VCU holds nation's largest French Film Festival March 28-30

By Pamela DiSalvo Lepley, Peter Kirkpatrick and Françoise Ravaux Kirkpatrick

RICHMOND, Va. – The 11th Virginia Commonwealth University French Film Festival, March 28 – 30, is a celebration of the diversity of French film, and of the long-standing cultural ties between France and the United States.  French Ambassador to the United States Jean-David Levitte will be in attendance to help Richmond celebrate this bond.  This year’s festival will include 12 new feature films as well as 11 short films, or courts-métrages, presented by their actors, directors, or producers -- a who’s who of the French cinema industry. The VCU French Film Festival has grown to become the largest and most successful French film festival in the United States. Based on last year’s attendance (over 14,000 entries) the festival directors are expecting close to 1,400 spectators at every screening. 

The 12 feature films being shown, all with English subtitles, are North American and U.S. premiere screenings. The actors and directors will be at the Byrd Theatre, 2908 W. Cary St. in Richmond to introduce their films and answer questions from the audience. Discussions will be in English and in French with an interpreter. The Festival will welcome French director Claude Miller as its president of honor. Winner of a César for his film Garde à vue (1981) as well as other prizes from such festivals as Cannes, the Montreal World Film Festival, and the Berlin International Film Festival, Claude Miller was one of the nine jurors of the official selection of feature films at the International Film Festival at Cannes in 2002.  The delegation of 26 French actors and directors includes director Philippe Muyl, actor/director Romain Goupil, actor/director Patrick Timsit, director Zabou Breitman and director Pascale Pouzadoux, among others. Additionally, the festival welcomes French producer Annie Miller, pianist/actress Anne-Sophie Latour, starring in Sur le bout des doigts, and young actress Claire Bouanich, starring in Le Papillon.

This year’s films cover a wide spectrum of issues, from a documentary about a small school in the French countryside, a must see film for all grade school and high school teachers, to the struggle of the everyday Frenchman during World War II.  Highlights include Se souvenir des belles choses, winner of three Césars, a story of a man and woman who love each other in spite of their struggle to overcome grave memory loss.  Political activist and vice president of Unifrance (promoter of French films around the world), Romain Goupil will present his new film Une pure coïncidence, in which he and a group of directors examine the issues of illegal immigration and extortion.  Actress and virtuoso pianist Anne-Sophie Latour will present Sur le bout des doigts, the story of a mother that sees in her daughter the life that she had always wanted for herself.  After the show, Anne-Sophie Latour will play a piece from her repertoire on the grand piano in the Byrd Theatre.

The Festival will again present a children’s film in association with Radio Disney that the whole family can enjoy together.  Director Philippe Muyl and young actress Claire Bouanich will present Le Papillon, a delightful story of a grumpy old butterfly collector who gains a new appreciation for life thanks to the little girl who will have nothing to do with his cantankerous view of the world.  Adults as well as children will enjoy this beautiful film.

One of the goals of the VCU French Film Festival is to expand the study of French language and culture while strengthening French cinema’s presence in the United States. It is done by introducing notable new French films signaling to American distributors that audiences desire to see more French films. 

 The Festival in Richmond also has come to be recognized across the Mid-Atlantic states as a unique and valuable immersion weekend for French language students. University and high school student groups come from Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., North Carolina and Maryland, while Americans from Texas, Ohio and New York have also flown in to attend the largest French film festival in the United States.    

During the festival weekend, on the evening of Saturday, March 29, an official reception with the directors and actors will be held at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Boulevard and Grove Ave. A gala dinner will follow the reception. Participants can purchase a VIP Pass for $55 ($30 for students), in order to be able to attend all film screenings and the discussions with the directors/actors at the Byrd Theatre, as well as the official reception at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Another pass, the VIP Pass Plus available for $110, also provides admission to the gala dinner in addition to all that is included in the VIP Pass. Tickets for individual screenings are $5 at the door. For more information about the films or show times, visit the festival web site at www.frenchfilm.vcu.edu or call the VCU French Film Festival Hotline at (804) 278-0210. For ticket information, please call (804) 827-FILM.

The French Film Festival is sponsored by VCU's Division of University Outreach, the College of Humanities and Sciences, the Department of Foreign Languages, the Office of International Education, SACD (French Screenwriting Guild), L’ARP (French Director’s and Producer’s Guild), Unifrance and the Cultural Services of the French Embassy in Washington, D.C. The media sponsor of the festival is your Community Idea Stations, WCVE Richmond Public Broadcasting System, WHTJ Charlottesville PBS and 88.9 WCVE Richmond National Public Radio. The local sponsors of the festival include Ellwood Thompson’s Natural Market, the Carytown Merchant Association, and the Virginia Film Office.