Ooh la la — Malaysians in for a treat as LFFF returns

GET ready to immerse yourself in all things French as the highly-anticipated Le French Film Festival (LFFF) returns after a two-year hiatus to Malaysia.

From June to July, the LFFF 2022 (LFFF22) is set to whisk Malaysians away on an immersive cultural experience through captivating events highlighting award-winning French films, mouth-watering gastronomy, exquisite culture and more.

Festival enthusiasts can look forward to the 20th edition of the French event, which will be held across four major cities namely Kuala Lumpur (KL) from June 9 to June 26, Penang (June 30-July 10), Johor Baru (July 7-July 10) and Kota Kinabalu (July 14-July 17).

Tens of thousands of aficionados, ranging from French enthusiasts, families, movie buffs to foodies, among others, are expected to partake in LFFF22, which is presented by the Alliances Françaises in KL and Penang and the French Embassy. The festival is also supported by two main Gold Sponsors, Cartier and Martell, as well as Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC) as a longstanding collaborator and partner.

Lemercier (picture) won Best Actress at France’s 47th Annual César Awards for her portrayal of Céline Dion in ‘Aline’ (Source: Gaumont)

Available at select GSC cinemas, LFFF22 will grace cinephiles with 21 heart-warming, tear-jerking, humorous and award-winning French films (with English subtitles) this year. Among the standout — “Aline”, a hilarious and touching biopic on world-famous singer Céline Dion, played and directed by French stand-up comedian Valérie Lemercier.

For the first time ever, kids can enjoy an interactive programme called “Le Petit Festival” where the young ones (and even adults!) can enjoy moving plots and eye-catching movies from the line-up of films available. These include “Le tour du monde en 80 jours” (“Around the World in 80 Days”), an animated film about a young and scholarly marmoset who always dreams of becoming and explorer, and “Mystère” (“Vicky and her Mystery”), about the relationship between an eight-year-old girl and her puppy which is actually a wolf. 

The festival also goes online and teams up for the very first time with MUBI to offer a curated selection of 10 French movies with the theme “Bewitching Outsiders”. Just logon to the streaming platform and enjoy French art-house movies as well as a free 30-day trial.

Other events featuring the most current trends and entertainment from France include three exclusive exhibitions namely “Les Arts de la Table”, “Élans Radieux” and “Le Corbusier”; La Fête de la musique,  a whole night of music for all tastes; “Solstice Lunaire”, a unique multi-sensorial concert involving Malaysia, France and Columbia performers; and Electro Acoustic Latin Jazzy House Performance brought by No Black Tie, an energetic old school jazz funk disco trio.

For more information, please visit www.lefrenchfestival.com.my or facebook.com/lefrenchfestivalmy. Cinephiles can purchase movie tickets via the GSC app, www.gsc.com.my or through e-kiosks at participating GSC cinemas.by TMR