As with every year, Cork’s ambitious French film festival is bringing an air of Gallic charm to the Southern Capital
The 28th Cork French Film Festival is in full swing after a glittery and glamorous opening event in St. Peter’s Cork, followed by the Preview screening of the high-profile biopic of the legendary French underwater explorer, Jacques-Yves Cousteau – The Odyssey (L’Odyssée). Settle into your seats for a superb weekend ahead of family screenings, short films, a candle-lit dinner screening and a special cine-concert.
Cork French Film Festival continues its enduring link between food and cinema, taking you on a culinary journey. The highly anticipated four-course candlelit dinner in Ballymaloe Grainstore, this Friday 10th March, followed by a screening of Les Saveurs du Palais, is sold out. Lucky ticket holders are in for a treat – bon appetit!
A once-off Cine-Concert with live commissioned score by Cork’s award-winning artist and composer, Ray Scannell, takes place this Saturday 11th March, at 8pm. Ray will score and perform a specially commissioned work for the 28th Cork French Film Festival, on the silent classic L’Appel du Sang, featuring Kate Ellis on cello, in the Curtis Auditorium at CIT Cork School of Music. And dance the night away as French composer and accordionist, Christophe Rohr, will ensure a lively atmosphere throughout the weekend. Keep an eye and ear out for pop-up parties at the Festival Club Arthur Mayne’s on Pembroke Street.
Family screenings include the wonderful stop-motion animation for older children and teens, “My Life as a Courgette” (Ma Vie de Courgette), winner of César award for Best Animated Film and best Adapted Screenplay and Oscar nominee 2017. This preview screening takes place at the Gate cinema, 4.30pm on Saturday 11th March. The following day at 11.30am, Sunday 12th March, the Gate cinema will show “Moon Man” (Jean de la Lune). Based on the much loved children’s book by Tomi Ungerer, Moon Man is an unmissable experience for all ages. This beautifully animated film is a German, French and Irish co-production involving Ireland’s Oscar nominated animation studio Cartoon Saloon with narration provided by Tomi Ungerer.
A selection of short films will be shown Saturday afternoon, at 2.30pm in the Gate cinema, titles include Blanquette, Guillaume a la Derive, L’Enfance d’un Chef, Sabine, Un Plan D’Enfer, Poupée and Le Flan. Delve into the Cork French Film Festival’s exciting and contemporary programme, you won’t be disappointed. Visit www.corkfrenchfilmfestial.com for details
This Nationally Acclaimed Festival, whose Principal Funder is the Arts Council, Grant-Aided by Cork City Council, and supported by RTÉ Supporting the Arts, is the ideal event to savour the best in French cinema, while enjoying the unique French ambiance that it brings to Cork.