His Excellency Marc Abensour

AMBASSADOR OF FRANCE TO SINGAPORE

It is with great pleasure for me to introduce the 36th edition of the French Film Festival, the cinema programme of vOilah! France Singapore Festival 2020.

The year has been challenging and, for several months, we have been deprived of going to the movie theatres. Now that it is possible again, we have redoubled our efforts to bring to Singapore the most recent feature French movies but also some classics. A never-reached-before number of films with 28 titles! Among them, 20 movies released in 2020 will be screened in the cinema halls.

Organised by the Embassy of France in Singapore, in partnership with local and French partners, the festival will also offer, for the first time, a selection of 12 movies to watch from the comfort of your home on two VOD platforms, Kinolounge and The Projector Plus.

This year again, the great diversity of French cinema will be represented with films for all ages and all tastes. As a special treat, some of the films will be screened to the public of Singapore in “première”.

The line-up of the French Film Festival 2020 is also a reflection of our time. It reveals the growing role of women in the film industry, through which they have decided to make their voices heard on various themes: love (Antoinette, My Donkey My Lover and I), social issues (Police, Into the world), or self-introspection (DNA).

Attention will also be raised on climate and environment issues as we will present special screenings of the documentary Ailo’s Journey at Gardens by the Bay. A unique occasion to discover the beauty of Arctic Lapland through the incredible transhumance journey of Ailo, the new-born reindeer.

To enjoy this rich selection, we wanted to make sure to be able to welcome a large audience. Thanks to the invaluable collaboration of our partners – Alliance Française de Singapour, Shaw Organization and the Projector – we have extended the duration of the festival, added a new venue – Shaw Paya Lebar Quarter- and increased the number of screenings to 178! So everyone can find the opportunity to go and see a movie in complete safety.

I am also extremely grateful to the title and communication partners, without whom the 2020 edition of the French Film Festival would not be possible, in particular TV5MONDE, Total and Crédit Industriel and Commercial.

I’ll be seeing you in the cinemas!