Cine buffs will get to watch a wide variety of French cinema at IFFI

This year, France is the country of focus at the 53rd IFFI, which is scheduled in Goa from November 20-28, and the French Institute in India recently organised a discussion in the capital to give an overview about contemporary French cinema. The French officials spoke about the benefits that France is offering to filmmakers to co-produce and shoot in France, the growing viewership of French films and series in India, and about the films that will be showcased at IFFI.

‘GROWING APPETITE FOR FRENCH FILMS IN INDIA’
Michele Plazanet, a representative of the National Centre for Cinema and the Moving Image, said, “We are very happy that Chhello Show, which is an Indo-French co-production, is competing for the Academy Awards. Apart from this film, there are several Oscar submissions which are French co-productions. ”
It’s not just iconic French directors such as Jean-Luc Godard and Francois Truffaut whom cine buffs religiously follow, but in recent years, French web series such as Call My Agent and Lupin have also become quite a hit with the Indian audience, as have French films like Titane and Portrait Of A Lady On Fire. In fact, Indian audiences have demonstrated a strong appetite for French cinema, and since the pandemic, this has continued to grow. In response to a question about French films releasing in India, one of the speakers at the discussion said, “We are working on it. Theatrically, a lot of feature films have been released in India. But there are real opportunities for French content on OTT platforms. Many French films are being acquired by platforms, which means they are finding success. ” The French officials said that therefore, they believe that OTT release is a better strategy when it comes to availability of French content for the Indian audience.
In response to a question on the popularity of Indian content in France, French officials said that The Lunchbox, which was also a French coproduction, was quite a hit in the country. What made it resonate with the French audience? To this, the officials joked that since the film is about both love and food, the audience there could relate to it.
Talking about the selection of French films for IFFI, the speakers said that the topics of these films are wide-ranging, adding, “Young cine buffs will be really surprised to watch these films. Many people think that French films are about older couples and their quarrels, but this selection of contemporary films at IFFI will also have comedy and animation. ”

FEMALE FRENCH DIRECTORS TO BE CELEBRATED AT IFFI
Among the films which have been chosen to be screened at IFFI, six women filmmakers’ work will be screened, which includes – Rebecca Zlotowski’s Les Enfants des Autres (Other People’s Children), Florence Miailhe’s La Traversée (The Crossing), Marie Amiguet’s La Panthère des Neiges (The Velvet Queen), Mitra Farahani’s À Vendredi, Robinson (See You Friday, Robinson), Mia Hansen Love’s Un Beau Matin (One Fine Morning) and Claire Denis’s Avec Amour et Acharnement (Both Sides of the Blade). From Agnes Varda and Claire Denis to Céline Sciamma and Mia Hansen-Løve, over the years women filmmakers have made their presence felt in French cinema and officials said that France has introduced financial incentives to support female talent.