French rendez-vous with multiplex audience

New Delhi, Sep 15 (UNI) Multiplex audiences in four cities, including Delhi and Mumbai, are set to experience a meeting with the best of French cinema in the coming days.

The nearly month-long ''Rendez-vous with French Cinema'' beginning today in Chandigarh and Ahmedabad also has seven films with free entry.

Organised by the French Embassy and Fun Cinemas multiplex chain, the festival will run up to October 12.

In the capital, the screenings at the Fun Cinemas's North Square Mall in Pitampura will take place during September 22-28. In Chandigarh, the festival will be held during September 15-21, in Ahmedabad during September 29-October 5 and in Mumbai during October 6-12.

The Mani Manjra multiplex will be the venue of the festival in Chandigarh, the multiplex on the Sarrkhej Gandhi Highway in Ahmedabad and the multiplex of Fun Cinemas off New Link Road, Andheri (West) will screen the films in Mumbai.

According to the French Embassy, the festival aims to reach out to the growing young urban audience of the multiplexes unfamiliar with French cinema.

''We observe that the Indian entertainment industry, like India itself is at a critical stage of its development. Hence we want to seize this opportunity to support the development of commercial exchanges between the two countries and to offer another kind of cinema along with the Bollywood movies to the growing multiplex audience,'' said French Ambassador to India, Dominique Girard.

The films include the Jean-Paul Belmondo-starrer 'Peut-etre' (May be), 'Faux depart' (Stand by), 'Sauve-moi' (Save Me), 'La ville est tranquille' (The Village is Quiet) and 'Les egares' (Strayed).

Also in the package are 'A la petite semaine' (Nickel and Dime) and 'Le role de sa vie' (The Role of Her Life).

The entry is by free passes available at the multiplexes on first-come-first-serve basis. The shows are scheduled everyday at 2000 hrs.

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