The Perrier French Film Festival a la Ft. Lauderdale Cinema Paradiso event opens Jul30th and runs through August 2nd. The fest boasts some excelent flicks including historical dramas, scenic adventures, and side-splitting comedies. Top this all off with some planned soirees and you have yourself the d’événement de plaisirs.
SCREENING SCHEDULE
THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2009
6:00pm – Opening Night Soiree – Included with your ticket to the 7pm film
The Cinema Paradiso turns into a French Café. Listen to music, from the country, enjoy a glass of French wine, and a sumptuous buffet of classical dishes from the country such as: coq au vin, beef bourguignon, lobster bisque, nicoise sald, potato souffle and for dessert profiteroles.
7:00 pm – HELLO GOODBYE (Opening Night Film)
Directed by: Graham Guit
Cast: Fanny Ardant, Gérard Depardieu, Jean Benguigui, Lior Ashkenazi
Genre: Comedy
99 Minutes, 2008, Digi Beta
Gérard Depardieu and Fanny Ardant star in this romantic comedy about the misadventures of a married Jewish French couple. Alain and Gisèle enjoy all of the trappings of a comfortable life—until their only son announces plans to marry a Catholic girl. Facing an empty nest and midlife crisis, they decide on a whim to leave their posh home in Paris and travel to Israel in search of their neglected Jewish roots.
FRIDAY, JULY 31
6:00pm – Wine, Bread, and Brie Reception Free with Film
7:00pm – GROWN UPS
Directed by Anna Novion Cast: Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Judith Henry, Lia Boysen (II), Anais Demoustier, Bjorn Gustafson
Genre: Comedy 84 minutes, 2008
When a single French father and his shy teenage daughter take a summer holiday, their relationship is redefined as both meet romantic interests in this wistfully charming comedy about coming of age – at any age.
Reception sponsored by
Joan E. Axthelm, Cruises Inc
Master Cruise Counselor – Luxury Cruise Specialist,
SATURDAY, AUGUST 1
10:00am – FAB! FILMS FOR KIDS
FREE
In conjunction with the 8th Annual Perrier French Film Festival, the award-winning children’s story, The Red Balloon, will be presented to kids of all ages. There is almost no dialog spoken in this short fantasy film about a boy who becomes friends with a seemingly attentive balloon. It follows the boy to school, to the bus, and to church. The Boy and the balloon play together in the streets of Paris and try to elude a gang of boys that want to destroy the balloon.
Following the film the kids will learn to speak a little French and learn some French songs from a local language instructor, and decorate there own French pastries
FAB! Films for Kids is a free monthly event featuring films for families followed by an activity for kids and sponsored by Funding Arts of Broward and presented by the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival.
1:00pm – DERNIER MAQUIS
Directed by Rabah Ameur-Zaimeche Cast: Rabah Ameur-Zaimeche, Abel Jafri, Christian Milia Darmezin
Genre: Drama 93 minutes, 2008
In an old industrial area, Mao, a Muslim boss, owns a wood pallets factory and a truck repair shop. He decides to open a Mosque for his employees and appoints the Iman without consultation to the displeasure of some in the community
3:00pm – JEAN DE LA FONTAINE
Directed by Daniel Vigne Cast: Lorà nt Deutsch, Philippe Torreton. Sara Forestier, Jean-Claude Dreyfus, Élodie Navarre, Julien Courbey
Genre: Historical Drama 100 Minutes, 2007
On September 5th 1661, astonishing news fell: Fouquet, the powerful king’s counselor, was arrested on the order of Colbert. Louis XIV becomes the only King of France. While all artists fall in line behind the king, a man stands in support of the fallen counselor. He is the famous poet Jean de La Fontaine. Colbert swears to stop him criticizing the king. But de la Fontaine never gives up, and even in poverty he continues to write his tales against the regime.
5:00pm – L’HEURE ZÉRO / Towards Zero
Directed by Pascal Thomas Cast: François Morel, Danielle Darrieux, Melvil Poupaud, Laura Smet, Chiara Mastroianni
Genre: Mystery 107 minutes, 2007
In this adaptation of Agatha Christie’s novel,Towards Zero. Guillaume Neville decides to bring together his ex-wife Aude and his new wife Caroline to aunt Camillia’s House in Britanny. He is hoping that they can become friends. Camillia Tressilian doesn’t think it’s a good idea to bring the two women under the same roof, but finally accepts to host them. This odd family meeting rapidely turns to tragedy when one morning aunt Camillia is found murdered on her bed…
7:00pm – WELCOME
Directed by: Philippe Lioret Cast: Vincent Lindon, Firat Ayverdi, Audrey Dana,
Derya Ayverdi Genre: Drama 110 Minutes, 2009
A young Kurdish boy, Bilal, flees from Iraq. His end goal is to make it to England where his girlfriend Mina has now immigrated. Only 32 kilometers of icy cold, heavily trafficked water keeps the pair apart. As Mina’s father wants to force his daughter to marry – time is of essence. With his options narrowing, Bilal risks it all in the name of love. This suspenseful romantic thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat.
9:00pm РTHE WEDDING SONG / Le chant des mari̩es
Directed by Karin Albou Cast: Karin Albou, Lizzie Brocheré, Olympe Borval,
Najib Oudghiri, Simon Abkarian
Genre: Drama 100 minutes, 2008
Tunis, 1942. Nour and Myriam, 16, have been friends since childhood. They share the same house in a modest neighborhood where Jews and Muslims live in harmony. Each one secretly desires the other girl’s life: while Nour regrets that she doesn’t go to school like her friend, Myriam dreams of love. She is envious of Nour’s engagement to her cousin Khaled, a sort of fantasy of the charming Arabian prince that they both share. Unfortunately, Khaled cannot find work. The engagement lingers and the prospect of a carnal union grows more distant. In November 1942, the German army enters Tunis. Pursuing the policies of the Vichy regime, the Nazis impose a heavy fine on the Jewish community. Tita, Myriam’s mother, no longer has the right to work. Crippled with debts, she decides to marry her daughter to a rich doctor, and Myriam sees her dreams of love suddenly fade away.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 2
10:00am – CAFÉ CINEMATHEQUE – KINGS AND QUEENS
In conjunction with the Perrier French Film Festival Café Cinematheque will present brunch including French pastries, croissants and French coffee followed by the French film “KINGS AND QUEENS” and post film discussion with film expert, Shelly Issacs. Issacs is an instructor of foreign language film appreciation at Florida International University, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.
KINGS AND QUEENS
Directed by Arnaud Desplechin
Cast: Emmanuelle Devos, Catherine Deneuve
Genre: Drama, Comedy, 150 minutes, 2004
A genre-bending family drama that alternates wired comedy with solemn tragedy.
Nora, a 35-year-old art gallery director and single mother struggles to rise above the tragic circumstances of her life. She has loved four men – her son Elias, Elias’s deceased father, her own father, and Ismaël – a musician given to odd behavior with whom she lived seven years. She will soon marry a businessman. Faced with her father’s death, Nora seeks out Ismaël to ask that he reconnect with Elias; a great deal else roils from her past. Ismaël has his own challenges, not the least of which are his feelings toward adopting Elias and his meeting Arielle, another patient. A series of intimate revelations and reversals further connects these disparate lives, offering several enigmas, as well as a rich examination of love, memory, mental health, and family responsibility.
2:00pm – DANS LA VIE
Directed by Phillipe Faucon Cast: Ariane Jacquot, Sabrina Ben Abdallah, Mohamed Chabane-Chaouche, Houria Belhadji
Genre: Drama 73 minutes, 2007, 35mm
Esther, an elderly Jewish woman, needs a full-time care-taker but, because of her bad mood all of her nurses leave her. Her son Elie no longer knows how to deal with her. Selima, a visiting nurse, suggests that her mother Halima, a practicing muslim, takes care of his mother . Contrary to all expectations, the two wowmen like each other and the dynamic Halima gives back the joy of living to Esther.
4:00pm – CAPTAINE ACHAB
Directed by Phillipe Ramos Cast : Denis Lavant, Jacques Bonnaffé, Bernard Blancan
Genre : Adventure, 2007, 35mm
1840. Who could have imagined that this boy, an avid bible-reader who lives in a small hut in the woods, would become one day the captain of a whaling ship ? Nobody. Nevertheless, following a difficult childhood, Achab sets sail, becomes a great captain, and one day he crosses the path of a white whale … Moby Dick.
6:00pm – A PAIN IN THE ASS/L’emmerdeu (Closing Night Film)
Director Francis Veber Cast: Patrick Timsit, Richard Berry, Virginie Ledoyen
Genre: Comedy 86 minutes, 2008
A Pain in the Ass is the latest film from France’s master of comedy, writer-director Francis Veber (The Valet, The Closet, The Dinner Game), who again reveals the hapless Francois Pignon to audiences, this time as a hapless neurotic who’s unlucky in love.
Pignon (stand-up comedian Patrick Timsit) whose wife (Virginie Ledoyen) has just left him for a shrink (Pascal Elbe), checks into the same Nice hotel as contract killer Ralf Milan (Richard Berry). Ralf is there to stake out a key witness in a major corruption trial in the law courts opposite the hotel, while Pignon plans to hang himself in the bathroom. Their adjoining rooms bring them together, the perfect killer, and the perfect pest, and riotous complications cement their relationship as Pignon’s fondness for the cold-as-ice assassin grows stronger. Originally filmed in 1973 with Lino Ventura and Jacques Brel and here directed by Veber, the author of the original scenario.
7:30PM – Wrap Party – Included with your ticket to the 6pm film
Following the film, join us for a French inspired picnic style setting, where you will enjoy all the typical staples of this cuisine such as: baguettes, cheeses, pates, crudites, cold cuts, dijon mustard and to top it off a chocolate fountain to dip different fruits and cakes. Plus Flavia coffee samples and a champagne toast to end the evening!
ADMISSION PRICES:
Opening Night Film & Party
$25 non-members and $15 for FLIFF members. Superstars FREE
Closing Night Film & Wrap Party
$15 General Admission and $10 FLIFF Members. Superstars FREE
Café Cinematheque
$10 general Admission, $8 FLIFF Members
All other films
$10 general Admission, $8 Seniors & Students, $5 FLIFF Members, Superstars FREE
FAB! Films for Kids: FREE
BEST BARGIN
FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL FAST PASS
Includes:
All movies and parties
Identification Card
FREE Perrier during the festival
FLIFF Members $55 / Non-Members $110