Films can entertain, inform and sometimes even offer insight into the culture from which they came.

To facilitate understanding of modern French culture, St. Edward’s University will  hold a French film festival Feb. 2 – 25.

“It is one opportunity for those studying French to hear the spoken language, and to those who aren’t, to give them a form of entertainment that gives a level of global understanding,”  Tom Evans, associate vice president for Professional Education and Global Initiatives, said.

St. Edward’s is holding the Tournées Film Festival to offer insight into French culture and language. The festival is free and open to the public and will screen “I’ve Loved You So Long,” “The Class,” “The Secret of the Grain,” “A Christmas Tale” and “Azur and Asmar.”Evans said he hopes the films will offer students an international perspective.

Although the French faculty had a limited list of films to choose from, they wanted to choose films suitable for all ages. The quality of the films, however, also determined their choices.”We looked at the awards they have received, and most [of the chosen films] had received awards,” Annick Penant, a French instructor in the School of Humanities, said.

The General Consulate of France in Houston introduced St. Edward’s to the film festival, which is sponsored by the French American Cultural Exchange and the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs.

These sponsors allow St. Edward’s to host the festival without paying copyright fees.  Penant said these fees could have otherwise prevented St. Edward’s from hosting the festival.

Both Evans and Penant said that they would like the Tournées Film Festival to become an annual event.

For more information, contact Martha Rankin at [email protected]