César nominated ‘Musketeer’ epics on Cork French Film Festival list

THE 35th edition of the Cork French Film Festival, which runs from March 2-10 at the Arc Cinema, is due to feature a diverse selection of 18 French-language films.

The film festival will open with the Irish premiere of the historical drama Jeanne du Barry, starring Johnny Depp, which opened the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.

The festival’s programme this year features several films which have been nominated for César Awards, France’s national film accolade.

Among the films featured are The Animal Kingdom — which was this year’s most César-nominated film, receiving 12 nods — and the six-times César nominated duo of films, The Three Musketeers Part 1: D’Artagnan and Part 2: Milady.

The president of Alliance Française de Cork and festival co-director, Valérie David-McGonnell, said the organisers were very proud of the festival’s programme, which features several Irish premieres.

“There really is something for all cinephiles in the programme,” said Ms David-McGonnell.

“You don’t need to speak French to enjoy our festival, as all films have English subtitles. But, if you do speak French, the festival is a fantastic way to practice while enjoying various good quality films and discovering different cultural backgrounds, as well as memorable characters — whether real or fictional.

“We are grateful to the French and Canadian embassies for supporting the 35th edition of our Francophone film festival.”

French ambassador to Ireland Vincent Guérend said he was delighted to support the festival.

“At the moment, sport is playing a huge role in Franco-Irish relations, with the Rugby World Cup 2023 having taken place in France and the Olympic and Paralympic games taking place in Paris in 2024,” said Mr Guérend.

All screenings will take place in the Arc Cinema, Cork.

Tickets are available from https://cork.arccinema.ie.