Pre-Festival Treat: Unveiling the Films of the Festival du Film Merveilleux et Imaginaire at the French Institute, London🎉

In anticipation of the 13th edition of the Festival du Film Merveilleux et Imaginaire this September in Paris, we are delighted to announce a special pre-festival event taking place right here in London. On June 10th, the French Institute, a landmark of cultural expression in South Kensington, will host an evening of cinematic wonder and technological marvels.

This 70-minute exclusive screening is an invitation to journey through the realms of fantasy, science fiction, and digital innovation. The films have been handpicked to provoke thought and spark conversation about the intersection of technology and our daily lives. The selection comprises eight short films from various countries, all brought to life by a diverse array of international talent.

Here’s a sneak peek at the films that will be lighting up the screen:

The French Institute in London is set to host a unique pre-festival event on June 10th, showcasing the magic of the Festival du Film Merveilleux et Imaginaire. Get ready for a night of cinematic wonder! 🎬✨ Let’s take a closer look at the short films that will be gracing the screen:

Print your guy🖨️💑

Director: Alwin Leene, Sarah Barry, Quentin Cornillon, Laura Gisselaire, Lucas Scheurer, Thomas Sigaud
Running time: 6’44”
Country of production: France
Synopsis: Pamela lives alone in Paris. After seeing a commercial for a company that promises to print her perfect guy, she eagerly places an order. But when her package arrives, the product doesn’t behave as expected.

The Nostalgist👓🌆

Director: Giacomo Cimini
Running time: 17’42”
Country of production: UK
Synopsis: An unforeseen glitch in a man’s spectacles blurs the lines between reality and a parallel dystopian future, seeping into his world.

Rise Pathfinder🤖🌌

Director: Chloé Dumoulin, Clémentine Dudreuilh, Gabriel Sepulchre, Alexandre Fruitet, Mégane Nousse
Running time: 9’10”
Country of production: France
Synopsis: In the ’70s, scientists develop a robot tasked with calculating the distance between Earth and the end of the Universe.

Galaxy Princess👸🚀

Director: Hugo Lemonnier
Running time: 4’22”
Country of production: France
Synopsis: A little princess gets lost in space and embarks on a journey to find her way back.

Selfie Cat📱🐱

Director: Elsa Divet, Geoffrey Assie & Émeline Bernard
Running time: 3’20”
Country of production: France
Synopsis: A girl, once the queen of a cat social media site, is dethroned and would do anything to regain her title. But her cat has its own plans.

Time’s Down⏱️🚔

Director: Yan Weitlauff, François Brugaliérès, Valentin Soulard, Nils Lemonnier, Jonathan Bacheter
Running time: 4’20”
Country of production: France
Synopsis: A thief manipulates time to escape the relentless pursuit of the time police.

Galaxy Girl🍕🌠

Director: Richard Grover
Running time: 3’51”
Country of production: USA
Synopsis: An aspiring comic book artist, stuck in a dead-end job at a pizza shop, gets unexpected inspiration for her comic during an unusual delivery.

Coincidate💑🔮

Director: CHEN, WEI-LIN
Running time: 6’28”
Country of production: Taiwan
Synopsis: Two strangers seem to be made for each other, quickly falling in love after a seemingly ordinary encounter. However, only one of them knows that their meeting is not a coincidence.

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Each film will be shown in its original language, offering a truly global cinematic experience, while English subtitles will ensure that no dialogue or meaning is lost in translation.

But the pre-festival event is not just about passive viewing. After the screening, audience members will have the unique opportunity to vote for their favorite film. This interactive element will give you a chance to voice your opinion and engage more deeply with the stories unfolding on the screen.

As a special treat, we offer free Virtual Reality experiences and a fun Art workshop. This immersive experience encapsulates the festival’s spirit of merging art, technology, and imagination, providing a unique opportunity for attendees to engage with technology in a new and exciting way.

The French Institute, located in the heart of South Kensington, has long been a hub for cultural exchange and artistic innovation. The perfect setting for our pre-festival event, it will provide a backdrop of elegance and history to an evening of forward-thinking cinema.

Join us at the French Institute for a night of cinematic magic and technological exploration. Don’t miss out on this extraordinary prelude to the Festival du Film Merveilleux et Imaginaire. This is an event that promises to inspire, provoke, and entertain in equal measure.

For more information on the french institute website

See you at the movies!

The Institut français is the public establishment in charge of France’s cultural action abroad, under the supervision of the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture. Founded in 1910, the Institut français du Royaume-Uni comprises a language centre, a cinema (Ciné Lumière and Ciné Lumière II), a multi-media library (La Médiathèque), a children’s library (Bibliothèque Quentin Blake) and a café-restaurant, and welcomes 200,000 people each year.