Le French Festival 2018 representatives alongside French ambassador, Frédéric Laplanche (second to right) and local celebrity, Siti Saleha (middle).

20 Mar – The longest-running cultural festival in Malaysia, Le French Festival (LFF), is back for its 17th consecutive year.

The festival is deemed the biggest and longest French festival in Malaysia since its first occurrence in 2001 and will take place around Malaysia for more than a month this year, from 11 April to 20 May.

A press conference for it was held at GSC Mid Valley today, opened with a speech by the ambassador of France, Frédéric Laplanche, who voiced out his admiration of bright young talents taking over the scene.

"Counting on a new generation of artists, many areas of French creation will be represented in this year's festival," he said.

"This French Festival will share with an ever-growing number of Malaysians the diversity of French culture but also its heritage and tradition."

French ambassador Frédéric Laplanche gave an opening speech at the press conference earlier today.

As part of LFF, there will be 16 French movies showing under its French Film Festival that will be held at GSC cinemas around Kuala Lumpur, Pulau Pinang, Kota Kinabalu, and for the first time, Johor Bahru.

The film festival will open with a special screening of Cédric Klapisch's "Ce qui nous lie", otherwise known as "Back to Burgundy".

These 16 movies selected are among France's best movies of 2017 that have either won top awards in France or are blockbuster hits in the country.

The movies participating in the French Film Festival are "C'est la vie!", "Back to Burgundy", "Return of the Hero", "Just To Be Sure", "Django", "Two Is a Family", "The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales...", "The Magic Tuche", "Into the Forest", "A Kid", "The Workshop", "Corniche Kennedy", "Step By Step", "Rock'n Roll", "Ceasefire" and "Polina".

The film festival will be held from 12 April to 29 April in Klang Valley at GSC Pavilion KL, GSC Mid Valley Megamall, and GSC 1 Utama Shopping Centre.

It will then move to GSC Gurney Plaza, Pulau Pinang from 3 May to 13 May.

The festival will carry on to GSC Paradigm Mall, Johor Bahru, which will be its first time hosting the festival, from 10 May to 13 May.

Lastly, the film festival will end at GSC Suria Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, from 17 May to 20 May.

Tickets go on sale beginning this 5 April.