Cinéfranco is a Toronto-based film festival that celebrates Francophone cinema from around the world. Now in its 13th year, the festival has been steadily growing and this year boasts upwards of thirty features and a new home at the AMC Yonge-Dundas.

CityNews.ca spoke with Cinéfranco founder and programmer Marcelle Lean about the 2010 festival and why it's important for Toronto to celebrate French language films. Check out our top five film recommendations playing this year after the interview.

Why is it important to have a festival for French language films in Toronto?

There are a lot of French-speaking people in Toronto -- 175,000 in the GTA and Toronto. It is our official language in Canada. And it is contributing a lot to richness and diversity in our culture. We have to have a voice, we have to have a way of expressing ourselves and also a way of having other diversities, other layers of population know us better. To me the fact we're better-known is good for better understanding of each other, and better integration and harmony between the Francophones and the non-Francophones. There is also a lot of interest in Francophone culture from non-French speaking people. And of course cinephiles that are waiting to see films they wouldn't be able to see otherwise.

This is the 13th year for Cinéfranco, what changes have you noticed over the years?

We are better-known now. We are attracting a lot of cinephiles and Francophiles because they understand it's not only the French language but there are subtitles in English. It's a festival that is open to everybody. We have increased awareness amongst young people so our audience is getting younger mainly because of a a school program we have that is very appreciated.

How are the films selected?

The films are selected according to many programmers who go to various parts of the Francophone world. I've been to Morocco in the past, we have a programmer who goes to Belgium...people who work in distributing companies contact me and ask, 'Oh, have you seen this film or that film?' We go to the Montreal Film Festival, we research on the net, a lot of reading specialized magazines. It's a number of ways.

This is the first year the festival is in a large theatre [the AMC at Yonge-Dundas]. Do you feel that is important to bring awareness to the festival?

Definitely. I wanted to give this casual side to the film festival so that young people as well as any passers-by can see that Francophone films can intertwine with the usual fare that there is at the AMC. They have a larger choice rather then just American films.

What films do you have in store for the audience this year?

We have a bunch of films that celebrate heroism and courage amongst young people. Films about war, like the Swiss-Luxembourg film Dodge Drafters. Films that celebrate the courage of people that uproot themselves like in Eden is West. Skirt Day, which shows the clash between a teacher taking hostage of her class because of religious matters and the lack of respect towards adults. We also have lots of comedies...Ugly Melanie which is reminiscent of [the American television show] Ugly Betty in a way and Le Coach is also very funny. We have some serious films on family, for instance In Your Arms, about a 16-year-old who wants to know his biological mother in spite of the disapproval of his adoptive parents. We have a smashing film from Switzerland called Animal Heart. And we're closing with a terrific film called Partners, also from Switzerland, which is a thriller about the investigation of a male prostitute. We also have 3 Seasons [from Quebec] which is nominated for Best Film and Best Actress at the Genie Awards. Our opening film [Everybody's Couch] is a Franco-Ontario road movie about two young people who travel from city to city sleeping on people's couches. They go from Vancouver to Prince Edward Island. It's very stunning visually and musically. We have another Quebec film that is very dear to me called Seven Days. I loved Law Abiding Citizen and it's very much in that atmosphere.

Do you have anything special planned for the tribute to Quebec filmmaker Pierre Falardeau?

Pierre Falardeau was a very controversial independentist. We are showing two films of his at the Revue Cinema -- Le Party and Octobre. What is really special is we're going to have Manon Leriche coming who was the companion of Falardeau. She's going to talk about the man and his ideas, and his films.

Cinéfranco 2010 runs from March 26 to April 3. For a full schedule of films and events, and to purchase tickets, visit cinefranco.com.


Top 5 Picks at Cinéfranco 2010

Everybody's Couch (Le divan du monde) - March 26, 7:30 p.m.

Zoé and Alex travel across Canada together sleeping on people's couches. It's a sweet, funny road movie that is sure to be a crowd pleaser.

Seven Days (Les sept jours du talion) - March 26, 9:30 p.m.

After their daughter is raped and murdered, Bruno and Sylvie Hamel seek their revenge in this dark and disturbing thriller. If you liked films like Wes Craven's Last House on the Left or the above mentioned Law Abiding Citizen, you will enjoy what Seven Days has to offer.

Little Nicholas (Le petit Nicolas) - March 28, 5:15 p.m.

Great kids movie about a boy who flips out at the thought of his parents having another child. Trumps similar fare out of Hollywood lately too.

Skirt Day (La journée de la jupe) - April 3, 1:00 p.m.

When Sonia finds a gun in one her students' bags, instead of calling the police, she takes the class hostage. Very depressing film that touches on the issues of the public school system and how religion can provoke people to do drastic things.

Partners (Complices) - April 3, 8:00 p.m.

Excellent dramatic thriller that lets the audience know more than the people in the film.

brian.mckechnie@citynews.rogers.com

Top image: A scene from Seven Days. Courtesy Alliance Films.