of Lido.

Apart from new films, The Projector will also be presenting a line of critically-acclaimed French classics Cleo from 5 to 7, Contempt and The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. These films are specially selected by The Projector to provoke thoughts and conversations around important issues in our society, and to introduce the golden-era of La Nouvelle Vague in the 1960s to Singaporeans.

In addition, the festival will also be offering ‘The Best of French Film Festival’ for the first time this year. This section is presented by both Shaw Theatres and The Projector as a specially curated selection of 12 films from the current and past editions of the festival that people can enjoy in the
comforts of their own home. Shaw Theatres will present seven hits which includes the opening film of French Film Festival 2017 – Back to Burgundy, a drama by acclaimed director Cédric Klapisch about estranged siblings who took over the family vineyard in the scenic Burgundy countryside. The Projector will also screen five favourites including Fanny’s Journey, a family film that follows a group of brave Jewish children as they attempt to escape Nazi-occupied France.

These films are hosted on each presenter’s virtual cinema platforms, KinoLounge and The Projector Plus respectively starting from 6 November.

For more information on the French Film Festival, please refer to www.voilah.sg.