Fullerton College’s much-loved French Film Festival is back for its eleventh year. Fullerton again becomes the “Paris of Orange County,” featuring three nights of recent film releases from the French-speaking world, as well as a German spotlight. This year’s screenings will be held at the Campus Theatre on four evenings, March 29, March 30, April 5, and April 6. All screenings begin at 7:30pm and are preceded by a cultural hour featuring complimentary food, music, dance, and art starting at 6:30pm in the patio area outside the box office.

Graphic courtesy of Fullerton College French Film Festival.

The French Film Festival began in 2010 as a unique educational opportunity sponsored by the Tournées Film Festival through the French American Cultural Exchange and the Fullerton College Humanities Division. It has since grown into a popular Fullerton community institution appreciated by film enthusiasts of all ages. Due to COVID constraints, the festival has been on hiatus since 2019. But this year the college’s French Film Festival committee, comprised of faculty, staff, students, and community members, is happy to announce the return of this popular event.

Visitors will be greeted by the friendly faces of current Fullerton College students and members of the French and German clubs on campus who have created a dynamic cultural scene that will entertain visitors the hour before each evening’s screening. Free food samples from local restaurants will be served, such as Crêpes Bonaparte, Zombee Donuts, Bourbon Street Bar and Grill, Les Amis Restaurant, Crepes de Paris, and Pandor Bakery. Additional sponsors include Vista Higher Learning and the International School of Orange County. Attendees will enjoy an eclectic Paris street scene come to life featuring guitarists, piano players, opera singers, accordionists, dancers, street performers, painters, artists, and Parisian monuments created by Sonora High School students guided by Karen McClung.

Do you prefer comedy? A heartwarming drama? Suspense? There is something for everyone in the 2022 film lineup:

Tuesday March 29, 2022: Pupille/In Safe Hands (2018) Rated G. This revealing drama traces the progress of a bright-eyed baby boy through the adoption system, from the moment his mother relinquishes him at birth until he is adopted into a new family. A sincere, intelligent film that highlights the humanity of all the stakeholders involved.

Wednesday March 30: Ballon/Balloon (2018) Rated PG13. This dramatic thriller tells the tale of two families living in East Germany in 1979. Desperate to leave the GDR (German Democratic Republic), they build a homemade hot air balloon in their cellar and plot their great escape. A suspenseful and engrossing portrayal of a true story.

Tuesday April 5: Un Triomphe/The Big Hit (2017) Rated PG13. This comedy follows the loveable Etienne, a passionate but frequently out-of-work actor, who becomes the new director of a prison theater workshop. Inspired by the talent he finds in the inmates, he comes up with the idea of staging Waiting for Godot on a real stage. An entertaining and touching true life story.

Wednesday April 6: Au bout des doigts/In Your Hands (2018) Rated PG13. This drama/comedy highlights a troubled young man from a rough side of town who gets the chance to show his piano talents by attending the National Conservatory of Music. How will he handle the new upper-class world in which he finds himself? A new twist on an old situation.

Individual tickets for each night’s showing can be purchased at the box office starting March 1 and 30 minutes before each show. Prices are $10 for the general public and $7 for students. All films are subtitled in English.

Due to ongoing COVID protocols, a vaccination card or recent negative test must be shown for entrance to the patio and box office at arrival on campus.

For further information, visit the French Film Festival website:

https://humanities.fullcoll.edu/foreign-languages/french-film-festival/

Or on Facebook and Instagram @fcfrenchfilms