2023-09-05 14:06:00
The French Film Festival of Helvetia does not shake up its codes for its 19th edition. The FFFH will return to Biel from September 13 to 17. The organizers lifted the veil on Tuesday on the entire program as well as on the guests who were invited to take part in the event. Among the people who will speak on the sidelines of their works, we find directors Philippe Lefebvre, Frédéric Mermoud and Stéphanie Di Giusto. The actors Fédéric Tellier, Jean-Pierre Daroussin and Flavie Delangle are also part of this panel. If these names are familiar to you within the framework of the FFFH, it is certainly not just an impression: nearly half of the guests have already taken part in the Biel festival, explains its director Christian Kellenberger. But the prize goes to Jean-Pierre Améris who will make his 6th appearance in the Seeland city.
To make their choice as to who to invite, the organizers explain that they rely on two criteria: the heart as well as the news. Christian Kellenberger says that he does not encounter any difficulties in attracting personalities to Biel even if the competition between festivals is increasingly tough. Finding artists over the years also makes it possible to follow the evolution of their careers, he adds.
Nearly 60 films and a special place given to women
For this new edition, the organizers will screen around sixty films, including 26 major premieres and even an international premiere with “Bernadette”. This production features Catherine Deneuve in the role of former French First Lady Bernadette Chirac. She is also part of a selection of the FFFH which will highlight “heroines of the time and of modern times”, as officials indicate. This societal theme has gained importance in the world of cinema, explains Christian Kellenberger.
The budget impacted by inflation
The FFFH went through a period of uncertainty at the start of the year due to its finances. Inflation in Switzerland also affected the event, which saw its costs rise by 3% to 4%, explains the director. The festival was however able to count on the generosity of many supporters, public or private, to ensure its survival, but it still had to resolve to make cuts in certain sectors. Not enough to disturb the public, however: “It was very important for us that there is no impact on the spectators”, reassures Christian Kellenberger.
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