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Festival coverage

French Film Festival

2008

This annual celebration of films from the other side of the Channel is now in its 16th year - and this year expands its touring schedule to visit Cardiff, Warwick, Birmingham and Inverness, as well as its regular venues.

This year's event comprises: Panorama (films by established directors) and Discovery (titles by upcoming film-makers). Retro, rather than focusing on a particular actor or director, this year jumps in ahead of May's 40th anniversary of the revolutionary zeal of '68 by providing an opportunity to revisit a classic offering from Louis Malle in tandem with a rare documentary filmed at the time.

Although the majority of films in the programme do not have a British distributor (and therefore the public's only chance to see them is in the festival) a special Preview section has also been created to showcase French films that will be on release over the next few months.

View complete schedule

Other years (19)

Box office and information

Latest reviews

  • Priceless
    Review preview for Priceless

    Captivating, cleverly written and beautifully played by the two leads.

    Val Kermode · 4 out of 5
    A young woman in search of a rich husband seduces a penniless waiter by mistake.
  • Avril
    Review preview for Avril

    This is a little gem. It does not seem to travel very far and yet the central character makes an extraordinary journey.

    Caro Ness · 4 out of 5
    The life of a novice nun changes after she tracks down the brother she has never met.
  • Her Name Is Sabine
    Review preview for Her Name Is Sabine

    Some might consider Sandrine’s documentary an act of courage in the pursuit of truth, while others, distressed by the exposure of her sister's humiliation, may see it as an intrusion into personal grief.

    Angus Wolfe Murray · 3.5 out of 5
    Sandrine Bonnaire documents the sad life of her autistic sister.
  • The Premonition
    Review preview for The Premonition

    The minor characters are beautifully realised, intriguing and often sympathetic despite their sometime unpleasantness.

    Jennie Kermode · 4 out of 5
    A lawyer rejects his bourgeois past and moves to the inner city in an attempt to engage with ordinary life.
  • Before I Forget
    Review preview for Before I Forget

    Before I Forget is a study not only of one man's journey but also of a way of life which, in brittle contact with the modern world, is fast disappearing.

    Jennie Kermode · 4 out of 5
    An HIV positive man comes to terms with age, illness, and the death of his lover.
  • Change Of Address
    Review preview for Change Of Address

    The acting is poor... comedy feels forced and unrequited.

    Angus Wolfe Murray · 2 out of 5
    Unrequited love in Paris.

Features

  • Jean Pierre Darroussin Interview
    The accomplished actor/director talks about The Premonition at the French Film Festival.
  • Festival frenzy
    Travel the world from the comfort of a cinema, thanks to a host of international festivals this month.