This intriguing pop up film  festival happening near the happening Portobello Road will showcase some of the most cult faves of the 90s. White Men Can’t Jump, Clueless and, everyone’s favourite, House Party are all there. But, this isn’t your ordinary film festival. Members of the creative community have handpicked all the films billed. Why? Because they were a source of inspiration that propelled them into their field.
Hosts include Damon, No.1 barber to Dizzie Rascal, the sartorial ACF – the most stylish men in London? – female rapper Ninja and top graphic designers Quirksville. All leaders in their field, they will present these cinematic moments from the 90s that influenced their work and gives insight into their practice. Each selector will play host at the screening of their chosen flick and give their personal insight into what makes these movies culturally significant.

The festival will take place on the consecrated ground of the Portobello ‘pop up’: a low cost digital cinema project made from recycled and reclaimed materials. Already well-known for its creative power – it got a mention in a Blur song don’t you know – this is sure to be a hot bed of inventiveness and brainwaves, all taken from the 1990s… fitting! (Words: Laura Thornley)
The festival runs on July 25-28. For more info visit: www.teesandcees.org/welovethe90sfilmfest

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It is fair to say that Prince’s magnum opus about an up and rising young singer, who has to overcome a lot of obstacles, including an abusive father, in order to make it to the top, is clearly not a masterpiece of cinema. The term ‘classic’ though, can surely be applied to the film’s excellent soundtrack. From the awesome epicness of the titular song to the trendsetting bass-less minimalism of When Doves Cry, the musical genius of Prince is evident in all the songs that can be heard in the film. And with such euphoric belters like Let’s Go Crazy and Take Me With U, any person with a heartbeat should be eager to display their best dance moves while watching this. Screening at the Leonard Street Car Park and enlisting the help of The Frame Dance Studio, the Rooftop Film Club will give us the opportunity to get our party shoes on and experience the film as never before – so we can’t wait. (Words: Apostolos Kostoulas)

Purple Rain Concert Style Screening will take place at the Leonard Street Car Park on Friday 24th May. Doors will open at 6pm and the film will start at 9. For more information go to www.wegottickets.com/rooftopfilmclub/event/209905

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Opening this year’s festival with the latest cinematic adventures of Astérix and Obélix,was undoubtedly a crowd-pleasing choice. Uderzo and Goscinny’s comic characters are much loved by generations of readers who grew up with the stories about the little Gallic village that resisted the roman occupation and the previous four film adaptations were all box-office hits. Add to this the exciting premise behind the title of the new entry in the franchise –  Astérix and Obélix: God Save Britannia –  and the intriguing casting of legendary actress Catherine Deneuve in the role of the Queen of England and you have a definite winner.

Ducoboo is also based on a popular comic series whose titular character is an eleven-year-old dunce who finds inventive ways to cheat during school exams but always gets caught in the end. For the definite capture of children’s mischiefs however, look no further than War of the Buttons, the latest film adaptation of the classic novel by Louis Pergaud about two rival kid gangs in a little village of post-war France who cut off the buttons from the clothes of their adversaries and keep them as combat trophies.
Various films in this year’s FFF reminds us French cinema’s knack for producing delightful and sophisticated romantic films. Happiness Never Comes Alone (pictured) offers the winning combo of the sublime beauty of Sophie Marceau and the timeless soulful melodies of classic Motown hits, while Paris- Manhattan is a love letter to the genius of Woody Allen. A hopelessly romantic pharmacist is obsessed with the works and general philosophy of the New York auteur and much like the typical Woody character, she is unlucky in love. As for My Worst Nightmare, the names behind and in front of the camera (the film is directed by Anne Fontaine, responsible for BAFTA-nominated Coco Before Chanel, and stars Isabelle Huppert, winner of two Best Actress awards at Cannes) should be enough to attract every cinephile’s interest.
Mathieu Kassovitz, whose uncompromising film La Haine still lingers in the mind of everyone who’s seen it, returns with Rebellion that tackles another controversial subject, the 1988 Ouvéa cave hostage taking incident. Elsewhere, the fest sees The Minister, another gripping political thriller. Having won 2 Cesar awards (for Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor) as well as the 2011 FIPRESCI Prize at Cannes, it should make for essential viewing.

The FFF  not only highlights the extremely healthy and exciting state of contemporary French cinema but also reminds us about its glorious past. The whimsical universe of Jacques Demy is celebrated with the screening of five of his most beautiful films (the academy award nominated musical The Umbrellas of Cherbourg is his most famous work but Bay of Angels is arguably his finest masterpiece). Then there are two bonafide classics that you do not see often on the big screens: Georges Franju’s atmospheric horror film Eyes Without a Face and René Clément’s extremely touching Forbidden Games. Finally, there is Georges Méliès’ A Trip to the Moon, the 1902 film that is regarded by many as the first ever science fiction film and whose use of state-of-the-art effects paved the way for all those Hollywood’s special effect-heavy blockbusters like Star Wars and Avatar – another example of how something small can grow up into something huge. (Words: Apostolos Kostoulas)
The 20th French Film Festival UK runs until December 2nd  2012 in various cities across the UK. For more information go to www.frenchfilmfestival.org.uk/FFF2012

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