Alliance Francaise French Film Festival 2012

The French: where’s the love? From the early days of cinema, they’ve regularly delivered beautiful, innovative and sometimes shocking films to our screens. They boast an important cinematic history: pioneer filmmakers, influential auteurs and movements like Nouvelle Vague. Yet contemporary French films are hard-pressed to compete with Hollywood’s production line to filter through to our commercial cinemas. Here to save the day is Alliance Française! Dedicated to promoting the spread of French language and culture around the world, their French film festival – which runs from March 6 to 25 in Sydney – includes a number of films previously unseen in Australia.

As the largest celebration of French cinema outside of France, the festival is showcasing films, docos and special events, including a 40-minute documentary by Jane Birkin, Souvenirs of Serge, about her 13-year personal and professional relationship with Serge Gainsbourg. Following the film, the great British actress and singer (who’s touring Oz this month) will be at the Chauvel for an exclusive Q&A. Thu Mar 15, 6.30pm. $22–$26.

Opening the festival is Declaration of War (La Guerre est déclarée), a film that earned a 15 minute standing ovation at the Cannes Festival. It follows a young Parisian couple whose carefree lifestyle is shattered by a twist of fate. Tue Mar 6, 6pm. $55–$70. And closing the festival is a François Truffaut’s 1980 classic and winner of 10 César Awards, The Last Metro (Le Dernier Metro) starring Catherine Deneuve, Gérard Depardieu and Jean Poiret. Sun Mar 25, 5.30pm. $25–$30. In between, you'll encounter an impressive homage to the breadth and diversity of films commercially released in France during the past year.

Categorised under nine sections such as ‘It Happened In Your Neighbourhood’ and ‘It Must Be Love’, universal issues are presented in an oh so French (and occasionally chic) fashion that only independent (and usually European) filmmakers seem to know how to execute. This year’s selection has a few tempting choices: The Conquest (La conquête) – a part fictional, part factual biopic about President Nicolas Sarkozy; Juliette Binoche playing a call girl-obsessive in Elles; Woody Allen’s appearance in Paris – Manhattan; Marilyn Monroe, but the French way, in Nobody Else But You; an improbable romance for Audrey Tautou in Delicacy (La Délicatesse); and a very witty animated cat (The Rabbi’s Cat/Le Chat du Rabbin).

The Alliance Française French Film Festival screens at Chauvel Cinema Palace Verona, Palace Norton St, and Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace cinemas. For the full programme, visit the Alliance Française French Film Festival website – and book your tickets now to avoid disappointment.