The Three Musketeers touches on the timeless themes of integrity, a sense of duty and brotherhood but also includes kick-ass sword fights and more than its fair share of damsels in distress. With this new (2023) take on the classic, The Three Musketeers – Part I: D’Artagnan and Part 2: Milady, it’s fitting to be shepherded by French director and second-generation movie man Martin Bourboulon.

These two films were major productions in France and as such feature extravagant budgets and large casts with big stars. In keeping with its country of origin, the accuracy of its look is paramount and Bourboulon and cinematographer Nicolas Bolduc were unafraid to set the action in dark and dangerous surroundings. They have created a world best seen in a very dark room so you can revel in the minute detail. It is also unsentimental when dispatching some of its main characters.

Having never had an issue with sub-titles, it must be noted that this is a work that was made for many markets in the world and as such the act of reading to keep up is very easy as the screen is never overcrowded with text. The emotional content is also very apparent by the actor’s skill. Thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish, this level of entertainment demands the viewing of its sister part two Milady. With the festival screening both titles, go big and see both in one sitting!
Rob Hudson

The Three Musketeers – Part I: D’Artagnan Brisbane Screenings
Palace Barracks
1:10 PM Tuesday 19 March
1:10 PM Friday 22 March

Palace James Street
12:50 PM Saturday 23 March
5:50 PM Friday 29 March

Alliance Française French Film Festival runs in Brisbane from 5 March – 2 April and will take place at the Palace James Street and Palace Barracks cinemas.

Click here for more information about the festival, or head to the official website for more information and to book your tickets!
www.affrenchfilmfestival.org

Based ever so slightly on real life, National Treasure Catherine Deneuve plays Bernadette Chirac, wife of France’s 22nd President Jacques Chirac. After years of servitude to her husband’s career, when the time arrives for her to take residency in the Elysée, she doesn’t take kindly to the marginal position she is expected to live in.

Her emergence from the shadows cast by Jacques underlines most of the film’s humour. It’s marvellous to see Deneuve in a comic role and her timing and way with nuance is unflinchingly good. She is a class act and her role is written to bring this to full fruition. The subtlety shown raises the humour without resorting to joke after joke.

This is feminism shown in a most French way and it’s fabulous. Writer, director and producer Léa Domenach shows she has a way with comedy and has an irreverent approach where amusement comes from a large number of step-outside moments that surprise and entertain. Hard to see any other country making a film like this and that is indeed a compliment.
Rob Hudson

The President’s Wife screenings in Brisbane
PALACE BARRACKS
10:40AM Wednesday 6 March
8:45PM Thursday 7 March
6:10PM Saturday 9 March
11:00AM Monday 11 March
6:30PM Thursday 14 March
6:10PM Saturday 16 March
6:10PM Sunday 17 March
11:00AM Tuesday 19 March
1:10PM Thursday 21 March
10:30AM Sunday 24 March
6:00PM Friday 29 March
6:10PM Tuesday 2 April

PALACE JAMES STREET
1:40PM Friday 8 March
10:45AM Sunday 10 March
6:30PM Tuesday 12 March
10:45AM Thursday 14 March
6:20PM Saturday 16 March
1:20PM Wednesday 20 March
6:10PM Friday 22 March
4:00PM Tuesday 26 March
1:20PM Wednesday 27 March
6:30PM Thursday 28 March
10:50AM Sunday 31 March
11:10AM Tuesday 2 April
6:00PM Tuesday 2 April

Alliance Française French Film Festival runs in Brisbane from 5 March – 2 April and will take place at the Palace James Street and Palace Barracks cinemas.

Click here for more information about the festival, or head to the official website for more information and to book your tickets!
www.affrenchfilmfestival.org

It also explores the Marindaze family, Father François (Romain Duris) and Son Émile (Paul Kircher). François has lost his wife and Émile’s mother to the mutations and she has to reside in a facility that keeps these beings from the public view. When this facility has a breakout of its residents, it puts things into overdrive.

If Son Émile didn’t have enough teen problems to deal with, like talking to girls and fitting in with cool kid members of his new school, he must now face the truth that he is himself starting to show signs of mutation. An awkward boy to begin with, he has been raised well and begins to show some empathy to his fellow mutants.

The film is very French in its presentation and downplays the sensationalism of its subject matter. The result of this approach makes it more of a human study than an out-of-control science fiction tale of impending doom. You come to admire the Marindaze family and feel for the plight of Émile. This uses a sci-fi approach to tell a story about human nature.
Rob Hudson

The Animal Kingdom screenings in Brisbane
PALACE BARRACKS
10:45AM Wednesday 6 March
6:00PM Saturday 9 March
3:30PM Thursday 14 March
12:45PM Saturday 16 March
11:00AM Sunday 17 March
8:00PM Wednesday 20 March
12:50PM Saturday 23 March
1:10PM Wednesday 27 March
8:45PM Thursday 28 March

PALACE JAMES STREET
6:00PM Sunday 10 March
3:30PM Wednesday 13 March
6:30PM Monday 18 March
1:00PM Thursday 21 March
8:20PM Saturday 23 March
6:00PM Saturday 30 March

Alliance Française French Film Festival runs in Brisbane from 5 March – 2 April and will take place at the Palace James Street and Palace Barracks cinemas.

Click here for more information about the festival, or head to the official website for more information and to book your tickets!
www.affrenchfilmfestival.org

Teasing a niche line-up rife with glamour, black comedy, romance and history, Alliance Française has released a new trailer for its 33rd French Film Festival.

Set to delight Francophiles and cinephiles alike, the annual festival returns with a touring programme of 42 feature films. Key dates to add to the diary for a dose of French culture include:
• Sydney: 1st March to 6th April (Encore screenings: 7th to 10th April)
• Canberra: 2nd March to 6th April (Encore screenings: 7th to 10th April)
• Melbourne: 3rd March to 6th April (Encore screenings: 7th to 10th April)
• Perth: 9th March to 6th April (Encore screenings: 7th to 10th April)
• Brisbane: 16th March to 13th April (Encore screenings: 14th to 18th April)
• Adelaide: 24th March to 24th April (Encore screenings: 25th to 26th April)
• Byron Bay: 30th March to 14th April (Encore screenings: 15th to 16th April)
• Parramatta: 7th to 10th April
• Hobart: 9th to 20th March

With the 2022 edition of the festival embarking on a refreshing narrative to explore the influence of
French cinema on leading Australian artists within the film industry, Alliance Française has aptly enlisted
a new collective of ambassadors.

The talented and eclectic line-up of 2022 ambassadors include: lauded blockbuster film director Phillip Noyce, renowned actor David Wenham, acclaimed screen and theatre director Shannon Murphy and internationally recognised filmmaker Samantha Lang. As ambassadors, their roles will include in-person and social video appearances throughout the programme, uncovering their personal experiences and the impact of French film on their career journeys.

Speaking about his French connections, David Wenham said: “French cinema has not only entertained, provoked and moved me as an audience member it has also provided invaluable insight, education and inspiration for me as an actor and film practitioner. I am excited to be an ambassador for the Alliance Française French Film Festival and look forward to engaging with both French filmmakers and local audiences.”

Commenting on today’s announcement, Karine Mauris, artistic director, Alliance Française French Film Festival added:

“There’s nothing quite like the magic of cinema, when the lights go down and the audience is instantly bound together with the freedom to dream, laugh, cry and share experiences with one another.

“Inspired by the collective audience experience, we’re proud to present the most exciting Alliance Française French Film Festival to date. A true celebration of stories that universally allow us to look at ourselves as we share the excitement of French cinema.

“The 2022 edition will lift you, inspire you, challenge you, and take you on magical journeys to France.

We will be showcasing some of the best French filmmakers, actors, composers and talent who bring these films to life.

“We see this edition of the AFFFFF being a significant contributor to the revival of the cinematic experience and look forward to sharing France with Australian audiences.”

With the full festival line-up set to be announced mid-February and tickets on sale from early February, stay tuned to the latest Alliance Française French Film Festival updates at: www.affrenchfilmfestival.org

So, we have some ‘Top 5’ lists, including:

• FILMS TO GET YOUR HEART RACING
• FILMS TO MAKE YOU LOL
• SPOTLIGHT ON PARIS
• WEIRD AND WACKY
• FILMS FOR THE CULTURALLY AND POLITICALLY INQUISITIVE
• FILMS TO SET YOUR HEART AFLUTTER
• FILMS FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY
• FILMS YOU SHOULD SEE IF YOU’VE NEVER SEEN A FRENCH FILM BEFORE AND ARE A TEENY BIT SCARED

Whether you are a French film aficionado or a first timer, there is something for everyone at the 2020 Alliance Française French Film Festival! And you are welcome!

FILMS TO GET YOUR HEART RACING
If you enjoy sliding down to the edge of your seat, biting your fingernails until they bleed and getting sweaty palms, then these films are for you!

Zombie Child
Haiti, 1962…A man is resurrected from the dead and trapped in a nightmare of slavery. Modern-day Paris…Haitian teen Mélissa, the new girl at an elite school, is invited to join a secret ‘literary sorority’. But the incendiary family secret she harbours becomes a source of fascination to others, who exploit her heritage with shocking results.

Only the Animals
Set in an isolated town in the lush, wintery mountains of southern France, the film opens with the departure of Evelyne, a local woman whose disappearance during a snowstorm soon reveals itself as murder. This act of violence gradually unveils the hidden agendas of several locals, setting the unexpected into motion.

The Perfect Nanny
When, despite her husband’s misgivings, mother of two Myriam decides to return to work as a lawyer, the decision is made to engage a nanny. Enter Louise. Almost instantly becoming one of the family, Louise seems too good to be true. As events unravel, that might just be the case…

Sibyl
Dissatisfied with her life, Sibyl, a psychiatrist, decides to pursue her dream of becoming a writer. Casting professional ethics aside, she secretly uses the private sessions of her actress patient, Margot, as inspiration for her novel, a decision that irreversibly impacts upon both their lives.

The Translators
Nine language experts, hired to translate the final book of a bestselling trilogy, are in lockdown within a luxurious bunker. But when the top-secret manuscript’s first ten pages appear online, their dream job implodes. The culprit has to amongst them and the publisher is ready to do whatever it takes to unmask who it is.

FILMS TO MAKE YOU LOL
Let’s face it, the real world can be a little stressful and daunting at times so it’s nice to take a few hours out of your everyday life to enjoy a few LOLs in the comfort of an air-conditioned cinema whilst sipping on a cool beverage, and chowing down on a choc-top. These films are guaranteed to make you forget your stresses, at least for a short while.

How to be a Good Wife
In 1968 amidst the lush regions of Alsace, the head of a housekeeping school that transforms teenage girls into ideal housewives, has her pristine life implode when she encounters her long-lost first love whilst simultaneously learning that her business is on the brink of financial ruin.

10 Days Without Mum
On the verge of a career-making promotion, Antoine is left to manage home and children when his wife announces she’s off on a 10-day break. Even though she leaves detailed instructions, he moves from one disaster to another. Can the family survive without their mother, even for just 10 days?

I’ll Go Where You Go
When their sick father asks Mina to travel with her estranged sister, Vali to a career-making singing audition, the two girls embark upon an emotionally uplifting road-trip that leads them on an unexpected adventure.

A Brother’s Love
In this moving and very funny portrait of life, family and being a woman, Sophia, a struggling academic, is forced to change her outlook when Karim, her dependable big brother, falls in love with her friend, Eloise, leaving her feeling more disoriented than ever,

A Friendly Tale
In this delicious tale of tested loyalties, the close friendship of two long-time couples is put at risk when one of the two wives unexpectedly becomes a best-selling author, upsetting the intricate balance of this formerly close-knit quartet.

FILMS FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY
If you’re looking for a movie other than a Disney animation to take the kids to see, here is a selection of movies that the younger members of your family will love as much as you do.

The Lost Prince
Djibi, a devoted single father, transforms into a heroic Prince in the nightly fairy-tales he tells his beloved 7-year-old daughter, Sofia. But as the years pass, Sofia is ready for her own stories with different heroes. But is the Prince ready to become just a memory of his daughter’s childhood?

Of Love and Lies
Desperate to halt his father’s self-destructive spiral, a young boy tests for a top soccer club, but is rejected for being too small. Not wishing to impose yet another disappointment on his father, he impulsively articulates a well-meaning fiction… one that quickly spirals and overtakes not just his life, but that of those around him.

Roxane
A Breton poultry farmer harbours a secret passion for the theatre, shared only with his hens, to whom he gives rousing performances of Cyrano de Bergerac. But when Brittany’s chicken farms face financial ruin, he takes to broadcasting his theatrics via YouTube, with his favourite hen, and star-in-the-making, Roxane.

Spread your wings
Christian, a visionary scientist, studies wild birds. For his son, a teenager obsessed with video games, the idea of spending a vacation with his father in the middle of nature is a nightmare. However, father and son soon bond over a daring project to save an endangered species, which takes them on an incredible journey.

SamSam
Based on the beloved comic book series comes the animated debut of the tiny red superhero; SamSam. Dreaming of having his first-ever superpower, SamSam is excited when Mega, the mysterious new kid at school, tells him she holds the key. But SamSam soon discovers that superpowers are not so easily acquired!

WEIRD AND WACKY
The French have a history of quirky films (remember that fascinating documentary about potatoes or the film where a severed hand goes on a journey to find the rest of its body?) and this year’s Festival has a plethora of bizarro films to whet your weirdo appetite.

The Bare Necessity
The members of close-knit family entrenched in a comfortable routine within their small Vosges village, find their lives turned upside down when Juliette, an enigmatic stranger, forces them to redefine their boundaries and begin to fully live.

Donkey skin
This newly restored version marks this classic’s 50th anniversary. A king promises his dying queen that he will only re-marry if he can find someone more beautiful than her. He narrows his list down to their daughter who, alarmed by the thought of an incestuous union, escapes to a nearby kingdom wearing a magical donkey skin.

Deerskin
With his life in disarray, Georges might not be able to control his circumstances, but he can control his wardrobe. Believing that the deerskin jacket of his dreams is the answer to all his problems, Georges’ delusions gradually increase each time he wears it, edging his obsession closer to a violent delirium.

Room 212
After Maria reveals a long history of affairs to her husband, she opts to spend the night at a hotel opposite their home. But this is a “magical night”, and it’s not long before time collapses upon itself opening a window into the past where young passions are revisited and the very concept of love, questioned.

My Days of Glory
Self-absorbed and unemployed, a promising career as a child actor has led wisecracking Adrien to virtually nothing since. But when the chance of a lead role in a big-budget biopic beckons, he must decide whether it’s worth casting aside the comforting familiarity of failure in order to finally stand on his own two feet.

FILMS FOR THE CULTURALLY AND POLITICALLY INQUISITIVE
Going to the movies isn’t just about having a LOL and eating your body weight in popcorn, sometimes it’s an opportunity to look beyond our own lives and learn about cultures and communities far removed from our own. These films may be confronting and often heart-breaking, but they are also enlightening and soul-restoring.

Les Misérables
Set in the troubled Parisian district of Montfermeil, this searing tale follows cop Stéphane who works on the fringes of both the city and society. With tensions at boiling point, it’s a trial by fire as he and his corrupt, often violent, colleagues, face off against the region’s clashing factions of angry teens.

Invisibles
In this soul-enriching comedy, an illegal women’s shelter earmarked for closure, decides to fight back by turning to unorthodox methods of survival, when bureaucrats ignore their pleas for assistance. From now on everything is allowed…!

In the Name of Land
Returning to France in the late 70s, Pierre marries his sweetheart and takes over his father’s farm. But twenty years onwards, Pierre is exhausted. With mounting debt, what was once satisfying begins to take an insidious toll on his family who risk being torn apart by the property that binds them, in this powerful tale of resilience.

Farewell to the Night
Muriel, a respected member of her idyllic local community, is horrified to discover that her visiting grandson, who claims to be heading to Canada for work, has in reality been radicalised by Islamist extremists. His plans to fight for ISIS in Syria expose this ordinary woman to a moral dilemma of heart-breaking proportions.

The Swallows of Kabul
Based on the cherished novel of the same name, the story follows two couples living in the Afghan capital during the 90s and the impact Taliban rule has on each relationship. Through their individual love stories, unforgettable characters emerge amid the devastating impact of armed combat.

FILMS TO SET YOUR HEART AFLUTTER
Perfect for a first date or much-needed date night with your long-time lover, these films will restore your faith in love in a way that only the French know how.

Love at Second Sight
After waking in a parallel universe, Raphaël finds his wife, Olivia, is nowhere to be seen and his professional achievements have vanished. Without Olivia, his life is empty, but winning her back proves harder than he could have imagined – especially when he realises she doesn’t even know who he is!

Someone Somewhere
Mélanie and Remy are two neighbours who have never met. She is a scientist, mourning a recent break-up, who sleeps too much, whilst he hates his job and finds sleep impossible. Amidst their urban isolation, will they ever look up long enough to see the romantic possibilities that lie right before them?!

La Belle Epoque
Disillusioned, his long-term marriage on the rocks, a man is given a second chance when he encounters a company offering a unique theatrical service that enables customers to revisit memories through carefully orchestrated re-enactments, thus allowing him to return to 1974 and the peak of his happiness.

The Bare Necessity
The members of close-knit family entrenched in a comfortable routine within their small Vosges village, find their lives turned upside down when Juliette, an enigmatic stranger, forces them to redefine their boundaries and begin to fully live.

My Dog Stupide
Henri, a writer in the depths of a mid-life crisis who hasn’t released a successful book in 25 years, strikes-up an unconventional friendship with a stray, bad-mannered dog who inspires him and his dysfunctional family to re-examine their lives and attitudes towards each other.

SPOTLIGHT ON PARIS
The City of Lights, the Fashion Capital of the World, The City of Love – whatever you call it, Paris evokes a sense of romance and culture that captures one’s imagination. These films shine a light on the compelling stories and people of Paris – the good, the bad and the ugly.

Edmond
Paris, 1897. Although not yet thirty and clearly gifted as a writer, Edmond Rostand already has two children, many anxieties, but scant literary success. When given three weeks to write a play for a mercurial star of the stage, all he has is the title, Cyrano de Bergerac. Can he accomplish the impossible?

Notre Dame
Maud, a single mother and struggling architect, wins a competition to redesign the Notre Dame esplanade. However, what should be a career-defining opportunity only brings more drama, heightened by romantic complications, when the project becomes a media scandal.

Les Misérables
Set in the troubled Parisian district of Montfermeil, this searing tale follows cop Stéphane who works on the fringes of both the city and society. With tensions at boiling point, it’s a trial by fire as he and his corrupt, often violent, colleagues, face off against the region’s clashing factions of angry teens.

Aznavour by Charles
Crooner, Charles Aznavour, beguiled his legions of fans with a dream of romance. But his life beyond music was even more extraordinary. An actor, political activist, diplomat and filmmaker, this enthralling documentary, with rare footage, reveals a complicated, multi-talented man who entertained for the greater part of a century.

Vernon Subutex (TV series)
When Vernon Subutex, an unemployed former owner of a once legendary record shop, is evicted from his flat, he’s helped by old friend rock star Alex Bleach. But Bleach’s sudden death makes Vernon a deadly target when it’s discovered that he’s in possession of 3 mysterious videotapes owned by Bleach.

FILMS YOU SHOULD SEE IF YOU’VE NEVER SEEN A FRENCH FILM BEFORE AND ARE A TEENY BIT SCARED
We know that reading sub-titles for two hours can be a little daunting when all you want to do is watch Jason Statham crash cars into other cars driven by The Rock, but trust us, watching a foreign language film can actually be quite fun. The films in this list are easy to follow and enjoyable to watch – plus they all run for less than two hours! At the very least, you can tick it off your bucket list and who knows you might actually become a legit French film fan.

The Extraordinary
An informal shelter in Paris for autistic youth, abandoned by a system unable to care for them, is put at risk when authorities target it for investigation.

La Belle Epoque
Disillusioned, his long-term marriage on the rocks, a man is given a second chance when he encounters a company offering a unique theatrical service that enables customers to revisit memories through carefully orchestrated re-enactments, thus allowing him to return to 1974 and the peak of his happiness.

How to be a Good Wife
In 1968 amidst the lush regions of Alsace, the head of a housekeeping school that transforms teenage girls into ideal housewives, has her pristine life implode when she encounters her long-lost first love whilst simultaneously learning that her business is on the brink of financial ruin.

My Dog Stupide
Henri, a writer in the depths of a mid-life crisis who hasn’t released a successful book in 25 years, strikes-up an unconventional friendship with a stray, bad-mannered dog who inspires him and his dysfunctional family to re-examine their lives and attitudes towards each other.

The Mystery of Henri Pick
The late Henry Pick, in life an unassuming Breton pizza marker, is celebrated as a brilliant author when a lost manuscript, attributed to him, becomes a literary success. But one outspoken intellectual thinks the whole thing is a sham, and, after losing his wife, his job and his prominence due to his opinion, decides to uncover the truth.

31st Alliance Française French Film Festival
18 March-14 April
Palace Barracks & Palace James Street
www.affrenchfilmfestival.org

The 45th César Awards – France’s equivalent to the Oscars – were held on Friday night at the Salle Pleyel in Paris and Brisbane audiences will soon be able to watch the winning films themselves when they screen at this year’s Alliance Française French Film Festival from March 18 to April 14.

Ladj Ly’s powerful drama, inspired by the 2005 French riots, Les Misérables, was nominated for 11 awards and walked away with Best Picture, Best Male Newcomer for Alexis Manenti, Best Editing and the People’s Choice Prize.

These honours cap off an impressive season for the film which was awarded the jury prize at the Cannes Film Festival, Best European Film at the Goya Awards and received both Oscar and Golden Globe nominations.

Nicolas Bedos’ charmingly nostalgic film, La Belle Epoque won Best Original Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress for the legendary Fanny Ardant and Best Set Design. La Belle Epoque will screen at the Alliance Francaise French Film Festival Special Event, A Taste of France on Thursday March 26 at Palace Barracks.

Other winners include Anais Demoustier who won Best Actress for her role in the political comedy/drama, Alice and The Mayor, Roschdy Zem who took home the Best Actor award for his role in true crime drama Oh Mercy and the team behind The Wolf’s Call which won Best Sound.

These films will all screen at the 2020 Alliance Française French Film Festival!

National dates and venues for the 2020 Alliance Française French Film Festival are:

SYDNEY: 10 March – 8 April
Palace Norton Street, Palace Verona, Chauvel Cinema, Palace Central & Hayden Orpheum Cremorne

MELBOURNE: 11 March – 8 April
Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, Kino Cinemas & The Astor Theatre

PERTH: 11 March – 8 April
Palace Raine Square, Cinema Paradiso, Luna on SX, Windsor Cinema & Camelot Outdoor Cinema

CANBERRA: 12 March – 8 April
Palace Electric Cinema

ADELAIDE: 17 March – 14 April
Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas, Palace Nova Prospect Cinema

BRISBANE: 18 March – 14 April
Palace Barracks & Palace James Street

HOBART: 19 – 28 March
State Cinema

AVOCA BEACH: 19 March – 1 April
Avoca Beach Picture Theatre

PARRAMATTA: 26 – 29 March
Riverside Theatres Parramatta

BYRON BAY: 31 March – 12 April
Palace Byron Bay

BENDIGO: 17 – 19 April
Star Cinema

BALLARAT: 17 -19 April
Regent Cinemas
www.affrenchfilmfestival.org

In keeping with such a momentous year, this beloved event will once again unveil a thrilling selection of contemporary French cinema, guaranteed to captivate and stimulate audiences around the country.

Presented by the Alliance Française in association with the Embassy of France in Australia and Unifrance Films, the 2020 season will screen at Palace Cinemas and affiliate locations throughout March and April, encompassing 8 cities and 4 satellite locations.

Celebrating his 4th year as Artistic Director, Philippe Platel, has spent the past 12 months reviewing hundreds of films in order to select the superlative array of 49 features and documentaries, along with 2 thrilling television shows, that form this year’s programme – many of which will be screening in Australia for the first time.

Showcased via 9 distinct categories with expressively piquant headings such as ‘Eternal Odyssey,’ ‘Intense & Unsettling,’ ‘The Voice of the Countryside,’ ‘Magnetic Love,’ and ‘City of Lights,’ the 2020 line-up has a strong emphasis on social engagement and altruistic endeavours. These qualities are depicted in films such as the multi-award-winning Les Misérables, Ladj Ly’s searing snapshot of corruption and simmering tensions in modern-day Paris; School Life, a comedy/drama set within a Saint Denis high school; Invisibles, which follows the unorthodox antics taken by an illegal women’s shelter to avoid closure; Oh Mercy!, a darkly compelling exposé of the human condition as observed by a police chief in Northern France; the poignant rural drama, In the Name of the Land, starring Guillaume Canet as a farmer battling to maintain his dignity in the face of incessant setbacks, and many more extraordinary films.

In times of social, environmental and political uncertainty, cinema also looks to heroic figures for inspiration, a trend which is echoed via themes ranging from space travel (Proxima and How to Become an Astronaut); fairytale princes (The Lost Prince and Donkey Skin),political leaders (Alice and the Mayor and Savages); submarine soldiers (The Wolf’s Call)and spirits (Zombi Child).

High on the list of 2020 highlights is the international premiere of director Martin Provost’sHow to Be a Good Wife. Set at a time when women were still expected to be largely subservient, this delicious comedy stars the luminous Juliette Binoche as the pristine head of a housekeeping school who, when faced with adversity, takes her first steps towards emancipation.

There’s also the hotly anticipated La Belle Époque, which tells the story of Victor (Daniel Auteuil) a disillusioned man who is given the opportunity to relive the great love-affair of his youth, and the whimsically romantic Notre-Dame – shot before last year’s horrific fire – about an architect who wins a competition to redesign the Notre-Dame esplanade – a movie which, given events of the past year, is now considered visionary.

Breathing life into this cinematic cornucopia will be a host of France’s most electrifying actors, including Fanny Ardant, Vincent Cassel, Romain Duris, Emmanuelle Bercot, Bérénice Bejo, Jean Dujardin, Fabrice Luchini, Noémie Lvovsky, Eva Green, Jacques Perrin, Gaspard Ulliel, Roshdy Zem, Léa Seydoux, Yolande Moreau, Xavier Dolan, Virginie Efira, Sandrine Kiberlain, François Cluzet, Gilles Lellouche, Laurent Lafitte, Christophe Lambert, Mathieu Kassovitz, Virginie Ledoyen and Ludvine Sagnier, who will feature in films directed by, amongst others, Christophe Honoré, Zabou Breitman, Xavier Dolan, Martin Provost, Olivier Nakache, Éric Toledano, Guillaume Canet, Erwan Le Duc, Rémi Bezançon, André Téchiné, Cédric Kahn, Dominik Moll, Arnaud Desplechin, Cédric Klapisch, Michel Hazanavicius, and Yvan Attal.

And in celebration of its 50th anniversary, the Festival will present a restored version of the aforementioned, Donkey Skin, a luscious fairy-tale musical from legendary New-Wave director Jacques Demy, featuring a soundtrack by Michel Legrand and starring the eternal Catherine Deneuve who headlines four films in this year’s programme.

National dates and venues for the 2020 Alliance Française French Film Festival are:

SYDNEY: 10 March – 8 April
Palace Norton Street, Palace Verona, Chauvel Cinema, Palace Central & Hayden Orpheum Cremorne

MELBOURNE: 11 March – 8 April
Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, Kino Cinemas & The Astor Theatre

PERTH: 11 March – 8 April
Palace Raine Square, Cinema Paradiso, Luna on SX, Windsor Cinema & Camelot Outdoor Cinema

CANBERRA: 12 March – 8 April
Palace Electric Cinema

ADELAIDE: 17 March – 14 April
Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas, Palace Nova Prospect Cinema

BRISBANE: 18 March – 14 April
Palace Barracks & Palace James Street

HOBART: 19 – 28 March
State Cinema

AVOCA BEACH: 19 March – 1 April
Avoca Beach Picture Theatre

PARRAMATTA: 26 – 29 March
Riverside Theatres Parramatta

BYRON BAY: 31 March – 12 April
Palace Byron Bay

BENDIGO: 17 – 19 April
Star Cinema

BALLARAT: 17 -19 April
Regent Cinemas
www.affrenchfilmfestival.org

If you’re keen to experience the latest sophisticated, vibrant and daring films from France, the Alliance Française French Film Festival is the place to do it.

Line-up, more information and tickets will be availble February 6, 2020.
www.affrenchfilmfestival.org

The Sisters Brothers (Les Freres Sisters), Jacques Audiard’s western starring Joaquin Phoenix and John C. Reilly, has received nine nominations, including for Best Director. The film has already enjoyed a number of international accolades including winning the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival last year and screened at the launch of the 2019 Alliance Française French Film Festival just two weeks ago.

The Alliance Française French Film Festival’s Opening Night film, Pierre Salvadori’scomedy The Trouble With You (En Liberté!) also received nine nominations whilst French actor-turned-director Gilles Lellouche’s Sink or Swim (Le Grand Bain) about a men’s synchronized swimming team received 10 nominations.

Among the other big-name nominees are fan-favourite, Audrey Tautou, in the best supporting actress category for her role in The Trouble with You and Vanessa Paradis & Johnny Depp’s daughter, Lily-Rose Depp, who is up for an award in the best new actress category for her role in Louis Garrel’s A Faithful Man (L’homme Fidele).

Brisbane film-lovers will have the chance to see six of the seven ‘Best Film’ nominees at the Alliance Française French Film Festival – The Trouble With You, The Sisters Brothers, Sink or Swim, Memoir of War (La douleur), Guy and In Safe Hands (Pupille).

The 44th Cesar Awards ceremony will take place this Friday February 22 (Saturday morning Brisbane time) at the Salle Pleyel in Paris and will be hosted by French actor Kad Merad. Legendary American actor, Robert Redford will receive this year’s honorary Cesar award and British actress Kristin Scott Thomas will preside over the ceremony as honorary president.

The Alliance Française French Film Festival is on from March 14 to April 14 at the Palace Barracks and Palace James Street

The full programme and complete list of ticket prices is available at: www.affrenchfilmfestival.org.

Tickets can be purchased via the Festival website or at participating cinema locations.

National dates and venues for the 2019 Alliance Française French Film Festival are:
SYDNEY: 5 March – 10 April, Palace Norton Street, Palace Verona, Chauvel Cinema, Palace Central & Hayden Orpheum Cremorne
MELBOURNE: 6 March – 10 April, Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, Kino Cinemas & The Astor Theatre
CANBERRA: 7 March – 10 April, Palace Electric Cinema
PERTH: 13 March – 10 April, Palace Raine Square, Cinema Paradiso, Luna on SX, Windsor Cinema & Camelot Outdoor Cinema
BRISBANE: 14 March – 14 April, Palace Barracks & Palace James Street
HOBART: 14 – 23 March, State Cinema
ADELAIDE: 21 March – 18 April, Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas, Palace Nova Prospect Cinemas
AVOCA BEACH: 22 – 27 March, Avoca Beach Picture Theatre
PARRAMATTA: 28 – 31 March, Riverside Theatres Parramatta
BYRON BAY: 4 – 17 April Palace Byron Bay
www.affrenchfilmfestival.org

The full festival line-up will be released on Thursday January 31st with tickets on-sale the same day through www.palacecinemas.com.au. The Festival promises to be more passionate, more emotional, more dramatic, more French than even before with over 50 films and special events showcasing the best of French cinema.

Mark January 31st in your diary and keep March & April completely free so you can take full advantage of this amazing cinematic event! We are excited to share more details about the Festival with you over the coming weeks!

Alliance Française French Film Festival
Sydney – 5 March – 10 April 2019
Melbourne – 6 March – 10 April 2019
Canberra – 7 March – 10 April 2019
Perth – 13 March – 10 April 2019
Brisbane – 14 March – 14 April 2019
Hobart – 14 March – 23 April 2019
Adelaide – 21 March – 18 April 2019
www.affrenchfilmfestival.org