28/08/2009

An unmissable event for fans of francophone cinema in all its diversity, the Namur International Francophone Film Festival will be held from October 2-9. Certain impressive titles have already been announced, with pride of place going to debut films.

Besides young director Xavier Dolan’s Quebec film I Killed My Mother, discovered at the Cannes Film Festival, the FIFF will show Goodbye Gary [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Nassim Amouache, whose magnificent documentary A Few Crumbs for the Birds made an impact at the 2005 edition. Visitors will perhaps have the opportunity to meet the film’s star, Jean-Pierre Bacri, as well as pay homage to young actor Yasmine Belmadi, who died this summer.

The line-up also includes French director Xabi Molia’s debut feature Eight Times Up [+see also:
trailer
film profile], starring Julie Gayet and Denis Podalydès.

Namur audiences will also have the chance to discover two highly-anticipated Belgian debut films in avant-première. Local director Bernard Bellefroid received the Golden Bayard for Best Documentary in 2006 for Rwanda: The Hills Speak. He will return in October with his debut feature, The Boat Race, which centres on young, 15-year-old Alex, who is obsessed with rowing, to the point of losing sight of fundamental values such as love and friendship.

The film was produced by Artemis Production, Luxembourg’s Samsa Films and France’s Liaison Cinématographique.

”To be a baron in life, you have to be as inactive as possible, because every human being is born with a certain number of steps and every step uses up your credit. So, there’s no point in running. What differentiates us from everyone else is the fact that we barons are aware of this from the start…” That’s the philosophy of the Barons, four young Brussels residents and blatant layabouts, whose precious footsteps are the focus of Nabil Ben Yadir’s eponymous film.

Produced by Entre Chien et Loup, co-produced by Liaison Cinématographique and led by an enticing cast, Les Barons promises to raise laughter and open the festival with a flourish.

(Translated from French)