30th Cork French Film Festival

In brief

The 30th Cork French Film Festival was held in Cork, Ireland from March 3rd to March 10th, 2019. The festival showcased a wide range of French cinema, including both feature films and shorts.

In addition to the screenings, the festival also featured a number of special events, including a Q&A session and a masterclass with French director Emmanuel Finkiel.

8 days: from 8 - 10 March 2019

21 Films - 40 Cesar Award nominations

6 special events

Festival trailer

Challenge

As far as festivals go, reaching 30 years is a significant milestone. I was brought on board to create a 30-year edition that would be unforgettable, lively and profitable - especially after the previous year's edition suffered from low attendance due to adverse weather conditions. My goal was to make the 2019 Cork French Film Festival a success that would be remembered for years to come.

Insight

To maximise the event's popularity and increase its attendance, I sought to use the canvas of the Festival to engage with various partner organisations and stakeholders (such as Cork Environmental Forum or University College of Cork) across different themes whilst identifying a compelling unifying narrative that would resonate with the people of Cork and bring them together.

Strategy

Given the uncertainties and potential impacts of Brexit on Ireland and its economy, I saw an opportunity to highlight the deep and longstanding cultural connections between France and Ireland. With the theme of "Ensemble" (meaning 'Together'), I aimed to underscore the strength of the bond between the two countries and create a sense of unity and collaboration during the 30th Cork French Film Festival. Through this theme, I sought to celebrate the shared values, history, and experiences that unite France and Ireland, fostering a sense of community and togetherness among festival-goers and participants.

The "Ensemble" framework allowed us to address and question several salient societal topics, such as the "gilets jaunes" (yellow vests) crisis in France and environmental issues. To further increase the media reach of the festival, I partnered with various community groups and prominent organizations in Cork to connect with their respective audiences. This collaboration formed the basis for several special events, including a documentary screening, discussion, and Q&A session with a panel of experts from the Cork Environmental Forum and University College Cork (UCC). These partnerships not only connected the festival to a new and environmentally conscious crowd but also had these organizations promote it internally and externally to their stakeholders.

One of our main target audiences was students. We reached them through a special partnership with UCC by offering special rates and hosting exclusive afterparties in collaboration with a popular student hub. Additionally, we organized a masterclass with renowned French director Alain Finkiel, providing a unique educational opportunity for the students.

The films' carefully crafted curation process reflected the intent to extend the festival's reach beyond its traditional audience. Timing the festival just before the César Awards allowed us to leverage the most promising films, with 40 César nominations for a total of 20 films, for our communication strategy. To further expand our media reach, I hired a PR firm recently created by ambitious TV host Jonathan Healy, whose extensive network proved invaluable—a winning strategy I had previously used while directing the Adelaide branch of the Alliance Française French Film Festival in Australia. To this day, Jonathan's collaboration with the Cork French Film Festival remains ongoing.

Impact

The unifying narrative of "Ensemble" resonated strongly with people from Cork. Managing to invite the Irish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Simon Coveney, and His Excellency Mr Crouzat Ambassador of France in Ireland, for the media launch of the festival was a further incentive for regional and national media to cover the festival and spread the word. The combined effect of the narrative, the highly successful media launch and connecting with stakeholders amplified the voice of the Festival to an unprecedented level. The media reach and visibility of the festival increased by +254% (from 2.4 to 6.1 million viewers reach estimated by independent third-party RuePointMedia - see media report below) and the audience doubled compared to the previous year.