FRENCH CINEMA NOW CELEBRATED AT SIFF CINEMA UPTOWN

Featuring An Evening with Michel Hazanavicius & Bérénice Bejo

On October 23 - 30, SIFF and TV5MONDE present French Cinema Now, a celebration spotlighting the state of contemporary Francophone cinema. The week-long event will feature 22 extraordinary features and documentaries.

The Artist director Michel Hazanavicius and actor Bérénice Bejo will attend a special evening where they will talk about their career of collaboration and making films in and outside of the studio system. Following the conversation will be a screening of their most recent project, The Search. They will also be attendance for two other French Cinema Now titles: Hazanavicius for his cameo in Jacky in the Kingdom of Women and Bejo for her starring role in The Last Diamond.

The Opening Night film is Two Days, One Night, which is directed by celebrated Belgian filmmakers the Dardenne brothers and is Belgium's official Oscar submission for 2014. The film stars Marion Cotillard as a working-class mother who loses her job, but who has a fighting chance - and one weekend - to get it back. An after-party will take place at Bastille Café + Bar in Ballard. 

"It's an amazing lineup we've put together this year," says Carl Spence, SIFF Artistic Director. "We're particularly thrilled to welcome Michel Hazanavicius and Bérénice Bejo - they first came to Seattle with OSS 117: Nest of Spies, which won the Golden Space Needle Award for Best Film at SIFF 2006. Also, Michel's Oscar-winning film The Artist was the first film shown at SIFF Cinema Uptown when it opened in 2012. I'm so glad the Seattle audience will have the chance to hear about their exceptionally successful partnership in cinema."

The mini-festival showcases the diversity of Francophone cinema right now, with seasoned directors like Alain Resnais and the Dardenne brothers playing alongside relative newcomers like Celine Sciamma and Christian Duguay. The films presented feature spectacular performances from celebrated actors Charlotte Gainsbourg, Guillaume Canet, Marion Cotillard, Bérénice Bejo, Yvan Attal, and Cédric Kahn. From explosive dramas to unpredictable comedies, historical epics to family-friendly animation, this year's mini-festival truly offers something for everybody.

Ticket Info:

Passes: $75 | $50 for SIFF Members (includes Opening Night Film & Party & An Evening with Michel Hazanavicius and Bérénice Bejo)

Opening Night Film and Party: $25 | $20 for SIFF Members

An Evening with Michel Hazanavicius and Bérénice Bejo: $20 | &15 for SIFF Members

Individual Tickets: $12 | $7 for SIFF Members

See the full lineup here.

About SIFF

Founded in 1976, SIFF creates experiences that bring people together to discover extraordinary films from around the world with the Seattle International Film Festival, SIFF Cinema, and SIFF Education. Recognized as one of the top film festivals in North America, the Seattle International Film Festival is the largest, most highly attended film festival in the United States, reaching more than 150,000 annually. The 25-day festival is renowned for its wide-ranging and eclectic programming, presenting over 450 features, short films, and documentaries from over 70 countries each year. SIFF Cinema exhibits premiere theatrical engagements, repertory, classic, and revival film showings 365 days a year on five screens at the SIFF Cinema Uptown, SIFF Cinema Egyptian, and SIFF Film Center, reaching more than 120,000 attendees annually. SIFF Education offers educational programs for all audiences serving more than 13,000 students and youth in the community with free programs each year. 

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