Category: Movies

MyFrenchFilmFestival shines spotlight on French-language film

MyFrenchFilmFestival is the world’s first online French-language film festival. Now in its 11th year, the festival begins today and runs until February 15, 2021. The festival is run in partnership with RFI.

Once again, it offers internet users worldwide 10 shorts and 10 feature films in competition, as well as several films out of competition, all subtitled in 10 languages.

With comedies, romances, dramas, documentaries, animated films, classics, VR, short films for young audience, this year’s the selection will spotlight the great diversity of French-language cinema.

Last year there was more than 12 million film views across 200 territories last with a special Stay Home edition during the lockdown

Furthermore, around 60 streaming platforms will showcase the festival around the world (Apple TV app, Google Play, Amazon Prime Video and MUBI), which aims to shine the spotlight on a new generation of French-language filmmakers. It also gives internet users the chance to share their enthusiasm – and support –  for French-language cinema.

Five prizes are awarded at the end of the festival, including the Grand Jury Prize, the Audience Awards and the International Press Awards. This year, the International Jury is composed of Monia Chokri, Mounia Meddour, Gianfranco Rosi, Rosalie Varda and Franco Lolli.

Source: MyFrenchFilmFestival shines spotlight on French-language film

Felicità trailer

How often do you meet a child eager to get back to school after the summer holidays? Not often. Yet, in the tender and suspenseful comedy Felicità, that’s exactly what Tommy wants.

For freshly out of jail Tim (Pio Marmaï, The Trouble with You – SFFF 2019, Back to Burgundy – MiniFest 2017) and his wife Chloé (Camille Rutherford), happiness is living day by day, on the edge, joking and singing out loud, without being burdened by responsibility or constraint. But their daughter, Tommy (Rita Merle), is growing up and craves a normal life. Tomorrow, summer is over, Tommy is entering middle school and her parents have made her a promise: this year, she won’t miss the first day of school.

Felicità takes place over 24 hours like a race against the clock: will Tommy get to school on time? The film is largely told through her eyes, taking us on the rollercoaster ride that is her life and letting us see the imaginative ways in which she copes. Tim and Chloé are reckless, and Tommy often seems more adult than they are. But despite how chaotic and unconventional their family life is, there’s no doubting the love that binds them.

This tender, feel-good comedy is grounded by the performance of the director’s own daughter, the young Rita Merle. With a cameo by French rapper Orelsan, a huge star in France.

Fake or real? The Lumière brothers’ “Snowball Fight” from 1896

The Snowball Fight shot by the Lumière Brothers in 1896 is a fascinating little video that recently got restored and went viral. Whenever I see it I want to watch it over and over again. But why is it so special? And is it even real?

00:00 Introduction

01:37 Who shot the snowball fight?

02:01 Where was the fight shot?

02:40 Was the fight spontaneous?

03:48 Fake vs. real

05:36 Conclusion

SOURCES

– Upscaled video by Dmitriy Badin: https://youtu.be/tuFu9-bfnQk 

– La Bataille de Boules de Neiges, Lumière Brothers, 1897

– L’Arroseur Arrosé, Lumière Brothers, 1895

– L’Arrivée d’un train en gare de La Ciotat, Lumière Brothers 1896

– Deepfake video footage: Aayush Bansal, researcher at Carnegie Melon University

– Aerial photo of the Institut Lumière: http://www.institut-lumiere.org/musee…

– ‘Watch This Snowball Fight From 1897 for a Jolt of Pure Joy’, Sam Anderson, New York Times, Nov 5 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/05/ma…

MUSIC

All music licenced by Epidemic Sounds

These Shoes only Go Backwards – Jerry Lacey

Antidote X – Van Sandano

Buster – Jerry Lacey

Portobello Road – David Celeste

Try and Catch us Now – David Celeste

French cinema club for English speakers goes online – but not for viewing in U.S.

Cinema lovers who struggle to watch French movies without English subtitles may rejoice as Lost in Frenchlation is setting up virtual screenings starting this Friday.

 

What is happening?

Lost in Frenchlation, a cinema group that regularly screens French films with English subtitles in Paris, will host its first virtual screening on Friday, November 27th, at 8pm.

“These virtual screenings will take place every Friday until cinemas reopen,” Manon Kerjean, Founder of Lost in Translation, told The Local.

Which film is on this week?

Friday’s film is called À cœur battant (The End of Love) and tells the story of a couple that must embark on a long distance relationship where their conversations are reduced to video calls.

A fuller description of the – arguably very timely – film is available on the Facebook event (link here).

The screening will be followed by a discussion with director Keren Ben Rafael and the scriptwriter.

Who can access?

The screening will be limited to France only, so those interested must confirm their location in order to purchase tickets.

Tickets cost €5 and can be found here.

What is Lost in Frenchlation?

Lost in Frenchlation is a company that sets up screenings of recent French film releases with English subtitles to give Paris’s large international community access to French culture and meet others in the same situation.

Usually the events are always preceded with drinks (including a cocktail inspired by the film), but since Covid-19 forced cinemas across France to close their doors that has no longer been feasible.

On the plus side, these new virtual screenings will be available to all of France, meaning not just Parisians will be able to access new French films with English subtitles.

In addition to the online screenings, Lost in Frenchlation has launched a VOD page (link here) with more than 70 French films available to watch with subtitles in different foreign languages, including, of course, English.

The first movie is free. After that, you may rent or buy the film.

For more information, check out their website or sign up to their newsletter (link here).

Source: French cinema club for English speakers goes online with virtual screenings – The Local