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My French Film Festival: Another First for French Cinema
When it comes to independent film the French have always been an avant garde force. Film can
trace its origins to the city of lights when the Lumiere brothers set up shop in the late 1800s. The
age of VOD now beckons the republic of early adapters to once again embrace the technology of
the age and connect with film lovers in a new way.
The month long My French Film Festival running from the Jan16th-Feb16th ,the world’s first
online French film festival, is an answer to this call. It showcases the new talent of independent
French cinema emerging from the cultural gestation of that artistic melting pot called the French
Republic.
Access to MFFF
This year Irish cinephiles can connect with their inner francophiles with full access to the festivals
entire catalogue through Volta. For me any excuse to legitimise popping the cork on a few bottles
of French wine and watching movies during mid winter is not to be wasted. The festival includes 9
feature films and 10 shorts representing an eclectic range of film genres. Michel Gondry heads a
panel of international judges and the public can also vote on their favourite.
Other Milestones of French Cinema
The Birthplace of Cinema
The early days of film was very much a Paris affair. Cinematography first steamed onto the world
stage in Paris (Jan.1896) when the Lumiere brothers screened L’Arrive d’un train en gare de la
Ciotat. Movie legend has it that the primitive audience were so overwhelmed by the train bearing
down on them that they fled the theatre. This was also the first use of the long, medium and close
up shot. Captured with a static camera and achieved by the movement of the subject’s locomotion.
The first sic-fi film, Georges Melie’s Le Voyage dans la Lune, also came out of Paris in 1902. Not
only was this the inception of a genre, but it’s creativity and techniques inspired generations of
filmmakers to cater to the imaginations of their audience and offer them a fantasy world on the sil-
ver screen.
Leading up to WWIFrance was the global leader in film production. The Pathe Freres, one of the
four major production houses at the time, led the charge from 1904-1911 as world leaders in film
production and distribution.
Turn of the century Paris also began to introduce the idea of cinema as a grande spectacle to rival
theatre. In 1911 the Gaumont Palace and Pathe Palace opened their doors and introduced the
world to the first luxury cinemas.
The New Wave
From the beginning of WWIuntil the 50s French cinema, though still strong, began to play second
fiddle to their American rivals. This was due to lack of capital and limited global reach caused by
the now crumbling British empire’s indelible mark on the lexicon of the global audience.
Following WWII France again found its cinematic joie de vie. The critical magazine Cahiers du Cin-
ema, founded in 1951 by Andre Bazin, is cited as the publication where modern film theory took
shape. Contributors to the magazine such as Jean-Luc-Godard, Francois Traffaut, Eric Rohmer,
Claude Charbrol & Jacques Rivette went on to become founding directors of the New Wave move-
ment.
This movement was a product of necessity and inspiration. Due to budgetary constraints filmmak-
ers had to rely on ingenuity to make quality films. New Wave cinema was in a sense a culmination
of this necessitated ingenuity, in both techniques and content, that gave filmmakers more individu-
alistic control over their cinematic vision. Directors now aimed to create their own style through
new methods of expression and saw themselves as cinematic authors presenting an audience with
their view of the world. New, low budget techniques, such as long tracking shots were used to ex-
cite youthful audiences. Existentialism, irony and sarcasm were popular themes suffused by the
New Wave genre.
Though many of the techniques developed were ingenious, a lot were hap chance. Jump cuts, for
instance, owe their cinematic introduction more to the budgetary constraints of Godard’s Breath-
less than the directors vision. No wonder the absurdity of life was another introductory cinematic
theme of the New Wave.
Independent French Film and VOD
Those budgetary constraints that forced ingenuity during the New Wave era have been a con-
sistent trademark of French independent cinema. This has meant the integrity of storytelling has
not been diluted by the recent trend towards special effects in other regions. VOD though still in its
infancy is full of possibilities for contemporary filmmakers to connect with audiences beyond their
nations boundaries and language. As more French filmmakers get to grips with this new platform
will they now helm the online wave towards another cinematic revolution?

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French film

  • 1. My French Film Festival: Another First for French Cinema When it comes to independent film the French have always been an avant garde force. Film can trace its origins to the city of lights when the Lumiere brothers set up shop in the late 1800s. The age of VOD now beckons the republic of early adapters to once again embrace the technology of the age and connect with film lovers in a new way. The month long My French Film Festival running from the Jan16th-Feb16th ,the world’s first online French film festival, is an answer to this call. It showcases the new talent of independent French cinema emerging from the cultural gestation of that artistic melting pot called the French Republic. Access to MFFF This year Irish cinephiles can connect with their inner francophiles with full access to the festivals entire catalogue through Volta. For me any excuse to legitimise popping the cork on a few bottles of French wine and watching movies during mid winter is not to be wasted. The festival includes 9 feature films and 10 shorts representing an eclectic range of film genres. Michel Gondry heads a panel of international judges and the public can also vote on their favourite. Other Milestones of French Cinema The Birthplace of Cinema The early days of film was very much a Paris affair. Cinematography first steamed onto the world stage in Paris (Jan.1896) when the Lumiere brothers screened L’Arrive d’un train en gare de la Ciotat. Movie legend has it that the primitive audience were so overwhelmed by the train bearing down on them that they fled the theatre. This was also the first use of the long, medium and close up shot. Captured with a static camera and achieved by the movement of the subject’s locomotion. The first sic-fi film, Georges Melie’s Le Voyage dans la Lune, also came out of Paris in 1902. Not only was this the inception of a genre, but it’s creativity and techniques inspired generations of filmmakers to cater to the imaginations of their audience and offer them a fantasy world on the sil- ver screen. Leading up to WWIFrance was the global leader in film production. The Pathe Freres, one of the four major production houses at the time, led the charge from 1904-1911 as world leaders in film production and distribution. Turn of the century Paris also began to introduce the idea of cinema as a grande spectacle to rival theatre. In 1911 the Gaumont Palace and Pathe Palace opened their doors and introduced the world to the first luxury cinemas. The New Wave From the beginning of WWIuntil the 50s French cinema, though still strong, began to play second fiddle to their American rivals. This was due to lack of capital and limited global reach caused by the now crumbling British empire’s indelible mark on the lexicon of the global audience. Following WWII France again found its cinematic joie de vie. The critical magazine Cahiers du Cin- ema, founded in 1951 by Andre Bazin, is cited as the publication where modern film theory took shape. Contributors to the magazine such as Jean-Luc-Godard, Francois Traffaut, Eric Rohmer, Claude Charbrol & Jacques Rivette went on to become founding directors of the New Wave move- ment.
  • 2. This movement was a product of necessity and inspiration. Due to budgetary constraints filmmak- ers had to rely on ingenuity to make quality films. New Wave cinema was in a sense a culmination of this necessitated ingenuity, in both techniques and content, that gave filmmakers more individu- alistic control over their cinematic vision. Directors now aimed to create their own style through new methods of expression and saw themselves as cinematic authors presenting an audience with their view of the world. New, low budget techniques, such as long tracking shots were used to ex- cite youthful audiences. Existentialism, irony and sarcasm were popular themes suffused by the New Wave genre. Though many of the techniques developed were ingenious, a lot were hap chance. Jump cuts, for instance, owe their cinematic introduction more to the budgetary constraints of Godard’s Breath- less than the directors vision. No wonder the absurdity of life was another introductory cinematic theme of the New Wave. Independent French Film and VOD Those budgetary constraints that forced ingenuity during the New Wave era have been a con- sistent trademark of French independent cinema. This has meant the integrity of storytelling has not been diluted by the recent trend towards special effects in other regions. VOD though still in its infancy is full of possibilities for contemporary filmmakers to connect with audiences beyond their nations boundaries and language. As more French filmmakers get to grips with this new platform will they now helm the online wave towards another cinematic revolution?