French Institute Alliance Francaise Virtual Cinema Continues with MARONA'S FANTASTIC TALE & PROUD

This month the French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF) continues to offer exciting new cinema from France with a pair of gems available on virtual platforms. Throughout the month, FIAF will present Anca Damian's Marona's Fantastic Tale (2019), a charming animated feature about a little dog with an extraordinary life, and Proud (2018), a three-part work tracing the gay rights movement across three generations of a single family. Both will be available through Monday, August 31.

A New York Times Critic's Pick, "always creating something new for the audience to enjoy," Marona's Fantastic Tale (L'extraordinaire voyage de Marona) was nominated for the top prize at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival and won the Special Jury Prize at the Animation Is Film festival. It made its NY Premiere as part of the 2020 Animation First Festival, with Damian in attendance. It is available to stream at GKIDS.com for $10.

In conjunction with this virtual film release, FIAF will be revisiting all three editions of its popular Animation First Festival this August through Labor Day. Each week, Animation First Rewind will shine a light on exceptional feature films and shorts produced by French animation studios through themes such as Women in Animation, Just for Kids, Award-winning Films, Not for Kids with erotic shorts and late-night thrillers, and a Salute to our Guests of Honor-Michaël Dudok de Wit, Michel Ocelot, and Jean-François Laguionie. Additional content on social media and conversations with the filmmakers will allow audiences to immerse themselves in the transporting and imaginative world of French animation.

Directed by César-winning filmmaker Philippe Faucon, Proud (Fiertés) looks at the changing political climate in France through the lens of a gay man named Victor, his homophobic father, and his adopted son. Initially televised as three 52-minute episodes on European culture channel Arte, it is available as a single cinematic event on Kino Marquee, the virtual theatrical platform from Kino Lorber for $12.

"Anca Damian's beautiful work captivated us when we were planning our 2020 Animation First Festival, and it's truly gratifying to be able to introduce the enchanting Marona and the breadth of French animation to wider audiences this summer," said FIAF film curator Delphine Selles-Alvarez. "And we're also fortunate to present Proud, an astonishing work that skillfully renders the history of the LGBTQ movement in France through a powerful personal story."