His Excellency Marc Abensour

AMBASSADOR OF FRANCE TO SINGAPORE

It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the 37th edition of the French Film Festival, the cinema programme of the vOilah! France Singapore Festival 2021.

Organised by the Embassy of France in Singapore, with the collaboration of local and French partners, the festival will showcase an unprecedented number of French films with 35 titles across all genres which demonstrates the diversity and richness of French cinema.

French cinema is full of sensitivity, feelings and passion, which is why the line-up of the French Film Festival 2021 will be in line with the “feel good” edition of vOilah! We have chosen to present six movies full of humour, amongst which are the long-awaited Kaamelott and OSS 117. Children will enjoy Little Nicholas’ Treasure, adapted from the classic Le Petit Nicolas by René Goscinny and Sempé.

We have also selected a series of musical, lively and light-hearted films in the “Music in Cinema” section such as the mesmerizing Aline directed and performed by Valérie Lemercier and based on the life of Céline Dion and the timeless The Young Girls of Rochefort by Jacques Demy. Showcasing French cinema could not go without celebrating the talent and influence of Agnès Varda, the godmother of the French New Wave. A selection of her films will be screened at The Projector and selected screenings will be preceded or followed by conversations with Rosalie Varda, daughter of Agnès Varda and Jacques Demy, who will be coming to Singapore for the festival.

Attention will also be raised on climate and environmental issues as part of the sustainability focus of vOilah! We will present three special screenings of the highly committed documentary Bigger than Us, produced by Marion Cotillard, calling for the urgency to act, from an early age. This year, we are extremely grateful to renew our partnership with the Alliance Française, Shaw Organisation and The Projector. They will screen our never-reached-before number of films and welcome you in the safest conditions for more than 180 projections! We wish to thank them deeply for their commitment.

Last but not least, I am sincerely grateful to all our esteemed festival sponsors without whom this 2021 edition would not have been possible.

Happy screenings to all!