The Department of Languages, Cultures and Religions at Missouri State University announces its annual Albertine Cinémathèque Francophone film festival, opening Jan. 24, 2025.

Organized by Dr. Antoinette Barffour, associate professor of French and Applied Linguistics, this year’s festival selections reflect a wide range of cinematic styles, including fiction, documentary, repertory and animation.

“The LCR department invites all MSU students to participate in our festival to enrich their language, cultural and historical knowledge through the viewing and discussion of diverse and dynamic French and Francophone films,” Barffour said.

MSU earns festival host honors again

MSU has hosted the festival multiple times and was selected to host the 2025 program as well.

“Once again, MSU was selected from among a competitive field and awarded a grant to host the festival,” Barffour said.

The festival is sponsored by a cooperative partnership between the Albertine Cinémathèque film festival, the Franco-American Cultural Fund, and the Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée (CNC) – an agency of the French Ministry of Culture.

One goal of this partnership is promote French-American Cultural Exchange (FACE) in Education and the Arts by showcasing French and Francophone cinema for American colleges and university campuses.

The festival is open to the entire MSU community: students, faculty and staff. Those interested can sign up to participate in an online discussion of each film.

Jean-Luc Godard, “Persepolis,” “Chicken for Linda!” among selections

“This year’s films are especially exciting as – among other things – we are able to showcase the work of Jean-Luc Godard, regarded as a pioneer of the French New Wave and one of the most influential French film makers in history,” Barffour said.

“We plan to showcase a fascinating documentary, ‘Trailer of a film that will never exist: Phony Wars,’ which happens to be one of his final projects before his passing in 2022,” she added.

In addition, Barffour said the festival lineup includes notable French and Francophone cinematic achievements.

“We are thrilled about the opportunity to expose students to some of the most important French and Francophone films rarely seen, such as ‘Lumumba: Death of a Prophet’ by the renowned Haitian director, Raoul Peck, and ‘Persepolis’ by Marjane Satrapi,” she said.

2025 Film Festival Schedule

Lumumba

Jan. 24, 5:30-8 p.m.
Karls Hall, Room 101

Linda veut du poulet!

(Chicken for Linda!)

Jan. 31, 5:30-8 p.m.
Karls Hall, Room 101

Le Proces Goldman

(The Goldman Case)

Feb. 7, 5:30-8 p.m.
Karls Hall, Room 101

Sur L Adamant

(On the Adamant)

Feb. 14, 5:30-8 p.m.
Karls Hall 101 and Virtual

Focus on Godard

Feb. 21-27
Virtual

Onoda: 10,000 Nights in the Jungle

Feb. 28, 5:30-8 p.m.
Karls Hall, Room 101

Persepolis

March 7-14
Virtual

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