French celebrities to present North American premieres at VCU French festival

By Lissette Linares

After earning acclaim for seven years for introducing dozens of French films to American audiences, this year’s Virginia Commonwealth University French Film Festival will feature the U.S. debuts of 13 new films from France.

Accompanied by a who’s who of the country’s acting and directing set, five feature films and eight short films will be premiered at VCU’s eighth annual French Film Festival, set for April 1-2 at the Byrd Theatre, 2908 W. Cary St. VCU offers the nation’s only American-led initiative to promote new and acclaimed French movies not yet distributed in the United States.

The 2000 festival will feature the U.S. premiere of "Le pique-nique de Lulu Kreutz," starring Philippe Noiret, Carole Bouquet and Niels Arestrup. Director Didier Martiny will present the film with producer Jean-Philippe Reza and screenwriter Yasmina Reza, who is world-renowned for her play "Art," winner of Tony, Ace and Molière awards.

The festival will present the following feature films:

• "Héroïnes" – featuring Virginie Ledoyen most recently seen in "The Beach," will be shown April 1 at 1:30 p.m. The film is about a friendship between two girls from a mining town in Aveyron who become pop-rock stars. The film’s director, Gérard Krawczyk, will be on hand with actress, musician and composer Maïdi Roth, who will perform songs from the movie.

• The award-winning "Rembrandt," which traces the artist’s personal and painting life, will be shown April 1. Presenting the film will be Sylvie Matton, who co-wrote the screenplay with her husband, Charles Matton, also the film’s director.

• On April 2 at 10:45 a.m., "Une pour Toutes" will be presented via teleconference by director Claude Lelouch, known for his award-winning "Les Misérables" and "Man and a Woman." The film follows three scheming young actresses on their road to success.

• "Les Cachetonneurs" will be shown April 2 at 1:45 p.m. Starring comedian Serge Renko, the film paints a light-hearted picture of six young classical musicians who must moonlight to earn a living while following their dreams. Renko, who received acclaim for his work with famed director Eric Rohmer in "Les Rendez-vous de Paris," will present the film.

The festival also will feature a series of short films presented by renowned French director Jean-Loup Hubert, known for "Marthe" and "Le Grand Chemin." On April 1 at 9:30 a.m., the program will feature "Sale Battars," by Delphine Gleize, and "Rien dire," by Vincent Pérez. Pérez is known for his starring roles in "Indochine," "Cyrano de Bergerac" and "Queen Margot." On April 2, the festival will host the following short films presented by their directors: "Un petit air de fête," Eric Guirado; "La Mule," Jean Stéphane Sauvaire; "Gelée précoce," Pierre Pinaud; "A deux sur la comète," Alexandre Mehring; "Duel," Jean-Loup Hubert; and the international premiere of "Microsnake," Lionel Balliu and Pierre-Yves Mora.

"For French filmmakers and producers, the United States is a very difficult market in which to get their films distributed," said Peter Kirkpatrick, Ph.D., VCU professor of French civilization and culture and festival founder. "The VCU French Film Festival offers the introduction of many notable new French films, providing a way for them to earn recognition by the American public.

Each movie features English subtitles. A question-and-answer session with visiting directors and actors will follow each film. All discussions will be in English, or in French with an interpreter.

With support from the French Embassy in Washington, D.C., the Festival also offers continuing graduate education for middle- and high-school French teachers in Virginia. Using interviews with actors and directors at the festival, the teachers will complete a project to earn required recertification credits. Twenty scholarships, covering tuition and festival events, are available. Embassy officials assisting with the project are Lazare Paupert, French cultural attaché, and Dominique Malicet, French cultural linguistics attaché.

To attend all screenings and the festival reception, participants can purchase a VIP Friends of the Festival Pass for $35; the rate is $25 for VCU students and other student groups of 10 or more. A VIP Friends of the Festival Plus Pass, available for $75, also provides admission to a gala dinner with French film actors and directors. The reception and gala will be held April 1 at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, 2800 Grove Ave. Tickets for individual screenings are $4 at the door at the Byrd Theatre.

The French Film Festival is sponsored by VCU’s Division of University Outreach, College of Humanities and Sciences and Department of Foreign Languages, as well as by Ellwood Thompson’s Natural Market. For details on films or showtimes, call the VCU French Film Festival Hotline at (804) 278-0210 or visit www.vcu.edu/outreach/FrenchFilmFestival. For ticket information, call (804) 357-FILM.