Voilah! France Singapore Festival 2019 Highlights: Film, Street Art, Fine Wines Galore
PUBLISHED September 23rd, 2019 07:00 am | UPDATED June 3rd, 2020 12:15 am
From films to fine wine and cheese to classical music, French culture has that je ne sais quoi which keeps us coming back for more. Lucky for us, the Voilah! France Singapore Festival 2019 returns this October to give us our fill of all things French.
While the festival is usually an April fixture, Voilah! 2019 has been merged with another event on the Francophile calendar, the French Film Festival, which is normally held in November as well. For us, this means a bigger and better bonanza, with over 50 programmes to please gourmets and art fiends alike. Here’s our pick of the crème de la crème!
French Film Festival 2019
Back for its 35th edition, the French Film Festival has more cinematic magic for us than ever. The lineup features cult classics from Luc Besson and over 25 releases fresh off the silver screen, including rambunctious comedy The Shiny Shrimps and romance flick Someone Somewhere. This year, the fest is also turning up the heat with a newly-added Sexy Section, which is exactly what it sounds like.
French Film Festival 2019 is happening from 4 to 17 November 2019 at various locations around Singapore.
Jisbar Exhibition
Street art can be found along many a rue in Paris, giving the city streets a gritty splash of colour. Get your fill of cheeky French graffiti at SO Sofitel Singapore, where street artist Jisbar Planche will be displaying works inspired by urban and pop culture. To amp up your aesthetic experience, head down for opening night on 4 October, where you can admire his art over canapés, champagne, and a 3-course dinner.
Jisbar Exhibition is happening from 4 October to 17 November 2019 at SO Sofitel Singapore, 35 Robinson Rd, Singapore 068876. Admission is free. Tickets for opening night are priced at S$108.
Languedoc and Provence Grands Crus Wine Festival
A flute of wine on a breezy beachfront − what better way to celebrate la joie de vivre? Sip your way through France’s finest grape harvest at the Languedoc and Provence Grands Crus Wine Festival, with free-flow wine and tapas spreads. Don’t miss the chance to clink glasses with the winemakers themselves − vineyard owners Hervé Bizeul (Le Clos des Fées), Basile Guibert (Daumas Gassac and Terrasses du Larzac), and Sébastien Nore (Château Minuty) will be among the special guests.
Languedoc and Provence Grands Crus Wine Festival is happening on 9 October 2019 from 6.30pm to 10pm, at FOC Sentosa, 110 Tanjong Beach Walk, Singapore 098943. Tickets are priced at S$148.
Cheese Discovery Workshops
No taste of France is complete without some deliciously funky cheese. If you love your Roqueforts and your Comtés, learn more about how France’s myriad cheeses are produced at the Cheese Appreciation Workshop, hosted by a certified Meilleur Ouvrier de France cheese specialist.
For an even more droolworthy pairing, check out the Butter & Cheese Discovery workshop. Jean-Yves Bordier − France’s last artisan to hand-churn his butter − will be sharing stories about his famously silky Beurre Bordier, followed by a degustation and dinner.
The Cheese Appreciation Workshop is happening on 15 October 2019, 11am − 1pm or 2pm − 4pm, at Devan Nair Institute for Employment and Employability Institute, 80 Jurong East Street 21, Singapore 609607. Tickets are priced at S$80.
Butter & Cheese Discovery with Jean-Yves Bordier is happening on 15 October 2019 from 6.30pm onwards, at Atout, 40C Harding Rd, Singapore 249548. Tickets are priced at S$38++ for the workshop and S$98++ for both workshop and dinner.
GMX Trio
Catch a double bill of sweet beats with GMX Trio at live music lounge Cool Cats. Martinique pianist Guy-Marc Vadeleux will be serenading us with his signature jazz blends steeped in Caribbean influence, accompanied by Daniel Dantin on the drums and Jacobo Velez on the clarinet and saxophone. Since it’s all about French-S’pore good vibes, our very own Steve McQueens will also be jamming it up with their neo-future jazz sound.
GMX Trio is happening on 5 & 6 October 2019 at 8pm, at Cool Cats, The NCO Club, 32 Beach Road, Singapore 189764. Tickets are priced at S$61.65 via Eventbrite.
The Birds’ Promenade
Join two musicians and an ornithologist on a musical stroll through the Botanic Gardens, as they take the violin out of the stuffy concert hall and right into the heart of nature. Playing melodies from the 17th and 18th centuries, the musicians will mimic the birdsong you hear all around you.
The Birds’ Promenade is happening on 16 November 2019 at 9am, at Singapore Botanic Gardens, 1 Cluny Rd, Singapore 259569. Admission is free.
Fourth Wall: Duets
Fourth Wall: Duets weaves together ballet, digital painting, and classical music in a sensuous dance, creating an immersive feast for all your senses. The performance reimagines the love story of French sculptors Auguste Rodin and Camille Claudel, using VR tech to bring the past to thrilling life. As if all this weren’t heady enough, you also get to indulge in free-flow French wines!
Fourth Wall: Duets is happening on 8,9, and 10 November 2019 at Miaja Gallery, 9 Muthuraman Chetty Rd, APS Building, Singapore 238931. Tickets are priced from S$98.
Voilah! France Singapore Festival 2019 is happening from 3 October to 17 November 2019 at various locations around Singapore. Check out the full list of events here.
