Vive le cinéma! The Film Festival brings l’amour, laughter and legacy to Canberra

The Alliance Française French Film Festival has come roaring out of the gate this year, expanding in both size and reach, and with a lineup that shows its potential for growth of another kind.

Admission rates have returned to pre-COVID levels and reach has expanded from 15 Aussie cities last year to 20 this year, including the festival’s first appearance in the Northern Territory.

But new CEO Frédéric Alliod says while the nucleus will always be to bring French cinema to audiences around the world, in this year’s lineup of 42 films, audiences catch a glimpse of the festival’s intellectual and cultural possibilities.

“I want to continue down the track of enhancing the experience, so the festival is not all about screening films and drinking wine, but is also a real cultural event and a driver of important conversations,” he says.

“Some of the films cover very strong and topical subjects, and even if they had less impact at the box office, I can see them driving Q&As, panel discussions and other activations.

“I would love to see the festival become a vehicle for an intellectual and cultural exchange. Through these topics, I hope we can explore not only what keeps us apart – because there is a cultural gap – but also, and sometimes in unexpected ways, what brings us together.”

This year’s festival is rich in biopics, showcasing one of its higher purposes.

“While France is recognised as an avant-garde country in the arts, the festival will explore the real-life stories of prominent French cultural figures – universal and captivating tales of hope, struggles, failures and extraordinary achievements,” Frédéric says.

“I love a biopic myself, because you either already know the subjects and you get to dive deeper, or you don’t know anything about them and you get to discover. But I find they have a lot of potential to be universal, for the reason that these are human beings who have hoped, struggled, failed, reached and, given there’s a biopic about them, they’ve made it.”

Straight out of the gate, the festival opens with box office smash hit Monsieur Aznavour. Golden Globe-nominated actor Tahar Rahim dazzles in the lavishly entertaining rise-to-stardom biography of a man who beat all the odds to become one of France’s best-loved entertainers.

“We’re talking about an Armenian immigrant, he’s not particularly handsome and not even a very good singer, but who became a major cultural icon,” Frédéric says.

“There are other more under-the-radar films that I feel deserve a spotlight, like Niki, a portrait of Niki de Saint-Phalle, a woman who experienced personal trauma and has this incredible urge to create. This film really moved me.

“There’s also The Ties that Bind Us – a highly entertaining film that’s ultimately about love, but as with all French films it’s very grounded in reality. We get to interrogate the way we think about love, and how sometimes the strongest ties aren’t necessarily through blood or romance. I hope audiences don’t overlook this one.”

As always, the festival offers something across all genres and for every taste. Apart from the Opening and Closing night films, the highlight and centrepiece films, categories include Just My Luck (for fans of black comedy), L’Amour Toujours (tales of love and lust), Family Day Out (thought-provoking films to be enjoyed by all the family) and Have it Your Way – empowering films covering everything from an exploration of female pleasure to unexpected relationships and unfiltered questions about the meaning of life.

The lineup is littered with French star power, including icons like Charlotte Gainsbourg, favourites Laure Calamy and Camille Cottin, as well as Pierre Niney, Louis Garrel, Vincent Cassel and many more.

But the epic talent reaches beyond those lighting up the silver screen.

“We’re excited to introduce Australian audiences not only to the iconic figures of French cinema, but also to a new wave of emerging directors — many of whom are women — who are shaping the future of French filmmaking,” Frédéric says.

The festival is also punctuated by events, including the catered Taste of France, which includes a screening of All Stirred Up! and Ladies Night, which consists of a screening of Riviera Revenge and a glass of wine and nibbles upon arrival.

The Alliance Française French Film Festival runs from Thursday, 6 March, to Wednesday, 9 April, at Palace Electric Cinemas.