Ooh la la French film fest!

From 6pm on Friday 17 February, the Alliance Francaise Wellington will be celebrating the launch of their 2012 French Film Festival.

Tickets for the screenings are on sale now at http://frenchfilmfestival.co.nz and once again there is a delectable assortment of cinematic treats coming to the big screen.

Get into the mood with wine and cheese at Friday’s launch event (at Level 3, Old Dominion Building, 78 Victoria Street, $5 for non-members of the Alliance Francaise) and start narrowing down what you’ll see next month. You can keep up to date with the festival on Facebook or Twitter @French_FilmFest.

The French Film Festival is a nationwide event, but the films are showing in Wellington at the Paramount Cinemas from 8th to 25th March. The opening night gala at 6.30pm on Thursday 8th March is Declaration of War. A box-office smash in France, it was also the opening night pick of Critics’ Week at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. Based on the personal experiences of director and star Valerie Donzelli, it tells the story of a young couple whose child is diagnosed with cancer.

Well-known directors Christophe Honoré and Cédric Klapisch both have new works in the line-up, as well as Bertrand Bonnello’s provocative House of Tolerance, set in a brothel of la belle époque.

Also, the festival’s category of “Paris au Présent” includes contemporary hits which you may have missed on the big screen the first time round.

The eternal favourite Audrey Tatou can be seen in 2008’s Hunting and Gathering, which also has the appeal of starring heartthrob Guillaume Canet.

Multi-talented Julie Delpy’s 2 Days In Paris delves Woody Allen-like into the intimacies and intricacies of modern romance – and if you have seen that, then check out her latest offering, The Skylab.

Young members of the family have also been catered for, with screenings of the Oscar-nominated 63 minute animated film A Cat In Paris and a remake of The War of the Buttons, a tale of childhood rebellion.

Whether you’re looking for a tear-jerker, something action-packed, or just want to immerse yourself in ‘the language of love’ for a couple of hours, then check out the French Film Festival.