PRESS RELEASE

L’Amour du Cinéma!

British cinemagoers see more French films on release now than they did a decade ago, but the French Film Festival UK (from 20 April to 4 May 2007) still has a vital role to play in throwing a spotlight on the vast majority of le cinéma français which never makes it across the Channel.

All the films in the festival in London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee do not as yet have a British distributor in place – but the aim is to make the industry more aware of the potential of films beyond the chosen few due for release. Its younger sister event the Rendezvous with French Cinema (based in London from 29th March to 1st April ) throws the focus purely on films about to be released in the UK. After a link last year the events now have regained their individual identities and separate time slots.

The FFF UK, under its honorary patron Sylvain Chomet, the award-winning director of Belleville Rendez-vous, will celebrate its 15th anniversary this year, having been established in Scotland and then spread around the UK. More than ever it maintains its aim of widening the choice of French cinema available to the British public – from mainstream successes to cutting edge discoveries. Besides some of the most recent titles the British public will also be able to enjoy and appreciate a retrospective focusing on the talents of one of France’s most subtle and versatile directors : Christian Vincent.

This year the selection of the French Film Festival UK will include films featuring some of the starriest names such as Isabelle Huppert, Carole Bouquet, Gérard Depardieu, Mylène Demongeot, Kristin Scott-Thomas, and Monica Bellucci. Many actors and directors will travel to the festival both in England and Scotland to talk with audiences about their work.

The Panorama section includes films by such celebrated names as Claude Chabrol (The Comedy of Power), Christian Vincent (Four Stars), Costa-Gavras (The Ax) as well as Bertrand Blier (How Much Do You Love Me).

The Discovery section gives pride of place to new talents: Emmanuelle Bercot (Backstage); Emmanuel Carrère (The Moustache), Michel Hazanavicius (OSS 117) and Philippe Faucon (The Betrayal).

The Rétro will look at the work of Christian Vincent by showing five of his films during the course of the festival. The director will travel to the UK for the first time to present his latest film Four Stars and will give Masterclasses in three cities: Edinburgh, Glasgow and London.

Cinéma Junior devoted to providing films suitable for a young audience, many of them attending in school groups, will feature two films: The Time of the Pen-Holders by Daniel Duval and The Aeroplane by Cédric Kahn.

The event is arranged by the French Film Festival UK, with the support of the Institut Français, the Alliance française, Total, Blason de Bourgogne, Scottish Screen, Unifrance and many other collaborators.

Screenings in London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee.

Panorama Discovery The Ax / Costa-Gavras / 2005 – 122mins Aurore / Nils Tavernier / 2006 – 95mins Camping / Fabien Onteniente / 2006 – 97mins Backstage / Emmanuelle Bercot / 2005 – 155mins A comedy of power / Claude Chabrol / 2006 – 110mins The betrayal / Philippe Faucon / 2005 – 80mins How much do you love me? / Bertrand blier / 2005 – 95mins Change of adress / Emmanuel Mouret / 2006 – 85mins Meurtrières / Patrick Grandperret / 2006 – 97mins Dans la peu de Jacques Chirac / Michel Royer & Karl Zéro / 2005 – 90mins Nouvelle chance / Anne Fontaine / 2006 – 90mins The first time I was was twenty / Lorraine Lévy / 2004 – 95mins Le petit lieutenant / Xavier Beauvois / 2005 – 110mins The moustache / Emmanuel Carrère / 2005 – 86mins Un printemps à Paris / Jacques Bral / 2006 – 96mins OSS 117 : Nest of spies / Michel Hazanavicius / 2006 – 99mins Tiger Brigades/ Jérôme Cornuau / 2006 – 114mins Le pont des Arts / Eugène Green / 2004 - 126mins

Cinéma Junior Rétro Four Stars / Christian Vincent / 2006 – 100mins The time of the pen-holder / Daniel Duval / 2006 – 94mins The children / Christian Vincent / 2005 – 88mins The aeroplane / Cédric Kahn / 2005 – 100mins Save me/ Christian Vincent / 2000 – 100mins The séparation / Christian Vincent / 1994 – 88mins The discreet / Christian Vincent / 1990 – 95mins

French Film Festival U.K. (Press Relations) French Film festival U.K. (Office) Maxime SIMONNOT-VIRBEL 12 Sunbury Place Tel : 44 (0) 772 621 2879 EDINBURGH EH43BY Fax : 44 (0) 131 667 2979 [email protected] [email protected] www.frenchfilmfestival.org.uk image : Isabelle Carré (Four Stars by Christian Vincent)