The New Orleans French Film Festival is a spring rite of passage in the Crescent City. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the annual event, held in partnership with the Consulat General de France a la Nouvelle-Orleans and the Prytania Theatre.
This year’s festival, running from April 21-27 at the Prytania, features an eclectic mix of French cinema. Highlights include The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (Sat. Apr. 22, 12:45 p.m.), a bittersweet 1964 musical that influenced last year’s blockbuster Oscar-winning musical La La Land. Fans of cerebral ghost stories will want to check out Personal Shopper (Thurs. Apr. 27, 8:00 p.m.), starring Kristen Stewart as a medium who can communicate with the dead. The Oscar-nominated animated feature My Life as a Zucchini (Sat. Apr. 22, 3:00 p.m.; Mon. Apr. 24, 3:00 p.m.) tells the story of a young boy’s search for a new family after the death of his mother.
Live, French-themed music will be played before selected screenings by a variety of local artists. There will also be talks on French culture and the French New Wave.
Opening and closing night tickets are $11 for members of the New Orleans Film Society (NOFS) and the Prytania Theatre. Non-member tickets are $13. All other screenings cost $9 for NOFS and Prytania members and $11 for non-members. Festival passes are $70 for NOFS and Prytania members and $85 for non-members.
For full ticketing and schedule info, visit the NOFS website at neworleansfilmsociety.org.