Cork’s French Film Festival announce dates

LOVERS of French film are in for a treat as one of the most anticipated dates on the Cork cinephile’s calendar has been launched.

The annual Alliance Française Cork French Film Festival runs from March 9 to March 12 and includes a number of Irish premieres and multi-award nominated new films.

The Innocent (L’Innocent) by Louis Garrel will open the festival with its Irish premiere at The Gate Cinema on March 9. The dark comedy has been nominated for 11 French César awards, making it the most nominated French film this year. Mr Garrel directs and co-stars in the production as a man attempting to unlawfully derail his mother’s relationship with a former convict.

Rise (En Corps) — the story of a ballet prima donna of the Paris Opera — will close the festival on March 12.

The five remaining premieres will include Xalé by Moussa Sène Absa from Senegal, ‘Lie With Me (Arrête avec tes mensonges) by Olivier Peyron from France, Viking by Stéphane Lafleur from Canada, Two Tickets to Greece (Les Cyclades) by Marc Fitoussi from France, and Eiffel by Martin Bourboulon from France.

This year’s theme is travel reflecting how cinema allows the means to travel virtually while also sparking a desire to visit new places.

Presented by Alliance Française de Cork, the schedule of events will be supported by the French and Belgian Embassies in Ireland, Amarenco, Brittany Ferries, EirGrid, the Department of French of UCC, Eurotranslations Cork, Institut Français and the AIPLF (Irish Association of French-Language Teachers).

Alliance Française de Cork President and Festival Co-Director Valérie David-McGonnell said: “We are delighted that this year’s Cork French Film Festival has returned to its March dates, as March is known in Ireland as ‘Francophonie Month’ and celebrates the French language and the diversity of the French-speaking world,” the festival co-director said.

“This year’s programme is a rich showcase of the best of Francophone cinema, with fabulous French, Belgian, Canadian, and Senegalese films and a French-Luxembourg co-production. We’re delighted to once again partner with The Gate Cinema, which has been a great friend to the festival over the years.”

The full programme of the 34th Cork French Film Festival will be available soon. Tickets for the opening film are now available at The Gate Cinema and online at gatecinemas.com