Film fest shows diverse French culture
When asked to pick three films not to miss, or at least name his favorites, French Film Festival founder and director Peter Kirkpatrick says that would be simply impossible.
“To pick three would be like saying, ‘Which three fingers would you like to keep?'” said Kirkpatrick, who is also the executive director of VCU’s Office of International Education.
When asked to pick three films not to miss, or at least name his favorites, French Film Festival founder and director Peter Kirkpatrick says that would be simply impossible.
“To pick three would be like saying, ‘Which three fingers would you like to keep?'” said Kirkpatrick, who is also the executive director of VCU’s Office of International Education.
This year is the French Film Festival’s 15th anniversary. The festival includes 12 full-length films and 12 short films that illustrate the diversity and richness of modern French cinema. The Byrd Theatre in Carytown screens the films.
“We chose all the films to represent such a diverse and broad range of French cinema, it would be impossible to pick just three,” Kirkpatrick said. “The festival is like a film in itself; you have to come to the whole thing.”
If you managed to snap up one of the 1,400 all-access passes to the festival, consider yourself lucky – they sold out Wednesday. Festival-goers without passes will have to purchase individual $10 tickets for each film screening.
“This is the largest French film festival in the world – including France,” Kirkpatrick said. “People come from all over the country for it.”
For the past three years the festival has kicked off with a master class. The first master class this year is a filmmaking lecture with French director G
