Francophone Film Festival is back for 17th year

The Francophone Film Festival returns to Athens and Thessaloniki for a 17th year, featuring a wide range of interesting synergies.

The annual event kicks off on April 7 at the Onassis Cultural Center (107-109 Syngrou), locally known as Stegi, with the Greek premiere of Maiwenn’s 2015 romantic drama “Mon Roi.” The rest of the movies will be screened at the French Institute amphitheater at 31 Sina Street in Kolonaki as well as the capital’s Danaos (109 Kifissias) and Embassy (5 Patriarchou Ioakim & Irodotou) cinemas.

Speaking to journalists on Monday, French Institute director Mikael Hautchamp hailed the popularity of French films in Greece. He said that 2015 was a very good year for French cinema.

According to audiovisual attache Laetitia Kulyk, the festival is based on the idea of diversity: There are joint projects by Greek and foreign artists, a Greek-French jury, collaborations with other embassies in Athens, support from individual donors, cooperation with other festivals (in addition to the Thessaloniki Film Festival and the Athens International Film Festival, aka “Premiere Nights,” the organizers are this year cooperating with the Animasyros international animation festival), master classes and a number of special screenings.

On April 14, the festival will move to the northern port city of Thessaloniki, where it will run through April 20. The organizers aim to expand the popularity of Francophone films – arthouse as well as more commercial productions – across the country.

The creation of the festival trailer was again assigned to a Greek director. This year is was shot by Araceli Lemos.

Screenings are divided in three categories: Competition, Panorama, and Carte Blanche to Animasyros. The members of this year’s jury are sisters Delphine and Muriel Coulin, Leda Galanou, Spyros Yannaras, Stefania Goulioti and Panayiotis Evangelidis.

For more information, visit www.festivalfilmfrancophone.gr.