Now on its 24th year, the French Film Festival in the country started last June 12, 2019 as organized by the Embassy of France in the Philippines and supported by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP). The Festival offers an alternative form of cinema with a lineup of 15 contemporary French films that explore the depths of human relationships and the importance of family.

It also paid tribute to Philippine cinema on Philippine Independence Day last June 12 and will feature Filipino films that have been either co-produced by France or those that have been screened in French film festivals. These are “Above the Clouds” by Pepe Diokno, which was co-produced with funding from the Aide aux Cinémas du Monde program of Institut Français; “Waiting for Sunset” by Carlo Catu, which received the Audience Award at the 2019 Vesoul Festival of Asian Cinema; and “Jodilerks de la Cruz, Employee of the Month” by Carlo Manatad, which was featured in last year’s Semaine de la Critique at the Cannes Film Festival. To give honor to National Artist for Film and Mass Communications Kidlat Tahimik, there will be a screening of his film “Mababangong Bangungot” (“Perfumed Nightmare”), which was partly filmed in Paris.

FDCP Chairperson and CEO Mary Liza Diño

“As we work hand-in-hand with the French Embassy, we are optimistic that the French Film Festival would help our filmmakers learn more about world cinema and hopefully adopt the best practices that French filmmakers have, and this would also help foster a more meaningful relationship between our country and France,” said FDCP Chairperson and CEO Mary Liza Diño.

French Director Nils Tavernier

French director Nils Tavernier graced the red carpet in Manila and formally opened the French Film Festival. His latest film “L’Incroyable histoire du Facteur Cheval” (“The Ideal Palace”) was also screened during the festival.

A special screening of “Girlhood” by Celine Sciamma was organized by the French Embassy and Spark! Philippines last June 14. This was followed by a forum to encourage dialogue on issues faced by young women in the country and in France.

French Ambassador Nicolas Galey

This year’s French Film Festival is set to have screenings in Metro Manila (Bonifacio High Street cinemas and Greenbelt 3 cinemas) from June 12 to 18, Cebu City (Ayala Center Cebu) from June 20 to 22, Davao City (Abreeza Mall Davao) from June 28 to 30, and, for the first time ever, in Bacolod City (Ayala Capitol Central Mall) from July 10 to 12.

Tickets for each screening are priced at P150.

For more information, visit www.ph.ambafrance.org or the Embassy of France’s social media accounts.

Filipino Filmmakers with FDCP (From left to right: Ronald Arguelles, FDCP Chairperson and CEO Mary Liza Diño, Sigrid Andrea Bernardo, John Paul Su, Alemberg Ang, and Philippine Film Export Service Office (PFESO) Executive Director David Fabros