Famed to be one of the biggest cultural festivals in Sri Lanka, the French Spring Festival (FSF) is returning again, falling between June 24th to July 23rd this year. Organised by the Embassy of France in Sri Lanka and the Maldives together with the network of Alliance Française in Sri Lanka and the Maldives, the FSF is a multi-disciplinary festival fostering artistic links between the three countries since 2012.

This year the festival will mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and France, celebrating the longstanding friendship between the 2 countries through arts. 

During his address at the FSF Press conference held on 1st June, H.E. Ambassador of France to Sri Lanka and the Maldives Mr. Jean-Francois Pactet stated that the “French Spring Festival this year aims to showcase the diversity of our artistic collaborations and celebrate the encounters between Sri Lankan creation and French culture”. Accordingly, the entirety of the festival is segregated into 3 main categories: Music, Photography and Cinema.

June 24th - Fête de la Musique / International Music Day
FSF will dedicate the day to Sri Lankan and French music with a programme on the date designed in 2 stages.

Afternoon -An open mic at the Alliance Française
Visitors here would be given an opportunity to refine their own set, try out any new song, present it to a friendly audience and experiment musically in a safe environment while having fun and providing downtime.

Evening - A live music concert at the Sri Lankan Foundation with famed French Singer Léa Paci gracing as the guest of honour!

Léa Paci - named the discovery of 2017 in the musical environment of France, is a popular French singer-songwriter, notable for her 1st single “Pour aller ou”, which she released at the age of 16. Translated in English as “Where to go”, Paci describes the song as reflecting her own fears at the time of approaching adulthood and moving forward to the unknown with zero regrets about the passing of youth. The song became one of the most listened to on many music platforms paving the way for the singer to initiate the work of her first official album a year later. She was named in the “French revelation of the year” category at the seventeenth edition of the NRJ Music Awards after the release of her 1st album titled Chapitre I.

July 5th - Celebrate! - Photographic Exhibition
As part of the French Spring Festival, the Embassy of France to Sri Lanka and the Maldives and the network of Alliances Française in Sri Lanka and the Maldives in early June announced a photography contest inviting all amateurs and professionals in the field to take part. The theme for the year was Celebrate! -falling in coordination with France and Sri Lanka celebrating its 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations. The contest is open for submissions until 11th June.

The works of the winners of the photography contest, which will be picked by an expert jury panel, will be showcased in the form of a travelling exhibition beginning at the Alliance Française of Kotte. The exhibition will then be presented in the Alliance Française  Matara and Kandy. The winning photographers will share the insights of their vision regarding the theme of the contest with the visitors.

July 6th-9th - French Film Festival
Partnering with the National Film Corporation of Sri Lanka, the French Spring Festival this year will screen 6 French movies ranging from comedy and thriller to documentary and animated movies.

Notable among the list of flagship movies would be famed French film director, screenwriter and producer -Cédric Klapisch’s new movie En Corps (Rise). Released in March 2022, the movie depicts a heart-warming story of a promising classical dancer, trying to find a new direction in contemporary dancing after getting injured during a performance.

All French Spring Festival events are free and open to the public. For more details on the events and to discover the full programme of the festival, follow the social media pages of the Embassy of France in Sri Lanka and the Maldives or the Alliance Française in Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

By Nuzla Rizkiya

Photos by Nisal Baduge