FIAF moves its annual celebration of Bastille Day to Central Park's Summer Stage this year, with a free celebration that includes a jazz quintet, a get-up-and-dance set with film clips, and a screening of the 2020 French comedy, My Donkey, My Lover & I.

Schedule of Events:

5pm — Doors Open

6:30pm — Opening Address
Jérémie Robert, Consul General of France in New York
Marie-Monique Steckel, President of FIAF
Gérard Epelbaum, President of CAFUSA

6:40pm — National Anthems of France and the United States
Singer Marie Viapiano with Les Cadets Lafayette Fanfare conducted by Jacques LeTalon

6:50pm — Jazz quintet with Vocalist Kavita Shah
The Bastille Day celebration kicks off with a live jazz band performing a selection of beloved French classics. The quintet is headlined by French Grammy-nominated singer Kavita Shah, and features Matt Munisteri on guitar, Matt Penman on bass, Ferenc Nemeth on drums, and Olivier Manchon on violin.

7:30pm — French House Dance Party with Joachim Garraud
Joachim Garraud, an important member of the French Touch (or French House) music scene will mix classic French electronic and house music with movie excerpts on the big screen. Garraud’s portion of the evening will turn the festivities into a lively dance party!

8:20pm — Film: My Donkey, My Lover & I (Antoinette dans les Cévennes)
Dir. Caroline Vignal, France, 2020
With Laure Calamy, Benjamin Lavernhe, Olivia Côte
In French with English subtitles
Cannes Label 2020

Directed by Caroline Vignal, this warm comedy features stunning landscapes, a gentle touch, a few slapstick flourishes, and a tour-de-force star turn from Laure Calamy (Call My Agent!). On an impulse, Paris schoolteacher Antoinette (Calamy) decides to follow her married lover Vladimir and his family on a hiking holiday. Yet she soon realizes this impromptu vacation is more than she bargained for, as she finds herself trekking across the Cévennes mountains with only a recalcitrant donkey named Patrick to keep her company.