Given that we’re the furthest away from our Gallic neighbours, Scotland may not seem the most likely candidate to take the lead in the UK’s French Film Festival. Despite the geographical gap, however, Scotland boasts nine out of the twelve locations whose cinemas will host the festival, including Edinburgh’s Filmhouse.

The French Film Festival, which begins this week and runs until December 6, was established in Scotland and thus explains its bias towards Scottish venues. It is now in its nineteenth year and appears to be going from strength to strength. The festival demonstrates a broad scope, with work coming not only from France but also other French-speaking countries such as Quebec, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Belgium. Festival director Richard Mowe believes, “it is going to be a vintage year for the French Film Festival UK, which augurs well for 2012 when we will celebrate two decades of bringing the crême de la crème of French-language cinema to these shores.”

Mowe’s view is justified when you consider the festival’s impressive line-up. Daniel Autueil, best known for his lead role in the 1986 classic Jean de Florette, will attend the UK premiere of his new film The Well-Digger’s Daughter. Festival entries are also well represented, the main attraction being Christopher Honoré’s Beloved, which was the closing film at Cannes this year. Honoré will be present at several screenings, including one in Edinburgh on November 19.

Despite its prominent position within the film festival circuit, the FFF acknowledges that there can be a resistance to French cinema from the general public. Mowe says, “the French film industry is most appreciative of the work we do in what is a notoriously difficult market for French film,” which highlights the festival’s role in broadening the horizons of UK cinema-goers.

Mowe helps to shed light on why the UK is a difficult market for French films to crack. “UK distributors generally are reluctant to buy many foreign language films because the UK is perceived as an American ‘colony’ with more affinity to the States rather than Europe. The attitude is changing and such initiatives as the FFF UK have helped to change perceptions.”

The problem also lies in the public’s attitude towards foreign cinema. The films’ language barriers often discourage viewers, and subtitled films are frequently ignored in favour of a less challenging experience. Mowe is optimistic that people are showing an increasing interest in foreign work, however, in that, “audiences can show a reluctance to seeing films with subtitles, but again this is changing.”

Although it faces difficulties in achieving a prominent status over here, French cinema is highly regarded on an international level. “The French industry is taken seriously in global terms, and certainly ahead of Spanish and Mexican cinema,” says Mowe.  Two recent examples of le cinéma francophone which have achieved huge global success are La Vie en Rose (2007) and Coco Before Chanel (2009).  As Mowe notes, “even though they are far from competing with American features, French films generally benefit from a positive image abroad, and do pretty well outside France, as shown by the last ten years of successes, such as Amelie”.

Cultural crossovers can be challenging, but the films’ subject matter, such as the lives of prominent French figures, helps to boost interest. The FFF pulls this trick in its inclusion of The Conquest, a farce which chronicles President Nicolas Sarkozy’s rise to power. This is a timely addition given that France’s presidential election is set to take place early in 2012. The festival is evidence of French cinema’s deservedly high status within the film world and as Mowe observes, “the French industry is a well-oiled machine and other countries could learn lessons, not least the UK.”