IFI French Film Festival Gala Opening screening of ‘The Bird’

The 2011 IFI French Film Festival Gala Opening screening of The Bird with special guest Yves Caumon kicks off 12 days of the highlights from Cannes and Venice, French classics, a special French menu and a host of industry VIPs.

16^th-27^th November 2011 (IFI Box Office 01 679 3477 or www.ifi.ie/french2011)

The IFI French Film Festival gets off to a glamorous start tonight with the Gala Opening screening of The Bird, a tender drama of a woman coming to terms with grief featuring a stunning performance from Sandrine Kiberlain. The film’s director Yves Caumon will attend and will be taking part in a Q+A before the reception starts.

For 12 days the IFI will be once more transforming itself into Dublin’s Gallic hub with a wide range of special guests coming to present their work and discuss French cinema. Special Guest highlights will include veteran character actor Jean-Pierre Darroussin presenting Early One Morning, major critic Michel Ciment interviewing leading French filmmaker Claude Miller during a focus on his recent work, Philippe Ramos presenting his new take on an iconic subject of French history The Silence of Joan, and Luce Vigo presenting a selection of winners of the innovative Prix Jean Vigo – the prize named after her legendary filmmaker father.

Other familiar faces to French film fans to watch out for in the Festival include Catherine Deneuve acting in His Mother’s Eyes and Beloved, Sandrine Kiberlain in The Bird and Service Entrance and Chiara Mastroianni in Beloved.

Alongside these veterans there are two particularly astonishing newcomers; the heart-wrenching turn from 11-year old Thomas Doret in the Dardenne brothers’ Cannes hit The Kid with the Bike and Yahima Torres’ riveting debut in Abdellatif Kechiche’s Black Venus as Sarah Baartman, an enslaved African who was exhibited around 19^th century Europe.

Alongside new acting talent, the three films in the First-Time Directors strand present a vibrant picture of the up and coming generation of French filmmakers: Simon Werner’s Lights Out follows the aftermath of a high school abduction, Roland Edzard’s The End of Silence follows a hunting trip tinged with vengeance, and Cyril Mennegun’s debut drama Louise Wimmer is a bleak but dignified look at a struggling divorcee.

Another excellent IFI French Film Festival programme should provide plenty for fans of French cinema, culture, style and sophistication to enjoy so don’t miss out! Check out the full programme on www.ifi.ie/french2011 or pick up a brochure at the IFI.

Special Guests

Claude Miller – Leading French filmmaker – Director of I’m Glad My Mother is Alive and See How They Dance

Jean-Pierre Darroussin – Veteran actor and lead in Early One Morning

Yves Caumon – Director of The Bird and Les Filles de mon pays

Philippe Ramos – Writer, director and cinematographer of Outside Satan and The Life of Jesus

Luce Vigo – President of the Prix Jean Vigo, film critic and daughter of Jean Vigo

Michel Ciment – Leading critic, documentary filmmaker (co-writer of Once Upon A Time…A Clockwork Orange) and editor of Positif magazine.

IFI French Film Festival Schedule

Tickets are available from the IFI Box Office on 01 679 3477 or www.ifi.ie/french2011.

Gala Opening: The Bird (L’Oiseau)             16^th Nov        18.20

The Bird (L’Oiseau)                                 17^th Nov        18.15

Declaration of War (La Guerre est déclarée)         17^th Nov 20.45 & 20^th Nov 18.45

The Silence of Joan (Jeanne captive)                  18^th Nov 18.15 & 19^th Nov 15.30

Romantics Anonymous (Les Émotifs anonymes)    18^th Nov 20.45

House of Tolerance (L’Apollonide, souvenirs de la maison close)  19^th Nov 20.40

IFI Family Screening: Ducobu (L’Éleve Ducobu)                        20^th Nov 12.00

His Mother’s Eyes (Les Yeux de sa mere)   20^th Nov 20.45

Outside Satan (Hors Satan)                     21^st Nov 20.30

Nobody Else But You (Poupoupidou)         22^nd Nov 18.30 & 24^th Nov 17.00

Pater                                                   22^nd Nov 20.40 & 23^rd Nov 16.00

Black Venus (Vénus noire)                       23^rd Nov 20.00 & 24^th Nov 14.00

Service Entrance (Les Femmes du 6ème étage)   24^th Nov 20.40 & 25^th Nov 15.50

Early One Morning     (De bon matin)         25^th Nov 18.00 & Sat 26^th Nov 15.45

The Minister (L’Exercice de l’État)             25^th Nov 20.30

Once Upon a Time…A Clockwork Orange (Il était une fois…Orange Mécanique) 26^th Nov 15.20

The Kid With a Bike (Le Gamin au vélo)      27^th Nov 18.30

First Time Directors

Lights Out (Simon Werner a disparu…)      19^th Nov 13.30 & 21^st Nov 17.00

The End of Silence (La Fin du silence)       21^st Nov 18.50

Louise Wimmer                                      24^th Nov 19.00 & 25^th Nov 14.00

Claude Miller Focus

I’m Glad my Mother is Alive (Je suis heureux que ma mere soit vivante)

                            23^rd Nov 18.05 & 26^th Nov 14.00

See How They Dance (Voyez comme ils dansent)

                            26^th Nov 17.45 & 27^th Nov 16.30

Prix Jean Vigo 60^th Anniversary (19^th & 20^th screenings introduced by Luce Vigo)

The Lady with a Dog (La Dame au chien)    19th Nov 17.30          

& Smugglers’ Songs (Les Chants de Mandrin)

The Life of the Dead (La Vie des morts)    20^th Nov 14.00

Les Filles de mon pays

Zéro de conduite                                   20^th Nov 16.15

& L’Atalante                     

The Life of Jesus (La Vie de Jésus)            22^nd Nov 16.30

French Cinema Now – Special Panel Discussion

with Michel Ciment, Jean-Pierre Darroussin and Claude Miller      26^th Nov 12.00

Tickets are available from the IFI Box Office on 01 679 3477 or www.ifi.ie/french2011