The 38th International Francophone Film Festival of Namur (FIFF) kicks off tonight with Belgian Delphine Girard's Quitter la nuit at 20:15.
On until 6 October, the film festival in the Walloon capital will present 125 feature-length and short films, fiction, documentaries and animation from all 88 states across the Francophone world: "a bold and diverse selection, for all audiences."
The spotlight on Belgian films include Paloma Sermon-Daï's Il pleut dans la maison, Yolande Moreau's La fiancée du poète, Dominique Abel and Fiona Gordon's L’étoile filante, Vivian Goffette's Les poings serrés, Rosine Mbakam's Mambar Pierrette and Bernard Bellefroid's Une des mille collines.
In an effort to make their events even more accessible, the FIFF will show two films outside of Namur: Cyrielle Raingou's Le Spectre de Boko Haram will be shown in Brussels on Sunday, and Ramata-Toulaye Sy's Banel & Adama in Liege on Thursday.
This year's jurors for feature and short films are from Belgium, Quebec, France and Senegal, and are presided over by French actress Mélanie Doutey. Two other juries called the Jury Émile Cantillon and the Jury Junior will give film students between the ages of 18-25 and from middle and high school respectively the opportunity to put their critiquing skills to practice.
Not just a film festival
FIFF has made great efforts to attract a diverse kind of audience to its French language film festival.
In line with this goal, FIFF willhost a series of activities, concerts and exhibitions called FIFF OFF to accompany the cinematic events throughout the eight-day festival, a tradition that started in 2020. Families with young children can also participate in a family-friendly schedule that includes kids movies and a treasure hunt.
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FIFF Campus is another FIFF initiative that aims to inspire their youngest spectators to join the film industry through workshops and projects, like the annual creation of the Garland of Human Rights.
Throughout the festival, participants up to 25-years-old are invited to add a work of visual or written art depicting an aspect of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on a 25cm by 25cm square of fabric. The collaborative project will be exhibited at the Place d'Armes in Namur.
Tickets can be purchased on their website and winners of the festivals will be announced during the Bayard Ceremony on Friday 6 October.
