La France aux Philippines et en Micronésie

18th French Film Festival

Webmestre — 2013-05-16T07:53:59Z

The season for French cinema in the Philippines has arrived!

Presented by the Embassy of France to the Philippines, the Alliance française de Manille and Institut Français, under the French cultural program, FrancoPhil, the annual French Film Festival opens to the public from June 7 to 9, 2013 at the Greenbelt 3 cinemas in Makati City.

Now on its 18th edition, the French Film Festival has been an instrument in celebrating the passion for cinema shared by both France, known as the birthplace of cinema, and the Philippines, a pioneering cinema in Southeast Asia.

Opening this year's festival is “Le Prénom” (“What's in a Name?”), a film chronicling a soon-to-be father's revelation of his future son's name which humorously brings his family into “utter chaos.”

“Family and humor are common themes in French cinema. Most people are surprised to know that both French and Philippine cinema are alike in this way, which may explain the following that the French Film Festival has made through the years,” said the French Embassy's Audiovisual Attaché Martin Macalintal.

Four other French films will be screened to Filipino viewers free of charge. The line-up includes “Alceste à bicyclette” (“Cycling with Moliere”), “De Rouille et d'os” (“Rust and Bone”), “Du Vent dans mes mollets” (“The Dandelions”), and “Camille redouble” (“Camille Rewinds”).

As both a venue to promote French cinema and to give tribute to Philippine film, this year's festival follows the prestigious Cannes Film Festival where the Philippines was honored with four feature films: Lav Diaz' “Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan” and Adolfo Alix, Jr.'s “Death March” in the Un Certain Regard category, Erik Matti's “On The Job” in the Director's Fortnight, and a special screening of the digitally-restored classic of the late National Artist for Film, Lino Brocka, “Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag.”

Moreover, the 18th French Film Festival, as it has in the previous years, reaffirms Franco-Philippine cooperation in film. The French Embassy offers its full support to the Philippine film industry by facilitating exchanges between the Centre national du cinema (CNC) and the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), initially for the establishment of the National Film Archives of the Philippines.

France continues to be a model for the preservation and development of cinema. This is evidenced through assistance programs and funding made available by the CNC. Every time they buy their tickets at the box office, French movie goers contribute to a fund redistributed by the CNC to support the production of new films. Furthermore, through the Cinemas du Monde programme, foreign films co-produced by France are also entitled to benefit from this fund.

French Ambassador to the Philippines Gilles Garachon assures that “In the context of the cooperation being developed between the FDCP and the CNC, the latter could share a model of best practices to help the growth of Philippine cinema in the coming years.”

The 18th French Film Festival has been made possible through the support of Ayala Center, Greenbelt, Ayala Malls Cinemas, Peugeot, Eurobrands Distributors Inc., L'Oréal, Total (Philippines) Corporation, Le Cellier, Airfrance KLM, Marithé François Girbaud, and Selecta Magnum, and our official media partners, the Philippine Daily Inquirer, BusinessWorld, High Life, HerWord.com, Radio High 105.9, and Spot.ph.

For screening schedules and film synopses, click here.

For inquiries, please call 0915-805-3860 or send us an e-mail at frenchfilmfest@gmail.com

Bon film !

Classes Resume for the New French Teachers!

Webmestre — 2013-05-08T07:06:59Z

In Manila, eight young Filipino teachers are taking part in an intensive course in French as part of the agreement signed in December 2012 between the Embassy of France to the Philippines and the Department of Education for the institutionalization of the French language in high schools.

The new teachers will strengthen the workforce in six public high schools in the capital to extend the French curriculum to four years for over 700 learners in regular courses.


The training is conducted by Ms. Solène Vilchien, teacher of French as a foreign language and intern at the Embassy of France to the Philippines

Next steps: the DELF certification and a language course in France!

In the Philippines, French is the second most taught European language in the secondary level and the first for the tertiary level.

Francophonie 2013 in Manila - Photo highlights

Webmestre — 2013-04-30T09:38:38Z

The Embassy of France to the Philippines and the Alliance française de Manille organized a series of events from March 7 to 20, 2013 in celebration of Francophonie.

MUSIC

March 8: Concert featuring Mouron and Terry Truck

Mouron and Terry Truck, her pianist, performed a repertoire of the golden age of French songs at the auditorium of the Far Eastern University.

March 15 : Concert featuring the Kingston Blues Project and DJ Beton

The group Kingston, shared their passion for the blues at M Café, followed by a set by the French DJ Beton.

EDUCATION

March 11 : 20th Anniversary of Eurocampus in Manila

Eurocampus Manila, which hosts both the French and German schools, is the first of its kind to be created in Asia and celebrated its 20th year in March.

The occasion was highlighted by the first official visit of Ms. Anne-Marie Descôtes, directress of the agency responsible for French education abroad.

The celebration was founded on 3 joint projects spearheaded by the Eurocampus staff and its students:

A cultural and historical exhibit covering the 50 years of Franco-German cooperation,
An academic symposium with the theme of cooperation in education in the Philippines,
Publication of the Eurocampus yearbook

THEATER

March 16: Theater Contest « Dis-moi dix mots semés au loin »

After a rigorous selection of participants from Philippine high schools and universities, the chosen groups gave their final performance at the Alliance française de Manille.

Using some of the words following this year's theme (atelier, bouquet, cachet, coup de foudre, équipe, protéger, savoir-faire, unique, vis-à-vis, voilà), the students performed on stage before an audience of over 200 people.

LITERATURE

March 20: Spring of Poets

For this year's poetry night, the Filipino participants read their works following the theme Voix .

F. Sionil José, author of the Rosales saga and founder of the Solidaridad Bookstore, was present during the evening.

The Anima Choir of the University of the Philippines and singer-actress Pinky Amador likewise livened up the night as they translated poetry into music.

Destination Francophonie - A Video Contest

Webmestre — 2013-04-29T07:43:10Z

« Destination Francophonie » in the Philippines

In line with the celebration of the Francophonie, "Destination Francophonie" is a video contest where participants are invited to create a short report that allows the audience to experience the common values and language of the Francophonie region.

Rules:

Each participant is to produce a 50-second video report presenting a characteristic, event, or a feature of his city, region or country connected to the francophone community
After creating a profile on the Vimeo vide platform, the participant should upload its production via the videoblog Destination Francophonie-Philippines
The three national winners will participate in the regional finals to take place on June 27
A jury composed of personalities from the fields of culture, cinema and the Francophonie will award prizes for the best productions
Links :http://www.destinationfrancophonie.org/
https://vimeo.com/groups/destinatio...

Time Table:

Official launch of the competition: March 2013
End of contest: May 31, 2013
Regional Finals: June 27, 2013

Prizes (Regionals):

1st prize: I- Pad 4 – 3G
2nd prize: Android cellphone
3rd prize: I-Pod Touch

And many other prizes !

Documentary Screenings at the Musée du quai Branly

Webmestre — 2013-04-19T04:10:07Z

As part of the exhibition "Philippines: Archipelago of Exchange," three entries from the 2012 Documentary Workshop jointly organized by the Goethe Institut, the Embassy of France in Manila and the Ateliers Varan will be screened at the Musée du quai Branly in Paris, France on 19 April 2013, 6:30pm Paris time.

Adjani Arumpac, a participant of the workshop, has been invited by the museum to present the films.

To know more, visit the links below :

http://www.quaibranly.fr/en/program...

Manuel Ocampo's ‘Manila Vice' Making Waves in Sète, France

Webmestre — 2013-04-17T07:15:24Z

"MANILA as an international art city."

This is what widely and critically-acclaimed Filipino artist and curator Manuel Ocampo envisions for the country's capital city. Ocampo is again at the helm of "MANILA VICE," which recently had a successful vernissageto an international audience at the Musee International des Arts Modestes (MIAM Museum, www.miam.org) in Sète, France.


Musée International des Arts Modestes

"We are overwhelmed with all the positive and encouraging support we have been getting since we opened. The international art community inspires us to create more art that truly connects and represents our genre, which brings us a step closer in raising the bar for Manila to be an international art destination," according to Ocampo.

Ocampo, who has extensively exhibited his works in major art capitals around the world including Europe, Asia, and the United States, aims to bring the Philippine art community at par with its global counterparts. Manila Vice follows the success of the Bastards of Misrepresentation art shows in Berlin and New York, and the recent Art Fair Philippines event in Makati City.

For more information on Manuel Ocampo, click here.

Presented in cooperation with the Embassy of France in Manila, the show is slated to run at the MIAM Museum until September 22, 2013.

"We are delighted at the success and the warm reception that the Manila Vice show has been enjoying since it opened last April 12. It is our honour and pleasure to be part of this esteemed international art event, in our aim to strengthencultural relations between France and the Philippines," says Embassy of France in Manila's cultural attaché Ariane Tricaud.

The 23 artists exclusively handpicked by Ocampo for the Manila Vice Sète include Gerry Tan, PoklongAnading, Romeo Lee, Gaston Damag, Valeria Cavestany, Carlo Ricafort, Arvin Flores, Bea Camacho, Kawayan De Guia, Dexter Fernandez, Mm Yu, Lena Cobangbang, Maria JeonaZoleta, Pow Martinez, Maria Cruz, Robert Langenegger, David Griggs, among many others.

For the complete list of artists, click here.

Ocampo is also set to do major art shows in Manila, Spain, Luxembourg, and Miami.

Other Manila Vice participating partners include 1335 Mabini: B.A.R., Silverlens, Finale, Pablo, Q Bistro, and Don Papa Rum.

For more information on Manila Vice, click here.

For particulars, please call:
Donna Lampano
PR and art events publicist
Mobile no 0917 8834725
Email dlampano@gmail.com

Dr. Christian Joseph Cumagun at the International Biovision Life Sciences Forum

Webmestre — 2013-04-15T06:29:05Z

Nobel Prize Laureate for Medicine Fr. Jules Hoffmann and Dr. Christian Joseph Camagun

Through the support of the Embassy of France to the Philippines, Dr. Christian Joseph Cumagun, a researcher from the College of Agriculture at the University of the Philippines-Los Baños, recently attended the International Biovision Life Sciences Forum organized by the University of Lyon from 24 to 26 March 2013.

Created in 1999, the meeting gathers thousands of participants from 60 countries every two years with over 200 renowned speakers from the field of research. It aims to strengthen dialogue and exchange among experts involved in the sciences and various global issues (environment and biodiversity, climate change, agriculture and food security, medicine and health, etc.).

Dr. Cumagun presented his research project, “The Control of the Sigatoka Leaf Disease and the Panama Wilt of the Banana Using the Novel Endophytic Fungus Muscodor spp. Isolated from Philippine Tropical Rainforests,” which addresses food security and the urgent need to provide a safe and sustainable alternative to fungicides being sprayed on banana plantations in the Philippines, affecting the health of certain communities and the environment.

On his experience during the forum, Dr. Cumagun recounts:

“I had a great and fruitful time at the Biovision Life Sciences Forum despite not winning the prize. My colleague from Indonesia was the lucky one among the nine innovative projects/initiatives selected from France, Germany, Italy, India, Brazil, Indonesia and the Philippines. While networking with the scientific community, I got the chance to meet in person French Nobel Laureate in Medicine Fr. Jules Hoffmann!”

Launch of Contemporary Philippines

Webmestre — 2013-03-18T03:16:01Z

24 French and Filipino researchers have come together to publish “Philippines contemporaines” (Contemporary Philippines), a monograph that provides a multi-disciplinary examination of contemporary Philippine society.

Spearheaded by the Institut de Recherche sur l'Asie du Sud-Est Contemporaine (IRASEC), a Bangkok-based French research institute dedicated to studying the political, social and environmental evolution in the eleven countries of the region, Contemporary Philippines includes works from both French and Filipino experts from various fields and academic institutions.

The monograph, divided into 6 sections, explores topics on the Philippines' colonial past, environmental and risk management, education, foreign relations, health and medicine, and a special chapter on Mindanao among others.

Franco-Philippine cooperation in research through Contemporary Philippines was the central theme during its launch last 13 March at the newly-renovated Alliance française de Manille in Makati.


Cultural Counsellor Christian Mérer, Alliance française de Manille Director Stephane Doutrelant, IRASEC Director François Robinne, Publication Director William Guéraiche, Alliance française de Manille President Bernardo Sim, French Ambassador Gilles Garachon, Dr. Michael Tan, Mr. François-Xavier Bonnet, Dr. Maria Paquita Bonnet

“Not only does the publication help put the Philippines back on the “map” in the domain of the social sciences, but it also brings together the work of 16 Filipino researchers (out of a total of 24 authors),” said IRASEC Director François Robinne.

“Philippines contemporaines is exactly what we at IRASEC want our collaborations with local researchers and institutions to be: Rigorous academic research that offers new and innovative analyses on important themes,” he added.

French Ambassador Gilles Garachon noted the significance of this collaboration as it “provides key elements for understanding the [local] situation in the conceptualization of concrete projects in the Philippines” such as research programs, investments, and development or humanitarian projects.

Although the monograph is written in French, which limits its reach of readers, Ambassador Garachon noted the possibility of future projects between French and Filipino researchers to be published in English. It can likewise serve as the foundation for future cooperation in research and provide themes and material for future roundtable discussions between French and Filipino experts.

Francophonie 2013 Reception

Webmestre — 2013-03-14T07:12:33Z

Various embassies and Francophones from the economic sector gathered Thursday, March 7 at the French residence for the official opening of the Francophonie in Manila.

As every year, the embassies of France, Switzerland, Belgium and Canada have partnered in the celebration of the French language and the values that it stands for.

Belgian Ambassador Christian Meerschman, Canadian Ambassador Christopher Thornley, French Ambassador Gilles Garachon and Swiss Ambassador Ivo Sieber stressed the importance of the International Organization of the Francophonie in conducting multilateral cooperation and giving substance to an active solidarity for the benefit of the peoples of its member states and governments.

The evening was graced with a series of French classics performed by French singer Mouron and her pianist, Terry Truck.

CCEF ASEAN Convention 2013

Webmestre — 2013-02-28T09:57:47Z

The first annual convention of the Conseillers du Commerce Extérieur de la France (French Foreign Trade Counsellors) in ASEAN was held in Manila last February 1 and 2, 2013. During the 2-day gathering in Makati City, the 80 CCEFs present discussed numerous topics under the general theme “Towards an ASEAN economic community in 2015.”

The sessions focused on the attractiveness of the different ASEAN countries, project financing, Public-Private partnerships, and the current managerial challenges related to human resources.

Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima was the guest of honor during a lunch held last February 1, during which he delivered a passionate speech on the future of ASEAN and the role of the Philippines in regional integration. He also called on French enterprises to consider the Philippines as an attractive destination for foreign investment and a dynamic market for their products, considering country's recent economic performance and the sound management of public finances. Meanwhile, Ambassador Guy Ledoux of the EU Delegation in the Philippines presented the draft free trade agreement between the Philippines and the European Union.

At an evening reception at the French residence, Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo was invited as the guest of honor and highlighted the numerous opportunities in the Philippine market together with French-Philippine relations. The French businessmen were able to form exchanges with their Filipino counterparts during the gathering.

This meeting of CCEFs demonstrated the dynamism of French businessmen and businesswomen in the region and anticipated issues that may be tackled in the 2014 forum in Thailand and the future ASEAN economic community in 2015.