FRENCH FILMS AT LINCOLN CENTER

The lineup of film series from different countries -- at Lincoln Center recently -- has been extraordinary, and now there's a new series featuring French Films, beginning later in February.

Here are the details, direct from the Film Society of Lincoln Center:

Rendez-Vous with French Cinema is presented by the Film Society of Lincoln Center and Unifrance USA. Running Feb. 28 to Mar. 11 at Lincoln Center ’s Alice Tully Hall and Walter Reade Theater and at the IFC Center , the 12th edition of the popular annual series will present the American debuts of 16 French films, welcoming a distinguished list of directors and actors to New York City to introduce their works.

Filmmaker Olivier Dahan’s La Vie en Rose will open the showcase on Feb. 28 at 8:00 p.m. at Alice Tully Hall. The film, which will also open Berlin’s prestigious film festival Feb. 8, stars Marion Cotillard in the endearing rags-to-riches story of French chanteuse Edith Piaf, one of France’s most famous stage performers. Cotillard and Dahan are both expected to appear.

Gérard Depardieu as Marcel Cerdan and Marion Cotillard as Edith Piaf in
La Vie en Rose / La Môme
Photo Credit: Bruno Calvo

Closing this year’s Rendez-Vous series is Francis Veber’s sophisticated comedy of manners, The Valet. Featuring Daniel Auteuil, Kristin Scott Thomas, Alice Taglioni and comedian Gad Elmaleh as a pair of mismatched couples, the film will be shown Mar. 10 at 6:30 p.m. at the Walter Reade Theater, with encore screenings Mar. 11 at 1:30 p.m. at the Walter Reade and at 5:15 and 7:15 p.m. at the IFC Center. Veber will be present.



Alice Taglioni as Elena and Gad Elmaleh as François Pignon in
The Valet / La Doublure
Photo Credit: Dominique Le Strat © Gaumont - EFVE Films - TF1 Films Production - Kairos
/ courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics Inc. All Rights Reserved






Isild Le Besco (center) as Jeanne in
The Untouchable / L’Intouchable
Photo Credit: Pyramide International

Other filmmakers and actors expected to attend Rendez-Vous 2007 include writing/directing team Pascal Arnold and Jean-Marc Barr, Zabou Breitman, Guillaume Canet, Catherine Corsini, Denis Dercourt, Bruno Dumont, Xavier Giannoli, Patrick Grandperret, Benoît Jacquot, Eric Lartigau, Isild Le Besco, Philippe Lioret and Sandrine Veysset.

Tickets for Rendez-Vous with French Cinema go on sale Feb. 12 and are available at both the Walter Reade Theater and IFC Center, as well as online at www.filmlinc.com and www.ifccenter.com.

Tickets for Walter Reade Theater screenings are $12 for the general public, $8 for Film Society members and students and $8 for seniors at weekday screenings before 6 p.m.

Tickets for IFC Center screenings are $12 for the general public and $8 for members and seniors all day.

For more information, call the Film Society at (212) 875-5600 or the IFC Center at (212) 924-7771.

The IFC Center is located at 323 Sixth Ave. at West 3rd Street.
The Walter Reade Theater is at 165 West 65th Street close to Amsterdam Avenue. Due to construction work taking place around Alice Tully Hall, the only access to the Walter Reade Theater is via the West 65th Street escalator and stairs to the upper level.

Rendez-Vous with French Cinema 2007
Public Screening Schedule

Alice Tully Hall,
1941 Broadway at 65th Street and Columbus Avenue

Wednesday, Feb. 28
8:00 pm La Vie en Rose


Walter Reade Theater,
165 West 65th St. close to Amsterdam Avenue

Thursday, Mar. 1
1:00 pm The Singer
3:45 pm Dans Paris
6:15 pm The Singer
9:00 pm Dans Paris

Friday, Mar. 2
1:00 pm The Page Turner
3:15 pm Tell No One
6:15 pm The Page Turner
8:30 pm Countdown & Humbert Balsan: Rebel Producer

Saturday, Mar. 3
1:30 pm The Singer
4:00 pm The Man of My Life
6:45 pm Tell No One
9:30 pm Ambitious

Sunday, Mar. 4
1:30 pm Tell No One
4:15 pm Ambitious
6:30 pm Flanders
9:00 pm The Page Turner

Monday, Mar. 5
1:30 pm The Man of My Life
3:45 pm Flanders
6:15 pm The Man of My Life
9:00 pm Flanders

Tuesday, Mar. 6
1:00 pm Ambitious
3:15 pm Countdown & Humbert Balsan: Rebel Producer
6:15 pm Dans Paris
8:45 pm Countdown & Humbert Balsan: Rebel Producer

Wednesday, Mar. 7
1:30 pm One to Another
4:00 pm Blame It on Fidel
6:30 pm One to Another
9:00 pm Blame It on Fidel

Thursday, Mar. 8
2:00 pm The Untouchable
4:15 pm Don’t Worry, I’m Fine
6:30 pm The Untouchable
9:00 pm Don’t Worry, I’m Fine

Friday, Mar. 9
1:30 pm Murderers
4:00 pm I Do!
6:30 pm Murderers
9:10 pm I Do!

Saturday, Mar. 10
1:30 pm The Untouchable
4:00 pm One to Another
6:30 pm The Valet
9:00 pm Blame It on Fidel

Sunday, Mar. 11
1:30 pm The Valet
4:00 pm I Do!
6:30 pm Don’t Worry, I’m Fine
8:45 pm Murderers


IFC Center, (IFC = Independent Film Channel)
323 Sixth Ave. at West 3rd Street

Friday, Mar. 2
6:45 pm The Singer
9:30 pm The Singer

Saturday, Mar. 3
12:00 noon Countdown
2:00 pm Dans Paris
4:00 pm The Page Turner
6:00 pm Flanders
8:15 pm The Page Turner
10:15 pm Dans Paris

Sunday, Mar. 4
2:45 pm Countdown
4:45 pm The Man of My Life
7:15 pm Blame It on Fidel
9:15 pm The Man of My Life

Monday, Mar. 5
7:00 pm Ambitious
9:30 pm Ambitious

Tuesday, Mar. 6
7:00 pm Flanders
9:30 pm Blame It on Fidel

Wednesday, Mar. 7
7:00 pm The Untouchable
9:15 pm The Untouchable

Thursday, Mar. 8
7:00 pm One to Another
9:30 pm One to Another

Friday, Mar. 9
7:00 pm Don’t Worry, I’m Fine
9:15 pm Don’t Worry, I’m Fine

Saturday, Mar. 10
2:30 pm I Do!
4:45 pm Murderers
7:15 pm I Do!
9:30 pm Murderers

Sunday, Mar. 11
2:45 pm Tell No One
5:15 pm The Valet
7:15 pm The Valet
9:30 pm Tell No One