OFFBEAT Jazz and Cinema Fest goes French
Monday, April 30, 2018
A new weekend-long jazz on film event, the OFFBEAT Jazz and Cinema Festival, takes place from 24-26 May, at the Institut Français in South Kensington, London.
Produced and run by Jazzwise writer Selwyn Harris and Niccolò Cioni, in association with Ciné Lumiere and Le Bureau Export, the festival explores the connections between jazz, improv and film with a unique mix of screenings, live performances and discussions, with a special focus on Frances's remarkable bond between jazz and film, both past and present.
This includes is a reimagining of Martial Solal's score for Jean-Luc Godard's À Bout de Souffle (Breathless) by French pianist Gauthier Toux, before a screening of the Nouvelle Vague cult classic, while young Henri Texier sideman/film composer Armel Dupas imagines an entirely new score on piano and electronics for DW Griffith's provocative silent movie, Broken Blossoms. Discussions at the festival include one on the gigantic new book, The History of European Jazz, which will be led by its publisher and BBC broadcaster Alyn Shipton, as well as the UK premiere of Etienne Comar's acclaimed Django Reinhardt biopic Django (starring Reda Kateb, pictured) that opened last year's Berlin festival.
The full programme is as follows: Django + Q&A chaired by Kevin Le Gendre (24 May, 6.30pm); Festival Discussion with Alyn Shipton + guests (25 May, 7pm); Broken Blossoms Cine-concert with Armel Dupas (25 May, 8pm); Who Framed Roger Rabbit? + introduction to jazz themes (26th May, 2pm); À Bout de Souffle (Breathless) preceded by music from Gauthier Toux (26th May, 4.30pm).
– Mike Flynn
Tickets and further details www.institut-francais.org.uk/cine-lumiere/