Global treasure trove of French films

Special tribute to Françoise Dorléac with her sister Catherine Deneuve in Jacques Demy’s The Young Girls Of Rochefort Photo: Unifrance

A unique online film festival that last year involved more than 6.5 million spectators all over the world, is all set for its 7th edition, mixing both shorts and features around various themes.

The initiative was launched last night (January 14) at a gala evening at the Royal Automobile Club overlooking the Place de la Concorde in Paris as part of the 19th edition of Unifrance’s Rendez-vous with French Cinema.

Argentinean director Pablo Trapero, president of the Filmmakers’ Jury for MyFrenchFilmFestival.com Photo: Unifrance

Argentinean director Pablo Trapero (The Clan), who has taken on the role of the president of the Filmmakers' Jury, officially launched MyFrenchFilmFestival.com. Trapero said that French audiences had always given his films “a warm and respectful reception” and he was pleased to be able to repay the welcome.

His fellow jury members include Bertrand Bonello, director of Saint Laurent, and the recent Nocturama; Rebecca Zlotowski, whose Planetarium had its world premiere at Toronto last year; Belgian director Fabrice du Welz, (The Ordeal and Alleluia), and Shlomi Elkabetz (To Take a Wife, The Trial Of Viviane Amsalem).

The 2017 selection, includes under the theme of Coming of Age:

Bang Gang (A Modern Love Story) by Éva Husson The New Kid by Rudi Rosenberg Parisienne by Danielle Arbid The Demons by Philippe Lesage 1992 by Anthony Doncque Overpass by Patrice Laliberté

Films under the banner of Families (composed or reconstituted) comprise:

Marguerite et Julien by Valérie Donzelli Ogres by Léa Fehner Prejudice by Antoine Cuypers In Deep Waters by Sarah Van Den Boom A Town Called Panic: Back to School by Vincent Patar and Stéphane Aubier

Other themes include a Love & Friendship section; a Psycho section exploring the imagination of characters searching for vengeance or redemption and a collection around French women on screen.

There will also be a special homage to Françoise Dorléac (Catherine Deneuve’s sister) who died tragically young in 1967.

Françoise Dorléac in her Sixties hey-day Photo: Unifrance

For the first time the line-up will embrace Midnight Screenings involving such titles as In Search of the Ultra-Sex by Nicolas Charlet and Bruno Lavaine and A Done Deal by Pierre-Marc Drouin and Simon Lamarre-Ledoux.

The Festival has been made possible thanks to the participation of more than 35 partner platforms around the world from Argentina to Romania. Viewings continue until February 13. Short films are available to watch for free, while there is a charge of €1.99 for features.