Cinema extraordinaire at this year's French Film Festival

Slip on a beret (a cliche but fun), uncork a Chateau Margaux (if you can afford it), break out the Brie and get in the mood for le cinema francais.

The College of Charleston's annual French Film Festival unspools Aug. 26-29 at the Sottile Theater, the Olde North Charleston Picture House and the John Rivers Communications Museum.

It will be preceded by a pre-fest party at 8 p.m. Aug. 25 and a screening of Julian Schnabel's "Le Scaphandre et le Papillon" ("The Diving Bell and the Butterfly") at Eye Level Art downtown ($10).

Co-sponsored by the college, the Greater Park Circle Film Society and Eve Level Art, the festival raises its curtain officially with an opening reception at 6:30 p.m. next Thursday at the Sottile, followed by 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. screenings at the Sottile and the Communications Museum, respectively.

The reception is free and open to the public. Movies at the Sottile are free for College of Charleston students, faculty and staff.

Organizers are requesting a $10 donation per film at the Sottile and $5 for the Sunday matinee and the Museum. Ticket prices at the Picture House are $5 general admission, $2 for Film Society members.

Oscar nominee and Cesar Award-winning "Persepolis" and "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" are the showcase pictures.

A donation is being requested this year to defray the costs of improved projection equipment, says festival founder and director Anna K. Ballinger.

"One very important addition this year to our program is a return to the large movie screen we have not been able to use in the past several years because we did not have a projector that was powerful enough," she says.

"We decided to rent a professional projector for this year's festival to bring back the beauty of the big screen and improve our audience viewing experience. We hope that some of the donations will help us cover at least part of that cost."

Guest speakers include Dr. Frank Cossa of the College of Charleston, who will introduce the screenings of "La Belle Personne" ("The Beautiful Person") on Aug. 26 and "Micmacs" on Aug. 27; and Mme. Ginette Chenard, head of the Quebec Government Office in Atlanta, who will comment on "Ce qu'il faut pour vivre" ("The Necessities of Life") on Aug. 26; and Rick Zender of the Communication Museum, who will discuss an Homage to Melies.

Festival's bill of fare

Aug. 25

8 p.m.: Pre-festival party, Eye Level Art, 103 Spring St., 278-2374, eyelevelart.com.

9 p.m.: "Le Scaphandre et le Papillon" ("The Diving Bell and the Butterfly," 2007), Eye Level Art.

Aug. 26

6:30 P.M.: Festival Opening Reception, sponsored by Macaroon Boutique, Sottile Theater Mezzanine.

7:30 P.M.: "Ce qu'il faut pour vivre" ("The Necessities of Life," 2008), Sottile Theater Mezzanine.

9:30 P.M.: An Homage to Melies (a selection of shorts by the pioneering director Georges Melies), John Rivers Communication Museum.

Aug. 27

7:30 P.M.: "Micmacs a tire-larigot" (2009), Sottile Theater Mezzanine.

Aug. 28

4 p.m.: "Persepolis" (2007), Olde North Charleston Picture House.

7 p.m.: "Le Silence de Lorna," Olde North Charleston Picture House.

7:30 P.M.: "Le pere de mes enfants" ("The Father of My Children," 2009), Sottile Theater Mezzanine.

Aug. 29

4 p.m.: "Panique au village" ("A Town Called Panic," 2009), Sottile Theater Mezzanine.

7:30 P.M.: "La Belle Personne" ("The Beautiful Person," 2008), Sottile Theater Mezzanine.

For more information, call 953-8063 or visit www.cofc.edu/frenchfilm

Reach Bill Thompson at bthompson@postandcourier.com or 937-5707.