The French Film Festival takes place this year in eleven cities in the country, between September 23 and October 4.

After new regulations allowed the opening of cinema halls, three more cities were added to the list of those where the festival takes place, the French Institute, the organizer of the event, announced. The screenings will take place both indoor and outdoor.

In Bucharest, it takes place between September 23 and October 2, with indoor and outdoor screenings at Elvire Popesco Cinema and the Cinema sub clar de lună venue (close to the Florescu-Manu House, at 192A Calea Victoriei).

In Cluj-Napoca, the festival runs between September 24 and September 27 at Cinema Victoria; in Iaşi between September 23 and 27 in the courtyard of the French Institute; in Timişoara between October 1 and 4 at FABER; in Arad between October 1 and 4 at Cinema Arta; in Braşov between September 24 and September 27 at Cinema One and Coresi shopping mall; in Brăila between September 29 and October 2 at Sunrise Marina Bistro; in Constanţa between October 1 and 4 at Jean Constantin Cinema; in Sfântu Gheorghe between October 1 and 4 at Arta by Cityplex; in Sibiu between October 3 and 4 at Habitus; and in Suceava between October 3 and 4 at Ştefan cel Mare University.

The festival focuses on the theme of 'Le film français au féminin'. It will spotlight women filmmakers, from the young generation to the established ones, French actresses, and productions featuring remarkable female characters.

The program includes films such as Alice Winocour's Proxima, starring Eva Green; Celine Sciamma's Portrait de la jeune fille en feu, which received the Best Screenplay award at the 2019 Cannes festival; and Martin Provost's La bonne epouse, with a cast including Juliette Binoche, Yolande Moreau, and Noemie Lvovsky.

The Focus on Young Talent section will screen productions such as Nicolas Pariser's Alice et le maire, Manèle Labidi Labbé's Un divan a Tunis, starring Golshifteh Farahani, and Hafsia Herzi's Tu merites un amour.

The festival will also screen Agnes Varda's Varda by Agnès as an homage to the filmmaker who passed away last year. 

All films are screened in French, with Romanian subtitles. Tickets are available at Eventbook.ro and the ticket office of the Elvire Popesco cinema. The program is available here. 

(Photo: The building of the French Institute in Bucharest by Ifeelstock | Dreamstime.com)

simona@romania-insider.com