The 12th Annual Robert Classic French Film Festival — presented by TV5MONDE, sponsored by the Jane M. & Bruce P. Robert Charitable Foundation, and produced by Cinema St. Louis (CSL) — celebrates St. Louis’ Gallic heritage and France’s cinematic legacy.

Because of the Covid-19 health crisis, the fest will be presented virtually this year. This short video provides more information on CSL's decision to move its 2020 festivals and events online. CSL is partnering with Eventive, which also handles our ticketing, to present the Virtual Festival.

Regrettably, streaming rights to most of the films we planned to feature at the 2020 Robert Classic French Film Festival were not available to us. But CSL is pleased that we’re able to offer a trio of works from the original lineup: Marguerite Duras’ rarely seen “India Song”; a new restoration of Jacqueline Audry’s “Olivia”; and René Clément’s “Rider on the Rain,” which is part of our year-long Golden Anniversaries programming that features films from 1970.

CSL will screen most of the other films originally slated for this year’s fest in the 2021 edition of the Robert Classic French Film Festival.

Although the films will be presented virtually, the programs will still feature recorded introductions by and post-film discussions with film or French scholars and critics.

All films are in French with English subtitles.

Virtual Festival Basics:

  • The Robert Classic French Film’s selections will be available to view on demand anytime from July 17-23.
  • Access to programs is limited to Missouri and Illinois.
  • Once a ticket-holder begins watching a program, access to it remains available for 24 hours.
  • Full information on access, including system requirements, is found in the Virtual Fest FAQ.
  • Help with playing films on your TV (through HDMI, casting/airplay, or apps) is found here.

Tickets: Individual tickets are $10 for general admission, $8 for Cinema St. Louis members and students with valid and current photo IDs. (There will be a credit-card/handling fee of $1.50 for all tickets.) To obtain a student discount code, contact Brian Spath (brian@cinemastlouis.org) and provide an image of a currently valid student ID.

Passes: All-access passes are available for $25, $20 for CSL members. (There will be a credit-card/handling fee of $2.31 for the $25 pass and of $2.05 for the $20 member pass.)

Contributions: CSL will gratefully accept contributions of any size to help with the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Click here for ways to support the organization.

More Info: 314-289-4152, cinemastlouis.org