VCU French Film Festival
Encyclopedia
The VCU French Film Festival, an annual film festival held in Richmond, Virginia
, focused on recently-produced French-language films.
It was created at Virginia Commonwealth University
in 1993. It is billed as the largest festival of French film in the United States
. Since then, it has welcomed a delegation totaling 160 directors, producers, actors, film scholars, critics, and French government officials. At the 2004 Festival, the Festival’s founders and directors, Drs. Peter and Françoise Ravaux-Kirkpatrick, were decorated as “Chevaliers de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
,” a high honor in the arts in France, and in 2011, the Médaille Beaumarchais by the French Société des Auteurs et Compositeurs Dramatiques.
The festival usually takes place the last weekend of March, during which the city is filled with French speakers and aficionados of French cinema. It is held at the historic Byrd Theatre
. At the 2010 Festival, there were approximately 22,000 attendees/tickets sold.
s, both short and feature-length. French directors and starring actors engage the audience in question and answer sessions following the screening of their films.
The Festival is sponsored by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Unifrance
, l’ARP
(French acronym for "Guild of French Directors and Producers"), and the SACD (a French acronym for "Guild of Authors, Composers and Directors"). The Community Idea Stations
(PBS), as well as the TV channel TV5MONDE
also are partners of the festival.
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, focused on recently-produced French-language films.
It was created at Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University is a public university located in Richmond, Virginia. It comprises two campuses in the Downtown Richmond area, the product of a merger between the Richmond Professional Institute and the Medical College of Virginia in 1968...
in 1993. It is billed as the largest festival of French film in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Since then, it has welcomed a delegation totaling 160 directors, producers, actors, film scholars, critics, and French government officials. At the 2004 Festival, the Festival’s founders and directors, Drs. Peter and Françoise Ravaux-Kirkpatrick, were decorated as “Chevaliers de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
The Ordre des Arts et des Lettres is an Order of France, established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture, and confirmed as part of the Ordre national du Mérite by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963...
,” a high honor in the arts in France, and in 2011, the Médaille Beaumarchais by the French Société des Auteurs et Compositeurs Dramatiques.
The festival usually takes place the last weekend of March, during which the city is filled with French speakers and aficionados of French cinema. It is held at the historic Byrd Theatre
Byrd Theatre
The Byrd Theatre is a cinema in the Carytown neighborhood of Richmond, Virginia. It was named after William Byrd II, the founder of the city. The theater — the first in Virginia to be equipped with a sound system — opened on December 24, 1928 to much excitement and is affectionately referred to as...
. At the 2010 Festival, there were approximately 22,000 attendees/tickets sold.
The Festival
The festival is host to a variety of French filmFilm
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
s, both short and feature-length. French directors and starring actors engage the audience in question and answer sessions following the screening of their films.
The Festival is sponsored by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Unifrance
Unifrance
Unifrance is an organisation for promoting French films outside France. It is managed by the Centre National de la Cinématographie. It has several hundred members who include film makers, directors, screenwriters and agents....
, l’ARP
L’ARP
La Société civile des Auteurs Réalisateurs et Producteurs, acronym L'ARP is France's "Guild of Authors, Directors and Producers." It is a Copyright collective that ensures Collective rights management....
(French acronym for "Guild of French Directors and Producers"), and the SACD (a French acronym for "Guild of Authors, Composers and Directors"). The Community Idea Stations
Commonwealth Public Broadcasting Corporation
Commonwealth Public Broadcasting Corporation is a 501 non-profit corporation that is the group owner of Public Broadcasting Service member Public television, ethnic TV, and radio stations in Virginia...
(PBS), as well as the TV channel TV5MONDE
TV5MONDE
TV5MONDE is a global television network, broadcasting several channels of French language programming. It is an approved participant member of the European Broadcasting Union.-History:...
also are partners of the festival.