For Immediate Release– Media Contact: Renée Amory Ketcham amory777@aol.com and Sylvie Sergent sylvie.sergent@yahoo.com

FOCUS ON FRENCH CINEMA ANNOUNCES THE LINEUP FOR THE 13th FESTIVAL

MONDAY MARCH 27th–SUNDAY APRIL 2nd

17 PREMIERES: 2 NORTH AMERICAN, 4 U.S., 3 EAST COAST, 2 N.Y. AREA, 6 CT

1 Oscar Nomination, 21 César Nominations & 4 Wins, 15 Canadian Screen Awards Nominations, 3 Swiss Film Awards Nominations

CLAUDE LELOUCH IS THIS YEAR’S HONORARY GUEST

SEVERAL APPEARANCES SCHEDULED Starting Monday, March 27th at the Avon Theatre

(Claude Lelouch Film to be Announced Soon)

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE 50th ANNIVERSARY RESTORATION OF

A MAN AND A WOMAN (UN HOMME ET UNE FEMME) SCREENING AT FRENCH INSTITUTE ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE

Presented by Legendary Director Claude Lelouch Preceded by a special 20-min. excerpt of Philippe Azoulay’s forthcoming documentary Shoot to Live (Tourner pour vivre)

Tuesday, March 28th

U.S. PREMIERE HEAVEN WILL WAIT (LE CIEL ATTENDRA)

SCREENING AT THE LYCEE FRANÇAIS DE NEW YORK With Director Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar

Wednesday, March 29th

EAST COAST PREMIERE 1:54

SCREENING AT THE UNITED NATIONS With Oscar-nominated Director Yan England

Thursday, March 30th

FESTIVAL WEEKEND IN GREENWICH, CT OPENS WITH N.Y. AREA PREMIERE OF XAVIER DOLAN’S

IT’S ONLY THE END OF THE WORLD (JUSTE LA FIN DU MONDE) Part of the Tribute to Québec

Friday, March 31st

In-Person appearances (in alphabetical order): Philippe Azoulay, Olivier Babinet, Dominique Besnehard, Jan Cousteau, Anne Émond, Yan England, Patrick Fabre, Claude Lelouch, Mylène MacKay, Aïssa Maïga, Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar, Théodore Pellerin, Noémie Saglio, Emile Schneider, and more to be announced. Greenwich, CT, February 27, 2017--Now in its 13th year, Focus on French Cinema (FFC), the annual Francophone film festival for new, cutting-edge cinema from France and across the French-speaking world, returns to Connecticut and Manhattan for a week-long festival from March 27–April 2. FFC has announced an exciting lineup of over 20 films, including multiple César nominations and an award-winning selection of short films, as well as a "New This Year" Tribute to Québec. It will be co-organized with the Montréal festival CINEMANIA, whose Managing Director, Guilhem Caillard, will be attending the FFC Festival as a programming consultant. The 13th edition of Focus on French Cinema offers a diverse slate of newly-released feature-length and short films in multiple genres, including drama, comedy, romance, documentary, animation, and family films, exploring contemporary topics that challenge the mind and encourage discussion on subjects as varied as social harmony, artistic and literary adventure, exploration and discovery, hope, resilience, and passion. North American and U.S. Premieres include: Lucien Jean-Baptiste’s hit comedy, He Even Has Your Eyes (Il a déjà tes yeux), starring Aïssa Maïga–who will attend the festival–in the heartwarming, laugh-out-loud story of a Parisian couple of Caribbean and West African origin whose lives are enchanted after the adoption of their son Benjamin, who is beautiful, blue-eyed, and...white. The film explores how race and ethnicity define and challenge a family, in a context of unconditional love. The thought-provoking French drama Heaven Will Wait (Le Ciel attendra), directed by Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar (attending the festival), takes a realistic look at the lives of young women led down the inexorable path of jihadist radicalization. Baby Bumps (Telle mère, telle fille), directed by Noémie Saglio, stars Camille Cottin and Juliette Binoche in the story of a mother-daughter bond taken to a new level. The new 50th-anniversary restoration of Claude Lelouch’s A Man and a Woman (Un homme et une femme), stars Anouk Aimée and Jean-Louis Trintignant in a timeless, beautiful, and breath-taking love story. The documentary Swagger follows the “swag” of eleven teenagers growing up in one of the most underprivileged housing projects in France, giving life to the words and dreams of ambitious, promising, joyful, and resilient young people. A Pact Among Angels (Le Pacte des anges), directed by Richard Angers, is the story of three lost souls meeting in the wrong place at the wrong time...

East Coast, N.Y. Area and Connecticut Premieres include: Bad Seeds (Les Mauvaises herbes), the smash-hit comedy from Québec directed by Louis Bélanger, about a secret harvest in a rural Québecois community. 1:54, the FFC 2017 United Nations Screening will be presented on the Closing Night of Le Mois de la Francophonie. The film will be introduced by Oscar-nominated director Yan England, who will join a team of experts to discuss the universally-relevant topic of bullying. The Odyssey (L’Odyssée), the sumptuous Jérôme Salle biopic on the life of Jacques-Yves Cousteau, is a cross-generational family drama that evokes memories of adventure, invention, drama, and legend aboard the Calypso. Bertrand Tavernier’s Journey through French Cinema (Voyage à travers le cinéma français), inspired by Martin Scorcese’s Personal Journey Through American Movies, explores the history and richness of Gallic cinema. It will be presented by FFC-invited expert, Larry Kardish, former Senior Curator in the Department of Film at MOMA. Latest News from the Cosmos (Dernières nouvelles du cosmos), directed by Julie Bertuccelli, is the amazing story of Hélène “Babouillec” Nicolas, a severely autistic 30-year-old French woman whose mother discovers a way to teach her daughter to communicate, enabling the young woman to become a telepathic and iconoclastic writer. The medical drama Heal the Living (Réparer les vivants), directed by Katell Quillévéré and starring Tahar Rahim, Bouli Lanners, and Emmanuelle Seigner, explores the concept of migration of “one heart to another,” dramatizing the age-old question: where does life begin? Nelly, directed by Anne Émond, is a biopic on the unconventional life of novelist Nelly Arcan, played by Mylène Mackay (both director and actress will attend). Foreign Body (Corps étranger), an uncanny drama directed by Raja Amari and produced by FFC-partner Dominique Besnehard’s Mon Voisin Productions. Oscar-nominated My Life as a Zucchini (Ma vie de courgette), directed by Claude Barras and winner of Best Animated Film at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival, depicts damaged children in delightful moments. MORE FILMS AND PREMIERES WILL BE ANNOUNCED AT A LATER DATE. TRIBUTE TO QUEBEC: FFC 2017 celebrates the Cinema of Québec with a new partnership with CINEMANIA. Now in its 22nd year, Cinemania is an award-winning Francophone film festival in Montréal that champions the presence of French cinema in Québec. “Since its inception, the Cinemania festival has delighted lovers of French-language cinema by projecting them into the world of the greatest filmmakers and revealing brand new talents,” says Denis Coderre, Mayor of Montréal. The 21st-century has seen the emergence of a Québec cinema as exceptional as it is diverse. From Denys Arcand, who became the first Canadian filmmaker to win the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language film for Les Invasions barbares (2003), to Oscar nominees Denis Villeneuve for Incendies (2010), Philippe Falardeau for Monsieur Lazhar (2011), Kim Nguyen for Rebelle (War

Witch, shown at FFC 2012), to the incredibly talented Xavier Dolan, winner of over 61 awards worldwide and over 86 nominations, Québec cinema has become a cultural and cinematic touchstone. FFC 2017 will present a selection of six Premiere Québécois feature-length films, as well as shorts. The Tribute to Québec is co-organized with CINEMANIA, whose Managing Director, Guilhem Caillard, will be attending the FFC Festival as a programming consultant. The Québécois selection includes It’s Only the End of the World (Juste la fin du monde), directed by Xavier Dolan. 1:54, directed by Yan England; Bad Seeds (Les Mauvaises herbes), directed by Louis Belanger; Kiss Me with Your Love (Embrasse moi commes tu m’aimes), directed by André Forcier; Nelly, directed by Anne Émond; A Pact Among Angels (Le Pacte des anges), directed by Richard Angers; as well as a selection of award-winning short films. Events during the Festival Week include a special United Nations Screening on March 30th of the Québécois Premiere, 1:54, with the Oscar-nominated director, Yan England, actor Antoine Olivier Pilon, and a panel of UN experts to discuss the internationally-recognized issue of bullying. The French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF) will welcome Claude Lelouch for two separate screenings, including the newly-restored 50th-anniversary DCP of A Man and A Woman (Un homme et une femme), with a special excerpt of Philippe Azoulay’s forthcoming documentary on the life of the legendary Claude Lelouch, Shoot to Live (Tourner pour vivre). The Lycée Français de New York will feature the screening of the U.S. Premiere of Heaven Will Wait (Le Ciel attendra), director Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar’s new film on the epidemic of jihadist radicalization, featuring a Q&A with the director. Two Round Table discussions in Greenwich, CT, as well as multiple Q&A’s with talent and the Tribute to Québec will highlight the Festival Weekend.

Schedule subject to change

A special 20-min. excerpt of the forthcoming Shoot to live (Tourner pour vivre)

[Preceding A Man and a Woman] Tuesday, March 28 at 7:30pm (French Institute Alliance Française) Saturday, April 1 at 3:15pm (Bow Tie Cinemas, Greenwich, CT) Genre: Documentary Director: Philippe Azoulay Cast: Claude Lelouch, Sandrine Bonnaire, Jean Dujardin, Johnny Hallyday Distributor: Az You Like & Les Films 13 Length: 20 min [Special excerpt of the full-length: 115 min] Country: France A special gift by director Philippe Azoulay to FFC 2017: An excerpt of the rare

and intimate glimpse into the mind of a master creator, whose films have influenced generations, and whose creative energy knows no bounds. Filmed over the course of three years, we are taken on an unprecedented journey, an artistic adventure, a human and spiritual experience with Claude Lelouch.

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERES

A Man and a Woman (Un homme et une femme) 50th-Anniversary Restored Edition

Tuesday, March 28 at 7:30pm (French Institute Alliance Française) Saturday, April 1 at 3:15pm (Bow Tie Cinemas, Greenwich, CT) Genre: Romance, Drama Director: Claude Lelouch Cast: Anouk Aimée, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Valérie Lagrange Distributor: Les Films 13 Length: 105 min Country: France Release: North American Premiere of the Newly Restored 50th-Anniversary Edition Select Awards: Academy Awards (1967): Best Foreign Film, Best Original Screenplay Winner (Nominations: Best Actress in a Leading Role, Best Director); Cannes International Film Festival (1966): Palme d’Or, 20th Anniversary of the Grand Prize; BAFTA Awards (1968): Best Foreign Actress Claude Lelouch’s timeless love story, A Man and a Woman, tells the tale of two people (Oscar-nominated Anouk Aimée and Jean-Louis Trintignant) who meet by accident on a Sunday evening at their children's boarding school. Slowly they reveal themselves to each other, discovering that each has lost a spouse, but each revelation is shrouded in misperception. This classic film won the Palme d’or in 1966 and two Academy Awards in 1967, for Best Foreign-Language Film and Best Original Screenplay, with two additional nominations: Best Actress in a Leading Role (Anouk Aimée) and Best Director. We are honored to celebrate this 50th Anniversary with Claude Lelouch.

Baby Bumps (Telle mère, telle fille) Sunday, April 2 at 6:30pm (Bow Tie Cinemas, Greenwich, CT) Genre: Comedy Director: Noémie Saglio Screenplay: Agathe Pastorino Cast: Juliette Binoche, Camille Cottin, Lambert Wilson, Catherine Jacob Distributor: Gaumont

Length: 94 min Country: France Release: North American Premiere Avril (Camille Cottin) and Mado (Juliette Binoche) have always been inseparable, despite being opposites. Mother Mado, is quirky, fun-loving, and perpetually unemployed--an eternal teenager who is divorced from Avril’s elegant, self-congratulating father (Lambert Wilson). Avril is a responsible, hard-working adult who lives with her long-term boyfriend… and her mom. Mother-daughter bonding is taken to a new level when both women find themselves pregnant at the same time. Things get complicated in this laugh-out-loud confection with a star-studded cast, all of whom play against type for maximum comic effect.

U.S. PREMIERES

Heaven Will Wait (Le Ciel attendra) Wednesday, March 29 at 6pm (Lycée Français de New York) Friday, March 31 at 11am (schools only, Bow Tie Cinemas Greenwich, CT) Saturday, April 1 at 12:30pm (Bow Tie Cinemas, Greenwich, CT) Genre: Drama Director: Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar Screenplay: Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar Cast: Noémie Merlant, Naomi Amarger, Clotilde Courau, Sandrine Bonnaire, Zinedine Soualem, Ariane Ascaride, Yvan Attal Distributor: Gaumont Length: 100 min Country: France U.S. Release: U.S. Premiere Select Awards: César Award Nomination: Most Promising Actress; Toronto International Film Festival: Contemporary World Cinema; Locarno International Film Festival: Avant-Premiere; Angoulême Film Festival: Avant-Premiere; Cinemania Film Festival: Official Selection Sixteen-year-old Mélanie lives with her mother. She loves school, her friends, playing the cello...and she wants to change the world. But when Mélanie falls in love with a “prince” on the Internet, her world turns upside down. Sonia is seventeen years old and considers doing something irrevocable to guarantee her family a place in paradise. These teenage girls could be called Anaïs, Manon, or Leila; each is heading down a seemingly inexorable path to indoctrination. Can they ever return?

Swagger

Saturday, April 1 at 9:45am (Bow Tie Cinemas, Greenwich, CT)

Genre: Documentary Director: Olivier Babinet Distributor: Lucky You Length: 84 min Country: France Release: U.S. Premiere Select Awards: ACID Cannes 2016: Official Selection; César Awards Nomination: Best Documentary; Namur Francophone Film Festival: Official Selection; Lumiere Awards Nomination: Best Documentary Swagger swoops into the astonishing minds of eleven teenagers growing up in one of the most underprivileged housing projects in France, located in Aulnay-sous-Bois. The film shows us the world through an amalgam of their singular and unexpected gazes, their funny and incisive thoughts. Swagger gives life to the words and dreams of these young people. Despite lives of economic hardship, these teens are filled with ambition, promise, joy---and swagger.

He Even Has Your Eyes (Il a déjà tes yeux)

Saturday, April 1 at 9pm (Bow Tie Cinemas, Greenwich, CT) Sunday, April 2 at 1:15pm (Bow Tie Cinemas, Greenwich, CT) Genre: Comedy Director: Lucien Jean-Baptiste Screenplay: Sébastien Mounier, Marie-Françoise Colombani, Lucien Jean-Baptiste Cast: Aïssa Maïga, Lucien Jean-Baptiste, Vincent Elbaz, Zabou Breitman Distributor: The Festival Agency Length: 95 min Country: France U.S. Release: U.S. Premiere Select Awards: Rendez-vous du cinéma francophone: Official Selection; Angouleme Film Festival: Official Selection; Namur International Film Festival Nomination: Views of the Present In their mid-thirties, Paul and Sali, a Parisian couple of Caribbean and West African origin, are happily married and the proud new owners of a flower shop. The only cloud on their horizon is the long wait to adopt a child. Just when the couple has given up hope, the adoption agency calls with good news. The couple’s new baby boy is six months old, his name is Benjamin, he's beautiful, he has lovely blue eyes…and he's white. Director and star Lucien Jean-Baptiste explores what race and ethnicity mean when it comes to being a family; where love is concerned, do they mean anything at all?

A Pact Among Angels (Le Pacte des anges)

Saturday, April 1 at 3:30pm (Bow Tie Cinemas, Greenwich, CT) Genre: Drama, Thriller Director: Richard Angers Cast: Marc Messier, Lenni-Kim Lalande, Emile Schneider-Vanier Distributor: Axia Films Length: 96 min Country: Canada Release: CT Premiere Adrian (Marc Messier) leads a monotonous life, abusing alcohol to forget the pain of his lonely existence. One evening, he finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time, watching the escapades of two young brothers, who then kidnap him. Rolling down the road, the trio tries to flee the police and their past. As they travel, Adrian grows close to the younger Cedric (Lenni-Kim Lalande), much to the displeasure of his older brother William (Emile Schneider). Led by powerful performances, this trip is likely to mark these three souls forever. EAST COAST PREMIERES

Bad Seeds (Les Mauvaises herbes)

Saturday, April 1 at 12:45pm (Bow Tie Cinemas, Greenwich, CT) Sunday, April 2 at 4:10pm (Bow Tie Cinemas, Greenwich, CT) Genre: Comedy Director: Louis Bélanger, Alexis Martin Cast: Alexis Martin, Gilles Renaud, Emmanuelle Lussier-Martinez, Luc Picard Distributor: Seville International Length: 108 min Country: Canada (Québec) Release: East Coast Premiere Select Awards: Canadian Screen Awards Nominations: Best Motion Picture, Best Art Direction/Production Design, Best Editing, Best Sound; Festival du film francophone d'Angoulême: Best Screenplay Award Jacques is an actor who runs away to the countryside to evade his gambling debts and the lowlifes who are determined to collect. He meets Simon, a tough and wily farmer who corners him in an unusual business relationship. Together they cultivate one of the last remaining cash crops in this rural Québecois community… After a rocky start, the men help each other, and their marijuana plants begin to thrive. Soon another unsuspecting figure stumbles into their lives: a jagged-edged young woman who discovers their activities and is eventually “persuaded” to join their merry band. By the time they reach the winter harvest, outside forces threaten the delicate balance of their little venture.

1:54 Thursday, March 30 at 6:30pm (United Nations) Sunday, April 2 at 7:30pm (Bow Tie Cinemas, Greenwich, CT) Genre: Drama Director: Yan England Screenplay: Yan England Cast: Antoine Olivier Pilon, Sophie Nélisse, Lou-Pascal Tremblay Distributor: The Festival Agency Length: 106 min Country: Canada (Québec) U.S. Release: East Coast Premiere Select Awards & Nominations: Festival du film francophone d'Angoulême: Best Actor Award (Antoine Olivier Pilon), Magelis Prize; Namur Francophone Film Festival: Junior Jury Prize; Rome Independent Film Festival: Special Mention High school science geek Tim goes out of his way to avoid provoking the local bullies at his school. But when his only friend and secret crush Francis encounters tragedy, Tim decides to take revenge. He joins the track team, gunning for the head bully in the 800-meter dash—but all does not go as planned...

Latest News from the Cosmos (Dernières nouvelles du cosmos)

Sunday, April 2 at 12:30pm (Bow Tie Cinemas, Greenwich, CT) Genre: Documentary Director: Julie Bertuccelli Distributor: Icarus Films Length: 85 min Country: France Release: East Coast Premiere Select Awards: César Awards: Nomination for Best Documentary Film; Lumière Awards: Nomination for Best Documentary Film As she approaches her thirtieth birthday, Hélène possesses the look and spirit of a teenager. Although she is apparently unable to speak, read, or write due to autism, she is the author of powerful texts composed by assembling plastic letters alongside each other. Can a person who cannot speak or write in a neurotypical way produce beautiful literature? Director Julie Bertuccelli captures Hélène’s incredible story in this intimate portrait of a true visionary.

N.Y. AREA PREMIERES

It’s Only the End of the World (Juste la fin du monde) Friday, March 31 at 7:45pm (Bow Tie Cinemas, Greenwich, CT) Genre: Drama Director: Xavier Dolan Screenplay: Xavier Dolan Running Time: 95 min Starring: Gaspard Ulliel, Nathalie Baye, Léa Seydoux, Vincent Cassel, Marion Cotillard Distributor: Seville International Countries: Canada (Québec), France US Release: N.Y. Area Premiere Select Awards: Cannes 2016: Grand Prize of the Jury, Prize of the Ecumenical Jury; César Awards Winner: Best Director, Best Actor (Gaspard Ulliel), Best Editing; César Awards Nominations: Best Foreign Film, Best Supporting Actress (Nathalie Baye), Best Supporting Actor (Vincent Cassel); Canadian Screen Awards Nominations: Best Motion Picture, Achievement in Direction, Best Adapted Screenplay, Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role (Nathalie Baye), Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role (Vincent Cassel), Achievement in Cinematography, Achievement in Make-Up, Achievement in Overall Sound, Achievement in Sound Editing After a twelve-year absence, a playwright returns to his hometown to announce to his family his impending death. As resentment rewrites the course of the afternoon, fits and feuds fueled by loneliness and doubt begin to unfold. Meanwhile, all attempts at empathy are sabotaged by the family’s incapacity to listen and love. The claustrophobia of family is well-wrought in this latest, highly stylized drama by Québécois director Xavier Dolan.

Foreign Body (Corps étranger) Sunday, April 2 at 9:55am (Bow Tie Cinemas, Greenwich, CT) Genre: Drama Director: Raja Amari Cast: Hiam Abbass, Marc Brunet, Salim Kechiouche Distributor: UDI Urban Distribution International, Mon Voisin Productions, Nomadis Images Release: N.Y. Area Premiere Length: 92 min Country: France In the turbulent aftermath of the Tunisian revolution, a young woman flees from

her country to France after informing on her brother, an Islamist radical. Adrift in Paris as an undocumented immigrant, Samia finds that her struggles have only begun. Without friends or family, she has to make a life and a living in a foreign land. Seeking help from a fellow countryman, Samia is pulled back into the traditions and religious extremism she risked her life to escape. With courage and resolve, she finds employment, but as the story unfolds Samia becomes enmeshed in a web of sexual tension and intrigue. Longing for freedom and peace of mind, Samia is determined to survive at all costs. CONNECTICUT PREMIERES

The Odyssey (L'Odyssée)

Saturday, April 1 at 7pm (Bow Tie Cinemas, Greenwich, CT) Genre: Adventure, Biopic Director: Jérôme Salle Cast: Lambert Wilson, Pierre Niney, Audrey Tautou Distributor: Wild Bunch Length: 108 min Country: France Release: CT Premiere Select Awards: César Awards Nomination: Best Sound; Cristal Awards Nomination: Best Actress, Best Actor The legendary Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau (Lambert Wilson), scientist, inventor, author and filmmaker, introduced a whole generation to the wonders of undersea exploration and brought the magic of the oceans to living rooms around the world... but at what cost? Living with his wife (Audrey Tautou) and sons in a beautiful house overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, Cousteau’s life takes a dramatic turn with his co-invention of the autonomous diving suit that allows him to breathe underwater. From this day on, he is willing to sacrifice everything to conquer the seas. Blinded by his unrelenting drive for success, he stands to lose all as his life spirals out of control after the tragic death of his favorite son, Philippe (Pierre Niney). Suddenly a broken man begins to overcome his grief and find the courage to continue, as son Jean-Michel teaches him the most important lesson he will ever learn… Set against the backdrop of a cross-generational family drama, The Odyssey is an epic ode to exploration and a celebration of the human drive to seek out new realms of discovery.

Nelly

Sunday, April 2 at 3:55pm (Bow Tie Cinemas, Greenwich, CT) Genre: Drama, Biopic

Director: Anne Emond Cast: Mylène Mackay, Mary-Claude Guerin, Catherine Brunet Distributor: Seville International Length: 101 min Country: Canada (Québec) Release: CT Premiere Select Awards: Toronto International Film Festival: Official Selection; Canadian Screen Awards Nomination: Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design A film inspired by the imaginative, turbulent life and work of Nelly Arcan (Mylène Mackay), a literary star in France and Québec who died in 2009 at the age of thirty-six...the portrait of a fragmented woman, lost between irreconcilable identities: writer, lover, call girl, and celebrity...several women in one, careening from exaltation to disenchantment and back again. The film mirrors Nelly’s volatile life and radical work, moving seamlessly between fact and fiction, as beautiful, jarring, and conflicted as the woman whose story it tells.

Journey through French Cinema (Voyage à travers le cinéma français)

Friday, March 31 at 10:45am (Bow Tie Cinemas, Greenwich, CT) Saturday, April 1 at 2:30pm (Bow Tie Cinemas, Greenwich, CT) Genre: Documentary Director: Bertrand Tavernier Distributor: Cohen Media Group Length: 190 min Country: France Release: CT Premiere Select Awards: Lumière Awards Winner: Best Documentary; César Awards Nomination: Best Documentary; New York Film Festival: Official Selection; Cannes Classics: Official Selection Bertrand Tavernier's personal journey through French cinema, from films he enjoyed as a boy to his own early career, told through portraits of key creative figures such as Renoir, Becker, Vigo, Truffaut, and many more. Inspired by Martin Scorsese’s Personal Journey through American Movies, Tavernier explores Gallic cinema from the 1930’s through the early 1970’s in this ambitious and fascinating documentary. As Tavernier would say, “Memory warms us: this film is a bit of coal for winter nights.”

Heal the Living (Réparer les vivants)

Saturday, April 1 at 7:30pm (Bow Tie Cinemas, Greenwich, CT) Genre: Drama

Director: Katell Quillévéré Cast: Tahar Rahim, Emmanuelle Seigner, Anne Dorval Distributor: Cohen Media Group Length: 100 min Country: France Release: CT Premiere Select Awards: César Awards Nomination: Best Screen Adaptation; Cinemania Film Festival: Official Selection It all starts at daybreak, with three young surfers who master the roiling seas. On their way home a few hours later, a shattering accident occurs. Dependent on life support in a hospital in Le Havre, Simon may not be long for this world... Meanwhile, in Paris, a woman awaits the organ transplant that could give her a new lease on life.

The Dancer (La Danseuse)

Friday, March 31 at 3:10pm (Bow Tie Cinemas, Greenwich, CT) Sunday, April 2 at 1:25pm (Bow Tie Cinemas, Greenwich, CT) Genre: Drama Director: Stephanie Di Giusto Screenplay: Stephanie Di Giusto Cast: Soko, Lily-Rose Depp, Gaspard Ulliel, Melanie Thierry, Francois Damiens, Denis Menochet Length: 108 min Country: France Release: CT Premiere Select Awards: César Awards Winner: Best Costumes; César Awards Nominations: Best First Film; Best Actress (Soko); Best Supporting Actress (Mélanie Thierry); Best Newcomer Actress (Lily-Rose Depp); Best Set Design Loïe Fuller was born in the American West. Nothing in her background prepared this robust cowgirl to become the toast of the Parisian cabarets of La Belle Epoque, or to dance on the stage of the Paris Opera. Then one day she invents the "Serpentine Dance." Hidden by yards of floating fabric, her arms extended by two wooden poles as she moves beneath the stage lights, Loïe becomes a flower, a butterfly, a flame---and each night the crowds call out for more. This awkward woman lacking apparent charm has found her place in the world: she will be "The Dancer," even though her physical efforts may break her back, and the stage lights may blind her. But at the turn of the century, Loïe's fateful encounter with Isadora Duncan, a prodigious young dancer hungry for fame and glory, will precipitate her downfall...

Hissein Habré, A Chadian Tragedy (Hissein Habré, une tragédie tchadienne)

Sunday, April 2 at 5:10pm (Bow Tie Cinemas, Greenwich, CT) Genre: Documentary Director: Mahamat-Saleh Haroun Screenplay: Mahamat-Saleh Haroun Length: 80 min Country: Chad Release: CT Premiere Select Awards: Cannes Festival Nominations: Golden Eye, Special Sessions In 2013, Habré’s arrest in Sénégal was a decisive breakthrough in a 23-year struggle pitting the ex-tyrant against survivors. This documentary by Mahamat-Saleh Haroun (FFC 2009, Sex, Gombo and Salted Butter; FFC 2011, A Screaming Man; FFC 2014 Grigris) gives voice to the victims, who have shown that with courage and obstinacy, it is possible to bring a dictator to justice. The survivors wanted to make sure that those who committed crimes did not go unpunished. This universal story aims to put words to the untold tales that are marked in the skin of the victims, who still wonder how it is possible to live after having been through such monstrous events. It’s also a film about Africa and its relationship with the rest of the world.

Un plus une Monday, March 27 at 6:30pm (Avon Theatre, Stamford, CT) Tuesday, March 28 at 4pm (French Institute Alliance Française) Genre: Comedy, Romance Director: Claude Lelouch Screenplay: Claude Lelouch, Valérie Perrin Running Time: 113 min Starring: Jean Dujardin, Elsa Zylberstein, Christophe Lambert, Alice Pol Distributor: Les Films 13 Country: France GUEST: Claude Lelouch Antoine resembles one of the heroes in the films whose scores he composes. He's charming, successful, and goes through life with humor and lightheartedness. When he travels to India to work on an original version of Romeo and Juliet, he encounters Anna, a woman with whom he has nothing in common, but who he finds devastatingly attractive. Together, they'll live an incredible adventure. Starring Academy Award winner Jean Dujardin and directed by the legendary Claude Lelouch, Un plus une is an instant film classic.

GREENWICH PREMIERE

My Life as a Zucchini (Ma vie de courgette)

Saturday, April 1 at 12:30pm (Bow Tie Cinemas, Greenwich, CT) Sunday, April 2 at 10am (Bow Tie Cinemas, Greenwich, CT) Genre: Animation Director: Claude Barras Screenplay: Céline Sciamma, Germano Zulio, Claude Barras, Morgan Navarro Distributor: GKids Length: 66 min Country: Switzerland, France US Release: CT Premiere Select Awards: Academy Awards Nomination: Best Animated Feature Film of the Year; Golden Globes Nomination: Best Motion Picture--Animated; Cannes International Film Festival Directors Fortnight Nominations: SACD Prize, Art Cinema Award, SACD Special Mention, Illy Prize, Europa Cinema Label; Lumières Awards: Best Screenplay, Best Animated Feature; Annecy International Animated Film Festival: Best Animated Feature, Audience Award; Angoulême Film Festival: Valois De Diamant; European Film Awards: Best European Animated Feature Film After his mother’s sudden death, Zucchini is befriended by a police officer, Raymond, who accompanies him to his new foster home, filled with other orphans his age. At first he struggles to find his place in this at-times strange and hostile environment. But with Raymond’s help and his newfound friends, Zucchini eventually learns to trust and love, as he searches for a family of his own. From its debut in the Director’s Fortnight at Cannes to winning audience awards at festivals around the world, this accomplished debut feature from director Claude Barras, based on a script from acclaimed writer/director Céline Sciamma (Girlhood, Tomboy), has been nominated for both an Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature. Brought to life through memorably-designed characters and expressive stop-motion animation, the story soars with laughter, sorrow, and joy, and stands as a testament to the resilience of the human heart. MORE DETAILED INFORMATION AND MATERIAL AVAILABLE ON www.focusonfrenchcinema.org ADDITIONAL FILMS TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON!

FOCUS ON FRENCH CINEMA is presented by the Alliance Française of Greenwich, CT, in partnership with Le Festival du Film Francophone d’Angoulême, CINEMANIA, the French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF), Le Lycée Français de New York The Avon Theatre Film Center, UniFrance Films,

The Cultural Services of the French Embassy, The Consulate General of Switzerland in New York, The International Organization of La Francophonie, The Permanent Mission of Canada to the U.N., SODEC, the Québec Government Office in New York, and the Québec Government Office in Boston. Since 2005, Focus on French Cinema has been committed to screening a wide selection of newly released narrative and documentary films. FFC presents international cinema that reflects both the challenging and the inspiring, the authentic artistic landscape of French-language films from around the world, while fostering dialogue on the diversity of French culture. From the Opening Night VIP Cocktail at the prestigious Delamar Greenwich Harbor Hotel and L’Escale Restaurant in Greenwich to the Tribute to Québec; with round-table discussions as well as multiple Q&A's for cinephiles with directors, actors, producers, writers, and film professionals from around the Francophone world, Focus on French Cinema continues to be a platform for discussion, debate, and discovery of the French-speaking world. The 13th edition of Focus on French Cinema continues to offer a diverse slate of U.S. Premiere and feature films in multiple genres, exploring the richness of contemporary and classic cinema. FFC curates from the very best master filmmakers as well as fresh young voices, and features some of the most critically acclaimed and politically charged cinema of the moment. FFC has broadened its footprint in the NY and CT area, adding multiple venues to accommodate our expanding audience (7,000 in 7 days) and provide a larger platform for meeting actors, directors, producers, and experts from the film industry. The FFC Festival is organized by a passionate and committed team of volunteers. It will take place at the AVON Theatre Film Center in Stamford, CT, The French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF) in NY, the Lycée Français de New York, the United Nations, and Bow Tie Cinemas in Greenwich, CT. This year FFC honors the illustrious career of legendary filmmaker Claude Lelouch whose contributions to cinema are both essential and unforgettable. He is perhaps best known for his masterpiece, A Man and a Woman (Un homme et une femme), which earned him the Palme d’Or at the 1966 Cannes Film Festival, as well as two Oscars (Best Original Screenplay and Best Foreign Film, along with two additional nominations for Best Director and Best Actress in a Leading Role), exactly 50 years ago. FFC 2017 will welcome Lelouch as a living legend and pioneer who has mastered all aspects of his craft, whether writing, directing, or producing. Claude Lelouch will be on hand throughout the entire Focus on French Cinema Festival Week. EDUCATION INITIATIVE: Focus on French Cinema opened at Purchase College, NY, in 2005 with the mission of promoting French language and culture through cinema. Over 9,000 students have participated in the Festival over the past 12 years. As FFC continues to advance into the next decade, the Festival

continues to expand its educational outreach program with screenings in 2017 for over 1,500 middle school, high school, and university students. The educational initiative of FFC offers students of all ages the opportunity to explore French and Francophone cultures through workshops with our guest actors and directors, Festival internships, the “BECOME A FILM CRITIC CONTEST,” as well as master classes at Yale University and Choate Rosemary Hall, among other programs. The mission of FFC is to cultivate the next generation of cinéphiles while broadening their knowledge of Francophone culture. Multiple screenings throughout the metropolitan area will be highlighted by the U.S. Premiere of Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar’s film, Heaven Will Wait (Le Ciel attendra), based on the epidemic of jihadist radicalization, at the Lycée Français de New York, as well as the United Nations screening in the ECOSOC (Economic and Social Chamber) of Yan England’s new film, 1:54, on the consequences of bullying. OUR PARTNERS: The Alliance Française of Greenwich, CT Since 2005, the Alliance Française of Greenwich has presented Focus on French Cinema, the largest Francophone festival presented by an Alliance Française in North America. The Alliance Française of Greenwich was founded in 1911 as a non-profit organization with a mission to encourage and develop knowledge of the French language and French and Francophone cultures and to foster cultural, intellectual, and artistic exchanges between the United States and French-speaking countries. Le Festival du Film Francophone d’Angoulême joined Focus on French Cinema as a partner in 2014 for the FFC 10th anniversary. Created by Marie-France Brière, Dominique Besnehard, and Patrick Mardikian in 2008, Le Festival du Film Francophone d’Angoulême is France’s premiere Francophone film festival that welcomes 50,000 cinéphiles to the city of Angoulême in late August. “Angoulême" and Dominique Besnehard have become valuable partners in the programming of the FFC Festival. Cinemania – NEW PARTNER in 2017 CINEMANIA, which takes place every year in Montreal, Canada, is an internationally-recognized film festival dedicated to French-language films. Since its inception in 1995, it has become an annual rendez-vous for cinéphiles to preview quality feature films. The festival presents recent films, master classes, retrospectives, gala evenings, and summer screenings in Montreal parks. CINEMANIA co-hosts with SODEC, the Francophone Co-Production Market, gathering over 250 professionals for panel discussions, workshops, and parties. The 23rd edition of the festival will be held from November 2--November 12, 2017. The Cultural Services of the French Embassy is a division of the French

Embassy in the United States that provides a platform for exchange and innovation between French and American artists, intellectuals, educators, students, and the general public. Based in New York City, Washington, D.C., and other cities across the U.S., the Cultural Services develop the cultural economy by focusing on six principal fields of action: the arts, literature, cinema, the digital sphere, French language, and higher education. French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF) FIAF’s mission is to create and offer to New Yorkers innovative and unique programs in education and the arts that explore the evolving diversity and richness of French-speaking cultures. FIAF seeks to generate new ideas and promote cross-cultural dialogue through partnerships and new platforms of expression. www.fiaf.org The International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF) represents one of the biggest linguistic zones in the world. Its members share more than just a common language: they also share the humanist values promoted by the French language. The International Organization of La Francophonie was created in 1970. Its mission is to embody the active solidarity between its 80 member states and governments (57 members and 23 observers), which together represent over one-third of the United Nations’ member states and account for a population of over 880 million people, including 220 million French speakers. Purchase College (State University of New York) is a four-year college located in Purchase, New York. Founded by Governor Nelson Rockefeller in 1967 as a cultural gem of the SUNY system, one of 13 comprehensive colleges in the State University of New York, Purchase College offers a unique education that combines programs in the liberal arts with conservatory programs in the arts in ways that emphasize inquiry, mastery of skills, and creativity. Focus on French Cinema opened at Purchase College in 2005 and has had a long-standing relationship with the School of Film and Media Studies that houses undergraduate programs in cinema studies; film; and media, society, the arts, and new media. UniFrance Films Founded in 1949, UniFrance Films is a government-sponsored association of French film-industry professionals dedicated to the international promotion of French films. UniFrance provides financial and logistical support to theatrical distributors and major film festivals showcasing new and recent French cinema throughout the world. The 13th edition of Focus on French Cinema benefits from the support of BNP Paribas---the Presenting Sponsor of FFC---The Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), JC Decaux, Renault-Nissan, Lacoste, The Royce Foundation, SODEC, and TV5 Monde, among others.

Tickets and more information available at www.focusonfrenchcinema.org