Turner Classic Movies (turnerclassicmovies.com) explores the French New Wave with a 20-film festival of movies that defined the movement beginning Friday, September 1. For the first time ever on television, the festival will explore this influential film genre which emerged on the scene in 1959. The French New Wave was created by radical critics who of the prestigious journal Cahiers du Cinema who transformed themselves into revolutionary artists who wrote, directed and produced movies that brought their theory of filmmaking to light. TCM's festival features the essential films by visionaries who made their films while rejecting conventional methods of financing, production and storytelling. Jean-Luc Goddard, Francois Truffaut, Claude Chabrol and the other artists led this breakthrough. TCM host Robert Osborne will introduce the films, explaining the philosophy of these directors and how each film contributed to the New Wave movement.

The comprehensive TCM festival features the most important movies of the New Wave movement. Highlights include Goddard's crime story BREATHLESS (1959, Septeber 1, 11 p.m.), considered the key film of the New Wave; Truffaut's romantic, autobiographical THE 400 BLOWS (1959, September 1, 1 a.m.), that tells the story of a Parisian youngster who turns to small-time crime; the U.S. television premiere of the haunting LE BEAU SERGE (1958, September 1, 9 p.m.), directed by Chabrol and considered the first of the New Wave films; the U.S. television premiere of Chabrol's LES BONNES FEMMES (1960, September 15, 11:30 p.m.); Jaques Rivettes' THE NUN (1966) on September 15 at 9 p.m., which was banned by the Catholic church because of controversy surrounding its approach to life within a convent. Other highlights of the festival include Alain Resnais' LAST YEAR AT MARIENBAD (1961, September 29, 9 p.m.) and Truffaut's JULES AND JIM (1962, September 8, 9 p.m.). Each of these films showcase the untraditional narrative format, naturalistic presentation and unique camerawork that defined the New Wave style.

The directors of the French New Wave made films that were much more reflective of reality and explored the human psyche, cast with relatively unknown actors and filmed using hand-held cameras and real-life settings. The subject matter was darker and more controversial, as well, dealing with psychological issues, religion, abuse, racism, loneliness and suffering. The movement itself was not political, but its combination of intellectual values and cultural resonance influenced the course of moviemaking. The movement is often referred to as having as much of an influence on cinema as Rock ‘n' Roll had on music. The New Wave, however, did not last long; by 1963, the leaders of the movement were pursuing divergent visions.