Introducing Focus on French Cinema
Launched in 2005, Focus on French Cinema is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization in founding partnership with the Alliance Française of Greenwich, CT.
Mission
Focus on French Cinema is an international independent film festival showcasing a diverse selection of the best and the latest contemporary French-language films from around the world.
It has the freedom to curate from among the best filmmakers, screening a cutting edge selection of award-winning feature films, short films, documentaries and a special focus on animation.
Focus on French Cinema encourages “educational outreach” as a way to promote cinema awareness, acknowledging film not only as entertainment but as a powerful educational and storytelling medium for cultural exchange in the tri-state community (CT, NY, NJ).
FFC at a glance
> 14 editions
> 3 locations: Greenwich, CT – Stamford, CT – New York City, NY
> 42,000 spectators in the tri-state area (CT, NY, NJ)
> 200+ films from 10+ countries
> Thriller, romance, adventure, comedy, fiction, short, drama, documentary, animation, family
Focus on French Cinema’s AUDIENCE: Diverse, Affluent, Educated
> 30% 30-50 year old
> 36% first time comers; 2/3 returning attendees
> 75% non native French Speakers
> Satisfaction rate: 99% | Likeliness to attend again: 100%
Likeliness to recommend to a friend: 97%
“Each year, when I say it cannot get any better, I discover the following year it has gotten better!”
> Read FFC 2015’s factsheet – FFC 2016’s factsheet – FFC 2017’s factsheet
> Read soon 2018’s factsheet
Selection process & committee
Each year the Focus on French Cinema team travels the world to meet various players of the cinema industry and to watch and select the best new films from French-speaking countries. It curates more then one hundred movies in order to feature a dozen films.
Focus on French Cinema’s selection showcases various genres that represent the many strengths of French and francophone cinema; from popular family and comedy movies to art films, shorts, animated film and documentaries. The selection touches on some of the most important topics of our time, including religious and cultural identity, education, immigration and environment issues.
In 2017 Focus on French Cinema featured 18 Premieres and selected films received 1 Oscar nomination, 21 César nominations & 4 wins and 19 Canadian, Swiss & Belgian (Magritte) Film Awards Nominations.
Alliance with CINEMANIA
Alliance with Angoulême 2014-2017
Festival du Film Francophone d’Angoulême, one of the largest francophone film festivals in Europe, was co-founded by renowned Producer, Casting Director, Actor and Author Dominique Besnehard. In 2017 FFA presented 100 films to an audience of 30,000 spectators and 50 journalists.
The alliance between The Festival du Film Francophone d’Angoulême and Focus on French Cinema has been a shared opportunity that provided a platform for both young and established francophone film professionals to showcase their work in Greenwich, CT, the financial capital of the “Gold Coast”, and Manhattan, NY, the economic and cultural center of the United States.
Education programs
Over the past 12 years, Focus on French Cinema (FFC) has organized several cinema activities for students:
> Round Tables featuring visiting actors, directors and cinema professionals, open to the public
> Special screenings with post screening Q&A specially targeted to college students
> Special screenings with pedagogical materials for middle and high school students
> Film Review Writing Contests for area schools
> Short film-making workshops for college level film students taught by a Film Director
> On-campus Master classes with Directors or Actors for Purchase College Students
> Family Films on Sunday morning
> Semester-long internships for college students
> Volunteer opportunities for high school and college students during the festival.
Executive Team
Fereshteh Priou – CFO
Selection Committee
Mary Hardy
Renée Ketcham
Harry McLachlin
Joe Meyers
Sylvie Sergent
Anne Kern – Consultant
Festival Team
Founding members
Coline Serreau, French Director (2005)
Pascal Thomas, French Director (2006)
Patronage
> His Excellency the Ambassador of France to the United States, M. Gérard Araud
> The Consul General of France in New York, Anne-Claire Legendre
> UNIFRANCE Executive Director, Mme Isabelle Giordano
Our Partners & Sponsors
A special thanks to our founding partner the Alliance Française of Greenwhich and our precious longtime partners: French Institute Alliance Française (fi:af), Le Festival du Film Francophone d’Angoulême, SUNY Purchase College, NY, UniFrance, and the Cultural Services of the French Embassy. Their support enables us to present ‘Le Septième Art’ as a platform for discussion, debate and discovery of the French-speaking world.
> Click here to see the full list of our PARTNERS & SPONSORS
Contact Us
Send us an email at:
[email protected]
Or submit the below form
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Mailing Address
Focus on French Cinema
299 Greenwich Avenue
Greenwich, CT 06830