DeKALB | Three days. Five French films. One historic theater.

The returning Tournees French Film Festival will take place at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday night at The Egyptian Theater, 135 N. Second St.

Organized by the NIU Film Society, the festival will feature five contemporary European films over the course of three nights. Each film will be introduced by an NIU faculty member.

Lindsay Massie, film and literature graduate student and co-chair of the festival, said the films were selected to expose the community to films and culture that it wouldn’t normally have access to.

“In many ways, [French cinema] is right on the cutting edge — it’s very experimental and it’s not something we get to see,” she said. “America is mostly concerned with box office receipts and French cinema definitely takes a different approach and exposes you to something different you won’t see in an American multiplex this weekend.”

Tuesday is animation night. First up is Panique Au Village, a 2009 film from Belgium that follows the escapades of plastic toys. After that is Azur Et Asmar, a 2006 film that follows two brothers who become rivals on their quest to find the “Djinn-fairy.”

The Flight Of The Red Balloon, the 2007 homage to the 1956 film The Red Balloon, will be shown on Thursday night. The film follows the adventures of a boy and his babysitter as a red balloon follows them.

Paul Petrovic, English Ph.D student and co-chair, said Balloon is a film that comments on society, including race and ethnicity.

“French cinema has such a tradition of pushing the boundaries and being exceptional in its artistry,” he said. “It usually ends up being the most accessible film culture you can bring to the U.S.”

After the The Flight Of The Red Balloon there will be a post-film reception catered by Inboden’s Meat Market, 1106 N. First St. In addition to the gourmet meats, cheeses and antipasta platters, there will be a discussion on the films.

To conclude the festival, the theme of Friday night is female directors. 35 Shots Of Rum, written and directed by Claire Denis, examines the relationships between a father, daughter and her beau. The Wedding Song, written and directed by Karen Albou, focuses on the friendship between two women in Nazi-occupied Tunisia.

Even if you don’t parlez vous Francais, Massie hopes that students take advantage of this rare opportunity.

“That’s the whole purpose of going to college; to have these chances to broaden your mind and get these great discussions going and participate in these events that are special and unique,” she said. “You can go to a bar any weekend. This is the only chance you have to come to this great art deco theater and see these films. Come, and it will give you something to talk about at the bar after.”

The Tournees Film Festival is free for high school and college students with a valid school ID. Tickets for adults are $7 per night or $15 for the entire festival. Tickets for seniors are $5 per night or $12 for the entire festival.