Presented by the Embassy of France to the Philippines, in partnership with SM Supermalls and SM Cinema, the 27th French Film Festival brought the power of feminist cinema to the forefront through a selection of films by French and Filipina filmmakers.
A celebration of feminist cinema
For the first time in its history, the French Film Festival shines the spotlight on feminist cinema with a compelling film program, including Prodigieuses (Prodigies), which explores the resilience of twin piano prodigies, and Marinette, the inspiring story of football star Marinette Pichon and her fight for women’s rights in sports.
Marinette tells the inspiring story of football legend Marinette Pichon, who not only triumphed on the field but also fought for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, and other (LGBTQ+) rights in sports during a time of limited acceptance.
Festival standouts include Mon Héroïne (My Heroine), a heartfelt comedy by visiting French director Noémie Lefort, based on her own journey as a young filmmaker; and Une Histoire d’Amour et de Désir (A Tale of Love and Desire), a tale of young love and self-discovery.
Amplifying women's voices through the power of film
The festival kicked off with a roundtable discussion on “Empowering Women through Cinema” with director and festival “godmother” Sigrid Bernardo, who also showcased her acclaimed short film “May at Nila” at the SM Aura Cinema Director’s Club. Filmmaker and University of the Philippines (UP) professor Sari Dalena, director Sunshine Matutina, Philippine independent cinema pioneer Raymond Red, and Salome Kerrand joined Bernardo with filmmaker and historian Nick Deocampo as moderator.
The lively discussion provided insightful perspectives on how cinema can shed light on the conditions of women in the Philippines, enable the empowerment of women and girls, and highlight the importance of integrating women’s perspectives into storytelling and representation.
The “Women On and Off Camera” roundtable discussion featured guest director Noemie Lefort, which generated a compelling conversations about women in cinema. A special screening of the French director’s film, “Mon Heroine”, was shown and followed by a roundtable talk on November 26 at SM North EDSA Cinema 1.
The 27th French Film Festival was organized by the Embassy of France in partnership with Alliance Française de Manille, Institut Français, Film Development Council of the Philippines, SM Supermalls, and SM Cinema.
Ambassador Michel Parys of the Embasy of Belgium and French Embassy Cultural Attaché Martin Macalintal at the festival screening of Le Comte de Monte-Cristo (The Count of Monte Cristo) at SM Aura.
