PHL, France spotlight co-productions, animation, feminist films

as French Film Fest returns for 28^th year

ANIMATED and feminist films are being screened until Nov. 30, as part of this year’s French Film Festival which is now in its 28^th year.

Organized by the Embassy of France and Micronesia, the festival includes a conference on French-Philippine co-productions which is taking place until Friday. This was organized following the co-production agreement between the two countries signed at the Cannes Film Festival in May.

The French Ambassador Marie Fontanel, speaking at the opening of the film festival on Nov. 25, said that the event “enables a lot of cooperation between French and Filipino artists.”

“The co-production agreement will allow French producers and Filipino producers to make and distribute movies together. We’ve found that the conference this week has generated a lot of interest. It is really the occasion that will spark discussions among these producers to collaborate,” she told the press.

The conference runs until Nov. 28 at SMX Aura, in partnership with the Film Development Council of the Philippines and France’s National Center for Cinema and Animation.

As a nod to recent collaborative success, the festival will also screen the first two episodes of the Filipino adaptation of Call My Agent, shown back-to-back with the original French material.

FILM FESTIVAL
The French Film Festival has a lineup of feminist storytelling and expansive animation, scheduled until Nov. 30 with screenings at SM Aura and SM City Manila. To represent strong female voices, this year’s guest of honor, French actress Garance Marillier, graced the opening night.

“It’s an honor to be here. When I think about it, it’s kind of crazy to see that people know my work even so far away from Paris, and I couldn’t be more grateful,” Ms. Marillier said.

Citing her supporting role in Alice Winocour’s Couture, the opening film which is centered on women working behind-the-scenes in Paris Fashion Week, she said that exploring the complexity of female characters is “the most important thing in the cinema” for her.

“It’s a challenge to show a character even if we don’t see everything [so that] we can imagine their life and how intense and difficult it can be. For me, what I love about Alice Winocour’s work is the complexity of characters — female characters — and I think we’re very used to seeing it in male characters before,” she explained. “Now, we are starting to explore this for female roles and I think it’s the most important thing for me in the cinema.”

Her other films in the lineup are Marinette, where she plays real-life female footballer Marinette Pichon, and Elsewhere at Night, a Canadian drama that intertwines stories of five different women.

As for the animation focus of the festival, notable films in the lineup include Amélie et la Métaphysique des Tubes, La Plus Précieuse des Marchandises, and Maya Donne-moi un titre, which aim to “showcase the artistry, wonder, and emotional depth of French animation.”

Ms. Fontanel told BusinessWorld that the festival tries each year to “help the Filipino public discover the diversity of French cinema, using art as a messenger for our values.”

“It’s always very important for us to connect our advocacy for women’s rights and human rights with our cultural format, so we’re very happy to have Garance Marillier as the symbol of this in the French film festival,” Ms. Fontanel said.

“We’ve tried since last year to choose French movies either made by young female directors or showing women’s lives. The movies in this 28^th edition show different aspects of gender equality and the struggle for women’s rights,” she added. “There really is a young generation of female filmmakers, writers, actors who are empowered and willing to open up good discussions.”

After the mall screenings which run until Nov. 30, the films will continue to be shown from Dec. 1 to 6 at the Alliance Française de Manille in Makati City.

For schedules and information on the festival screenings and events at SM Aura and SM City Manila, visit the French Embassy’s Facebook page. Advance booking is required, but admission is free. — Brontë H. Lacsamana