The 18th Sacramento French Film Festival returns to the Crest Theatre, with 20 feature films and 20 short films shown over two weekends this month.

The festivities kick off at the Crest Theatre on Friday June 21 at 7:00 p.m. with the opening film “Les Invisibles.” After the film, there will be a Q&A with local writer Suzanne Hastings and David Andre with Street Theatre Spectator, followed by an opening night bubbly bar of champagne, beer and dessert.

In “Les Invisibles,” French film stars perform with real-life homeless women playing themselves. The feel-good comedy set in a homeless day shelter for women has become a sleeper hit in France at a time when the Yellow Vest Movement makes frequent headlines. When the shelter is threatened with closure, the social workers bend the rules to help the clients get off the streets for good.

Festival director Cécile Mouette Downs and Kimberly Church with Safe Space for Unhomed Youth join Insight to discuss “Les Invisibles” and how unhomed people are portrayed in the media.

The festival program also features classics like “Cleo from 5 to 7” directed by Agnès Varda, the 2019 psychological thriller “Duelles” (“Mother’s Instinct”) directed by Olivier Masset-Depasse, and the family-friendly animated feature “Dilili in Paris” directed by Michel Ocelot.

You can find a full listing of the 18th Sacramento French Film Festival program here.