Editor

The IFI French Film Festival opens today with a stirring mix of a first look at the best new French films and a look at some classic films from the past. The opening gala screening of Micmacs is completely sold out but there are still tickets for many films in the Festival including Séraphine, winner of seven César awards; Bellamy, featuring Gérard Depardieu and a stunning new documentary on Henri-George Clouzot's unfinished masterpiece Inferno and much more.

Round Da Way; (27th and 28th Nov) the film of the hugely popular adult TV animation Les Lascars (described as a mixture of Beavis and Butthead and La Haine) will be introduced by two special guests; Rapper-Comedian IZM who voices the character Joe and the hugely influential French Hip-Hop artist Lucien Revolucien who created the film's score using the best of new hip-hop and some of his old-school collaborators such as A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul. The screening on Friday the 27th will be followed by a French Hip-Hop club night with our guests in the IFI Bar.

Another special guest flying in for the festival is Marie-France Siegler, the former assistant of the celebrated comic actor-director Jacques Tati, who is receiving a major retrospective in the Festival. Tati was famed for his pipe-smoking dreamer Monsieur Hulot and loved by generations of filmgoers from around the world. This is a great opportunity to see some of his short films (20th Nov), Monsieur Hulot's Holiday  (21st Nov), a special 70mm screening of PlayTime (22nd Nov), and a new documentary The Magnificent Tati (28th Nov). Marie-France Siegler will take part in a panel discussion with Laurent Marie from UCD after the screening of The Magnificent Tati.