Opening of the festival with the film La Réparation and the arrival of renowned French director Régis Wargnier in Zrenjanin
This year’s edition of the French Film Festival will be formally opened on 24th June in the City Garden in Zrenjanin, with the screening of La Réparation by one of the most prominent contemporary French directors, Régis Wargnier, who will also attend the festival as a special guest. Zrenjanin will thus have the honour of welcoming the celebrated author, recipient of both an Oscar and a Golden Globe for his 1992 film Indochine.
The festival’s opening in Zrenjanin will also be attended by Stanislas Pierre, Counsellor for Cooperation and Director of the French Institute in Serbia, Caroline Sautet, Cultural Attaché at the French Embassy, and Branislav Glumac, Project Coordinator for Culture and the Arts at the French Institute.
The French Film Festival traditionally offers a curated selection of the most significant contemporary and classic works of cinema from a country renowned for its powerful and distinctive film identity. This year’s festival places particular emphasis on bringing French cinema closer to audiences across Serbia. Over the course of the programme, ten carefully selected films will be presented, reflecting the diversity and relevance of contemporary French cinema through various genres and themes.
The festival will begin at 8 p.m. with a tasting of premium French cheeses by the Ile de France brand, produced by Mlekoprodukt Savencia – partner and sponsor of this event. Visitors will also have the opportunity to enjoy traditional French cuisine, with delicacies prepared by students of the Jovan Trajković School of Economics and Trade in Zrenjanin, under the guidance of culinary arts professor Borisav Lović.
At 9 p.m., an open-air screening of the film will follow – an evening of art, the flavours of France and a welcoming atmosphere under the stars.
In the days to follow, also under the open sky, screenings of acclaimed French films will continue at the Cultural Centre Amphitheatre, beginning at 9 p.m.: on 25th June, Sarah Bernhardt, La Divine; on 26th June, Dalloway; on 27th June, Saint Exupéry; on 28th June, Niki; and on 29th June, Sailing Home.
Admission is free, and Mlekoprodukt, the Zrenjanin Cultural Centre and the French Institute in Serbia invite all residents of Zrenjanin to enjoy a unique evening celebrating French film, gastronomy and friendship, as well as the additional screenings of French films.
Following the ceremonial opening in Zrenjanin, the festival programme continues from 25th June in Belgrade, Gornji Milanovac, Novi Sad and Niš. More information on the programme is available at: www.institutfrancais.rs. Entry to all screenings is free of charge.