French Film Festival line-up announced

The Murderer Lives at 21

The line-up for the 23rd French Film Festival UK has been announced. It will open at the Ciné Lumière on 5 November with Jerôme Bonnell’s sixth feature All About Them, a twist on a youthful menage à trois, in the presence of the director, and actors Anais Demoustier and Félix Moati. The festival runs until December 13.

Highlights include a three-film retrospective celebrating the 120th anniversary of Gaumont - the world's oldest film company - including Henri-Georges Clouzot's debut The Murderer Lives At 21. Other headline titles include Vincent Lindon inciting passion in Léa Seydoux’s servant girl in Benoît Jacquot’s Diary of a Chambermaid (already brought to the screen by Luis Bunuel and Jean Renoir). Post-Nouvelle Vague director Philippe Garrel puts infidelity into sharp focus in In the Shadow of Women (opening film in Cannes Directors’ Fortnight) while Maiwenn looks at the tempestuous marriage between two Parisians played by Emmanuel Bercot (Cannes shared best actress award) and Vincent Cassel in My King.

The UK’s only country-wide celebration of French and francophone cinema expands its horizons even further this year, adding to its main venues in London (Ciné Lumiere and Barbican), Edinburgh (Filmhouse and Dominion) and Glasgow (GFT), with screenings in Newcastle, Warwick, Leeds, Hereford, and Belfast as well as Aberdeen, Dundee, Inverness, Kirkcaldy and Hawick.

Richard Mowe, Festival director and co-founder, said: “We are always pleasantly surprised by the sheer diversity of le cinéma français as reflected in our line-up. The industry remains buoyant with more ticket sales generated outside France than at home while new markets such as China give a huge boost. French cinema is its own best ambassador. Bon festival!”

Expected Guests: All About Them: Jerôme Bonnell (director), Anais Demoustier (actor) and Félix Moat (actor) The Lady In The Car With Glasses And A Gun: Joann Sfar (director) and Freya Mavor (actor) Tokyo Fiancée: Stefan Liberski (director) All Cats Are Grey: Savina Dellicour (director) Vanity: Lionel Baier (director) Family For Rent: Jean-Pierre Améris (director) Standing Tall: Rod Paradot (actor) Right Man for the Job (short): Wilfried Méance (director), Philippe du Janerand (actor)

See our early reviews and interviews, plus full details of the line-up here

The full brochure will be available from mid-October when www.frenchfilmfestival.org.uk