Film festival: French up your life

Flo Sayd from la petite Chocolat at last year's opening night soiree.

THE HAWKE'S Bay French Association is working together with the New Zealand French Film Festival and Event Cinema in Havelock North to bring some French into your lives again this year with a wonderful variety of French films.

Opening night on Wednesday, March 13 starts at 5.30pm with a soiree at Pipi Café before the film En Liberte.

This film was one of the biggest audience hits at Cannes 2018. It's a screwball comedy from French cinema's master of the genre Pierre Salvadori, filled with laugh, action and romance.

Both Pipi Café and Clearview winery are sponsors for the opening night.

"The festival films are an interesting mix of comedy, drama, romance and documentary," says Ian Hollway, newly elected president of the Hawke's Bay French Association. "So lots to choose from with 27 films being shown over 15 days."

The members of L'Association Francaise de Hawke's Bay always get a bit excited when the French Film Festival comes around and with good reason. These are films they don't get to see any other way.

This year they have chosen Wine Calling for a special promotion on Friday, March 22. This film is a documentary about natural winemaking in the South of France which they thought was a good fit for Hawke's Bay.

Clearview Winery is also supporting this event. Film-goers will be drinking their wine and the winemaker will be giving them a brief talk about the winemaking philosophy of Clearview before the film.

French up your life a little and book your tickets early to avoid disappointment at www.frenchfilmfestival.co.nz (click on the Locations tab and then select Havelock North). For more about L'Association Francaise de Hawkes Bay go to www.afhb.org.nz.