French Film Festival raises its curtain in haute-couture style
- Jalil Lespert’s biopic Yves Saint Laurent kicked off the Greek festival on a highly glamorous note; this year, the event is supervised by honoree Nathalie Baye
Celebrating 15 years of uninterrupted presence, the French Film Festival of Greece (19-26 March) raised its curtain on Thursday on a highly glamorous note, courtesy of Jalil Lespert’s Yves Saint Laurent [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jalil Lespert
film profile], a portrait of the French designer’s life and work, and his relationship with Pierre Bergé.
The Berlinale-screened biopic had its Greek premiere at the opening gala, where Greek French Institute director Olivier Descotes and French Ambassador to Greece Jean Loup Kuhn-Delforge hailed the festival as an “annually celebrated story of love and cinema”.
Attending the opening gala as this year’s guest of honour, acclaimed actress Nathalie Baye was welcomed as “the festival’s fairy godmother”, having been present at its very first edition in 2000. On Thursday, Baye received an honorary award in recognition of her contribution to French and international cinema.
With over 45 titles gathered from around the French-speaking world, the French Film Festival will be showcasing the best that French cinema has to offer. Rebecca Zlotowski’s Un Certain Regard contender Grand Central [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Rebecca Zlotowski
film profile] and Bertrand Tavernier’s Lumière Prize-winning Quai d’ Orsay [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] will be among the titles featured in the French Panorama section, while Denis Cote’s Alfred Bauer Prize winner Vic and Flo Saw a Bear will be screening as part of the festival’s Focus on Quebec.
Panorama-screened Beauty and the Beast [+see also:
trailer
making of
interview: Christophe Gans
interview: Léa Seydoux
interview: Vincent Cassel
film profile], starring Lea Seydoux and Vincent Cassel, will spice up the festival’s official selection, which also includes French box-office sensation Chinese Puzzle [+see also:
trailer
film profile], featuring Audrey Tautou, and Mads Mikkelsen-starrer Michael Kohlhaas [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Arnaud des Pallières
film profile] among the nine films vying for the audience award as well as the festival’s official award.
Headed by wildly popular actor Georges Corraface, the jury also comprises local film critic Yiannis Zoumpoulakis, Standing Aside, Watching [+see also:
trailer
film profile] co-producer Fenia Kosovitsa, musician Olga Kouklaki and French documentary maker Antoine Danis.
Did you enjoy reading this article? Please subscribe to our newsletter to receive more stories like this directly in your inbox.
