2014 marks 10 successful years for the Helvetia French Film Festival, which will be held this year from September 17 through 21.
Not everyone is familiar with the small town of Biel/Bienne, situated on the border of the French-speaking and German-speaking regions of Switzerland. French film enthusiasts, however, know exactly where it is on the map of European film festivals, as the town has become an important meeting place in Switzerland, particularly due to the fact that its location facilitates French films' access to the German-speaking region.
This year around 60 films will be showcased at the event, with a majority of productions screened as Swiss premieres. One of these films is Sex, Love & Therapy by Tonie Marshall, who will be in attendance along with some forty guests, including Céline Sallette, Gaspard Ulliel, Benoit Jacquot, Jean-Pierre Améris, Tony Gatlif, the crew from Party Girl, Lucas Belvaux, and Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar.
While this festival does not have a competitive section, it offers spectators a number of different programs, such as the Discovery Section, which will present seven films that have not as yet found a distributor in Switzerland, and the Horizons Section, which features French films shot in a foreign language (notably Still the Water by Naomi Kawase and Turist by Ruben Ostlund).
The event will open with a screening of Girlhood by Céline Sciamma on September 17.
You can find further information about the event at the festival's official website.
