With the opening of the French Film Festival, France is celebrating cinema in Kolkata with great fanfare once more, nearly 35 years after the last visit by the then-French president, François Mitterrand, who came to the city to present the renowned Bengali filmmaker Satyajit Ray with the highest French decoration. The French Film Festival has a schedule that showcases the greatest of French films to a discerning audience over nine days, from February 16 to 24, at Nandan.

The inaugural ceremony of the 1st Edition of the French Film Festival Kolkata was graced by Didier Talpain, Consul General Of France In Kolkata, Nicolas Facino, Director of Alliance Française, actor Anil Kapoor, director Anurag Kashyap, acclaimed actress Rituparna Sengupta, model-actress, Richa Sharma and others.

There is something for everyone at the festival, ranging from top-notch kid-friendly animation films to well-known French titles like “Three Musketeers Part II: Milady” and “Jungle Bunch,” which are making their national premieres.

The festival consists of 4 sections- French New Wave, French Contemporary Films, Films for Young Audience, and Indian Filmmakers featured in Cannes Film Festival.

60 screenings featuring 28 full-length films will be part of this French Film Festival.

Every evening throughout the Film Festival, there will be panel discussions on different film sections with experts, notable filmmakers, and actors from Bengali cinema and beyond.

The Park Mansions Courtyard will host a nine-hour short film screening as part of the festival from February 23rd evening to February 24th morning (9:00 pm-6:00 am).

Anil Kapoor said, “I began my career here in Bengal way back in the 1980s.This is one of the greatest places to see films and Bengali and French filmmakers are equally talented”.

“France is my favorite place, and Paris is my favorite destination. There is an emotional connection between us” said Rituparna Sengupta.

The French Film Festival is free for all.

Priyanka Dutta