French Film Festival set to light up Bay screens

A scene from A Mermaid in Paris. Photo / Supplied

This year cinemagoers at the L'OR French Film Festival Aotearoa 2022 in Hawke's Bay have the choice of two movie theatres – Event Cinemas in Havelock North or MTG Hawke's Bay in Napier.

The festival runs from June 22 to July 10 with opening night (June 22) from 6pm at Event Cinemas, with wine and cheese, followed by the premiere at 7pm of A Mermaid in Paris, a film combining fantasy, comedy and romance.

A few tickets still remain for this event and are available from the venue.

Building on last year's resounding success, the festival team has once again packed all the essentials from the latest releases: comedies, dramas, and romance, topped with some discoveries from the most recent Cannes Film Festival.

The audacity and excellence of French cinema and its talents will be showcased with a generous lineup of films.

Some of the funniest comedies released in France have been selected, such as Happy 50, Murder Party and Rumba Therapy, as have some of the strongest dramas, including Maigret, Everything Went Fine and The Young Lovers.

Highlights include Ouistreham (Between Two Worlds), a poignant story of resilience, betrayal and hope based on French journalist Florence Aubenas' best-selling non-fiction book Le Quai de Ouistreham (The Night Cleaner), starring the charismatic Juliette Binoche.
Another must-see movie is Un autre Monde (Another World) with Vincent Landon and Sandrine Kiberlain, who form a superb duo fighting to restore a precious work-life balance.

Tickets through participating venues or online at frenchfilmfestival.co.nz