What not to miss at the French Film Festival 2020
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With 48 carefully-selected French films, The Alliance Française French Film Festival returns to Palace Electric this March.
Many of us didn’t get the summer holiday we’d hoped for and now we’re right back into the busy rhythm of work, school drop-offs and family life. A little bit of French escapism might be just what you need!
On 12 March, the Alliance Française kicks off four fabulous weeks of French film at Palace Electric in NewActon. The Alliance Française French Film Festival is Canberra’s biggest international film festival and this year brings 48 carefully-selected contemporary French films to local screens from 12 March–8 April.
There’s everything from light-hearted mysteries and romantic comedies right through to challenging psychological thrillers and family dramas. This is French cinema after all, so be prepared for some quirky characters, a bit more exposed flesh than you might be used to, and the occasional abrupt ending!
So! What can you not afford to miss? Well, if you’re looking for something on the lighter side, these are the standouts to circle in your program.
Love at Second Sight is a gorgeous romantic comedy and while the storyline of star-crossed lovers whose circumstances are reversed is somewhat fanciful, it is completely engrossing and keeps you guessing, with an end that is difficult to predict.
This film is a real treat, which is why we’ve selected it for the HerCanberra Ladies Night on Thursday 19 March! Come sip a HerCanberra gin cocktail, nibble on delicious cheese and chocolates and enjoy the film with the girls! More to be announced soon—but snap up your tickets before it’s too late!
Keen for a more offbeat but equally charming romantic comedy? Try The Bare Necessity. Be warned, there’s a cast of eccentric characters and a bit of nudity (hey, the hint is in the title!), but these two misfits who beguile each other will steal your heart!
Fancy a bit of mystery? Rather than ‘whodunnit’, try to work out ‘who wrote it’ in the fun book-themed film The Mystery of Henry Pic.
Take a deep dive into the world of publishing and follow in the footsteps of a famous book critic with an obsessive drive to discover the real author of an unexpected best-seller.
If you’re up for something a little more thought provoking, the festival also includes some touching and inspiring dramas.
The Invisibles follows the journey of a group of homeless and jobless women, who are supported by an equally incredible group of women to find work and housing.
With Australian women being more likely than men to be or become homeless, this film is more relevant than ever and shows what can be achieved with compassion, a sense of humour and a belief in people.
The French Film Festival shows us what it means to be French—life lived with passion, wry humour in the face of tragedy, and good food never far from the centre of life.
Sound appealing? Un petit plus, the Alliance Française in Canberra is inviting you to spend a day living the French way during two Saturdays throughout the French Film Festival.
Start the day with a French breakfast, learn a few French essential phrases, immerse yourself in French culture with cheese-tasting, French activities and a French lunch, and then toast the end of the day with a glass of wine—no French language needed. Why not invite your friends along for a total French experience without leaving Canberra? Find out more here.
With a month of French film and two days spent the French way all kicking off during the Enlighten Festival, perhaps Canberra could be considered the new City of Lights…
the essentials
What: The Alliance Française French Film Festival
When: 12 March–8 April
Where: Palace Electric, 2 Philip Law Street, NewActon
Tickets and more information: affrenchfilmfestival.org/canberra
HerCanberra is a proud sponsor of The Alliance Française French Film Festival.
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