Bonjour Cinema kicks off this weekend

Over the past few years, Bonjour Cinema, the Francophone film festival in Sri Lanka has become an increasingly popular event among local movie aficionados. Every year, the festival attracts large numbers of adults as well as children.

This eighth edition of Bonjour Cinema will be the major event of the Francophone festival. It will take place during the weekends of the 29, 30 and 31 March and 5, 6 and 7 April 2013 at the MCIS auditorium, located on the premises of the BMICH.

The objective of the organising committee composed by Canada, France, Qatar, Romania, Switzerland, Tunisia and Vietnam is to provide moviegoers with the opportunity of watching some critically acclaimed movies produced in member countries of the International Organisation of ‘La Francophonie’ (OIF).

The organising committee cooperates with Agenda 14, an association which works on the promotion and development of Sri Lankan cinema, to present before the screening of each movie a short film made by a selection of young Sri Lankan filmmakers. Following the idea of highlighting the Sri Lankan filmmakers and productions, the festival will include a one day Master Class by Agenda 14.

In recognition of his promising contribution to Sri Lankan cinema, this year’s Francophone film festival will commence with Aruna Jayawardena’s film Nikini Vassa/August Drizzle – Rain that never kisses the earth – an emotional journey through life, death and expectations.

The International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF) was created in 1970. Its mission is to embody the active solidarity between its 77 member states and governments (57 members, 20 observers).

Together they represent over one-third of the United Nations’ member states and account for a population of over 890 million people, including 220 million French speakers. OIF’s actions respect cultural and linguistic diversity, they serve to promote humanist values linked to the French language, peace and sustainable development.