The Alliance Française French Film Festival (AF FFF) has unveiled its 2025 programme of groundbreaking French cinema. Now in its 36thyear, the largest celebration of French film outside France will arrive in Australia from 4 March – 27 April 2025. Festival-goers are invited to embark on a unique cultural journey, featuring captivating stories of passion, compelling biopics that delve into the lives of France’s most iconic artists, and thought-provoking debuts from a bold new generation of French filmmakers.
The striking 42-film lineup has no shortage of French star power, with icons such as Charlotte Gainsbourg, Call My Agent! favourites Laure Calamy and Camille Cottin, as well as Pierre Niney, Louis Garrel, Vincent Cassel, and many more lighting up the silver screen. This year’s festival also showcases the exciting rise of a new generation of French talent, with standout performances direct from the Cannes Film Festival. Don’t miss Adèle Exarchopoulos and François Civil in Beating Hearts, Abou Sangaré’s outstanding debut in The Story of Souleymane, and Louise Courvoisier as a bold new voice in cinema with Holy Cow.
Hot off the heels of its French box office success, with nearly 2 million tickets sold, Monsieur Aznavour is the AF FFF 2025 Opening Night selection. Golden Globe-nominated actor Tahar Rahim dazzles in the lavishly entertaining rise-to-stardom biography of the man who beat all odds to become one of France’s best-loved entertainers, while personifying French culture to the world.
Closing the festival is In the Sub for Love, a buoyant love letter to the screwball romantic comedies of the 1940s. Watch Pio Marmaï and Eye Haïdara star as a stern submarine officer and a carefree steward who dive deep into love and chaos aboard a submarine.
Established by the Alliance Française, the French culture and language institution offering online and in-person language courses and events nationwide, the AF FFF is a celebration of cultural exchange, fostering deeper connections and understanding between France and Australia. Packed with impossibly true stories, thought-provoking dramas, France’s biggest box office hits, and family-friendly tales, the AF FFF 25 offers opportunities for all to experience the magic of French language and cinema.
Discussing the upcoming festival, newly appointed AF FFF CEO Frédéric Alliod said: “We can’t wait for audiences to experience the phenomenal lineup of screenings and special events we’ve curated for 2025. This eclectic selection promises a cinematic journey like no other.”
“While France is recognised as an avant-garde country in the arts, the festival will explore the real-life stories of prominent French cultural figures—universal and captivating tales of hope, struggles, failures, and extraordinary achievements.”
“We’re excited to introduce Australian audiences not only to the iconic figures of French cinema, but also to a new wave of emerging directors—many of whom are women—who are shaping the future of French filmmaking.”
The anticipated 36th edition continues its prestigious partnership with Palace Cinemas, with 2025 marking the largest national footprint in the festival’s history. Palace Cinemas CEO, Benjamin Zeccola adds: “We love the ability of cinema to take audiences on a journey, and the AF FFF is the perfect occasion to let the immersive experience of the big-screen whisk you away to France in the comfort of your own city. Palace Cinemas is proud to be part of presenting such an outstanding array of French films, showcasing stories that are at once unique to their country of origin and universal to the human experience.”
OPENING NIGHT
Monsieur Aznavour – Australian premiere
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One of France’s biggest box office hits, directed by Mehdi Idir and Grand CorpsMalade, Monsieur Aznavour explores the true story behind the Armenian immigrant who became the face of French music. Led by its star’s (Tahar Rahim) astonishing performance and stunning vocal prowess, the film is a true tour de force – as intimate as it is spectacular – and serves as a triumphant reminder of the power and impact of music.
CLOSING NIGHT
In the Sub for Love (À toute allure) – Australian Premiere
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All hands on deck – don’t miss this heartfelt film from Lucas Bernard.
This bold and hilarious romantic comedy, starring Pio Marmaï as a carefree steward and Eye Haïdara as a stern submarine officer, dives deep into love – and chaos.
CENTREPIECE PREMIERE
The Count of Monte Cristo (Le comte de Monte Cristo) – Australian Premiere
Cannes International Film Festival 2024 – Out of Competition
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Storming the French box office with close to 10 million admissions, Pierre Niney(Masquerade) leads a stellar cast in Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de La Patellière’s thrilling new adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’ epic adventure The Count of Monte Cristo. The first French cinematic treatment of the iconic tale of romance and redemption in over fifty years.
HIGHLIGHTS
Beating Hearts (L’Amour Ouf) – Australian Premiere
Cannes International Film Festival 2024 – Official Competition
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The phenomenal Adèle Exarchopoulos (Blue Is the Warmest Colour) and François Civil (The Three Musketeers) – arguably French cinema’s brightest young talents – devour the screen in Gilles Lellouche’s vibrant, genre-spanning romantic epic that follows a written-in-the-stars infatuation tested by social boundaries, betrayal and circumstances beyond all control.
My Brother’s Band (En Fanfare) – Australian Premiere
San Sebastian International Film Festival 2024 – Audience Award Winner
Cannes International Film Festival 2024 – Cannes Premiere
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A favourite at Cannes and one of France’s biggest box office and word-of-mouth sensations of late 2024, writer/director Emmanuel Courcol’s wildly entertaining new film follows two very different siblings separated by fate and reunited by their love of music. The exceptional Benjamin Lavernhe and rising star Pierre Lottin deliver a performance which strikes the perfect harmony between laughter and tears.
The Deluge (Le Déluge)
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The remarkable Mélanie Laurent and Guillaume Canet take centre stage in writer-director Gianluca Jodice’s transfixing historical drama, evocatively depicting the last days of the French Revolution and the fates of Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI.
Meet the Leroys (Nous, les Leroy) – Australian Premiere
Grand Prix winner at the Alpe d’Huez Film Festival
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Florent Bernard’s Meet the Leroys is the moving story of the veneer we paint over lost connections and a reminder that even the brightest bonds, like stars, can fade, despite our best intentions. Travel with Charlotte Gainsbourg and José Garcia on a heartwarming and heartbreaking journey of a family in a crisis.
The Divine Sarah Bernhardt (Sarah Bernhardt, La Divine) – Australian Premiere
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Sumptuous, rapturous, and full of drama, the life and trials of the world’s first celebrity actress, Sarah Bernhardt (played by Sandrine Kiberlain) are showcased in all its theatrical glory—just as La Divine intended. Guillaume Nicloux’s decadent biopic is an experience like no other: from exotic menageries to consuming affairs, La Divine is as showstopping as she is capricious.
All Stirred Up! (Tous toqués !) – Australian Premiere
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This feast of a comedy from director Manon Briand, starring Julie Le Breton and Édouard Baer, is full of laughs and touching connections. Set in the beautiful Canadian countryside and replete with mouthwatering dishes, All Stirred Up! is a deliciously heartwarming story that will leave you hungry for more
Riviera Revenge (N’avoue jamais) – Australian Premiere
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This delightfully contagious comedy from director Ivan Calbéra proves you’re never too old for crazy acts of love – or payback. After finding evidence of his wife’s (Sabine Azéma) affair nearly forty years ago, an aggrieved husband (André Dussollier) files for divorce – and scours the French Riviera to find the man behind it.
CANNES SPOTLIGHT
As always, the AF FFF offers you the chance to experience the must-see movies direct from Festival de Cannes on the big screen, including:
- The Story of Souleymane (trailer) sees Abou Sangaré make a commanding debut in Boris Lojkine’s propulsive drama which follows a young courier as he races across Paris whilst preparing for a life-changing residency interview. The film was the winner of three major awards at Cannes and Best Actor at the recent European Film Awards;
- Premiering in the Un Certain Regard Selection, Niki (trailer) is a powerful debut from Céline Sallette, offering an introspective spotlight on one of the world’s most iconoclastic contemporary artists. From sculptor and painter to author and filmmaker, who was Niki de Saint-Phalle before becoming the woman who refused to conform?
- Winner of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival SACD Best Screenplay award, Sophie Fillières’ This Life of Mine (trailer) stars Agnès Jaoui in a sharply funny and deeply resonant take on a midlife crisis;
- Holy Cow (trailer) introduces Louise Courvoisier as a powerful new voice in cinema, winning the festival’s prestigious Youth Prize in the Un Certain Regardcategory. Much more than an insight into rural life, the film pays tribute to community, resilience, love, and cheese curds in pastoral France;
- Another Un Certain Regard Selection, The Kingdom (trailer) is a powerful account of family bonds and gang violence, told by Corsican first-time director Julien Colonna;
- See above: Beating Hearts
JUST MY LUCK!
Fans of black comedy are in for a real treat, with four films ready to take you on hilarious and chaotic journeys when some of France’s biggest stars encounter a dose of bad luck:
- Revel as Call My Agent’s Laure Calamy and Franck Dubosc find themselves drawn into a web of murder and money in Dubosc’s black comedy, How to Make a Killing (trailer);
- In The Scammers (trailer) from Hervé Mimran, two old friends (Didier Bourdon and Gérard Darmon) enlist the whole village to partake in a lottery scam when someone on their island wins the jackpot;
- French favourites Audrey Lamy, Anouk Grinberg and Pauline Clément star in Maxime Govare and Romain Choay’s Lucky Winners (trailer), where winning the Lotto isn’t as lucky as it seems;
- Arnaud Lemort’s Family Therapy (trailer) sees acclaimed psychoanalyst (Christian Clavier) forced to spend his wedding anniversary with a needy client – who is also dating his daughter.
EXTRAORDINARY LIVES
Along with Monsieur Aznavour and The Divine Sarah Bernhardt, as mentioned above, the festival tells the stories of further legendary French artists:
- Saint-Ex (trailer), explores the true story of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (played by Louis Garrel) as a pilot in Argentina with his best friend Henri Guillaumet (Vincent Cassel) for Aeropostale, before he goes on to write the timeless tale, The Little Prince;
- Every 15 minutes, someone somewhere in the world plays Maurice Ravel’s “Boléro.” Witness the birth of one of the world’s most famous pieces of music – and the tortured composer behind it in Anne Fontaine’s Boléro (trailer).
CLASSIC MASTERPIECE
- Cinephiles can catch acclaimed director Jean-Pierre Melville’s Army of Shadows (trailer), the unglamorous and nuanced study of the French Resistance, eating itself from the inside, which was restored in 4K and presented at Cannes Classic in 2024. Controversial upon its 1969 French release and only premiering in the US in 2006, the film remains a masterpiece of atmospheric tension.
FAMILY MATTERS
The often intricate and tumultuous nature of la famille is explored through a series of unique stories:
- Anne-Sophie Bailly casts Laure Calamy, Charles Peccia-Galletto and Julie Froger in her deeply affecting debut My Everything (trailer). The film sees a woman’s burgeoning freedom clashing with the life of her adult son, who lives with a neurological disability, and is suddenly expecting a baby;
- Starring Camille Razat, of Emily in Paris fame, Prodigies (trailer) is an unmissable film based on an impossibly true story exploring passion, obsession, and sibling rivalry. France’s answer to Whiplash;
- Direct from the San Sebastián International Film Festival, François Ozon’shaunting drama, When Fall is Coming (trailer) sees the secrets of a lonely woman’s life unearthed, after a near-fatal encounter serving toxic mushrooms to her daughter;
- Featuring a fantastic ensemble cast, Juliette in Spring (trailer) is a charming new dramedy by Blandine Lenoir, following a young woman’s efforts to reconnect to herself and her family during an unexpectedly eventful trip home;
- See above: My Brother’s Band and Meet the Leroys.
HAVE IT YOUR WAY
From the exploration of female pleasure, unexpected relationships, and unfiltered questions about the meaning of life, don’t miss these thought-provoking films:
- Award-winning director, Audrey Diwan, returns to the big screen with a classy, sensual remake of the softcore cult classic, Emmanuelle (trailer). Starring Noémie Merlant, and Naomi Watts, this sensory experience will be screening exclusively in limited sessions at the AF FFF25;
· Carine Tardieu’s The Ties that Bind Us (trailer) sees a feminist librarian (Valeria Bruni Tedeschi), a newly single and grieving father (Pio Marmaï), and his son find their lives intersecting in new and unexpected ways;
· At the End of the Day (trailer) is a zany musical fantasy from Oscar-winning director Claude Lelouch, which sees a Parisian lawyer venture on a road trip with his trumpet and piano to rediscover the meaning of life;
· Before What Comes After (trailer) is a tragicomedy by legendary director Costa-Gavras, aged 91. This deeply personal film offers a rare chance to witness a cinematic titan reflecting on life and mortality.
OF FREEDOM AND JUSTICE
There’s no better way to immerse yourself in stories of exhilarating liberation than on the big screen. Along with the aforementioned The Count of Monte Cristo and The Deluge, other escapades sure to get your heart racing include:
- The Thread (trailer), an engrossing new legal thriller from Daniel Auteuil, based on true events and adapted from the memoirs of lawyer-turned-bestselling author Jean-Yves Moyart;
- No Chains No Masters (trailer), filmed on location in Mauritius, this epic movie is inspired by historical accounts of former slaves in West Africa, who emancipated themselves from French settlement. Simon Moutaïrou’spowerful debut is an unmissable journey following those who dare to stand against injustice;
- Miss Violet (trailer) Éric Besnard transports viewers to the picturesque Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in 1889, where a teacher with a mysterious past is sent to the rural countryside to deliver the free, secular, and mandated education program of the French Republic to children.
L’AMOUR TOUJOURS
Films guaranteed to have festival-goers giddy with, often unexpected, tales of love and lust:
- Jane Austen Wrecked My Life (trailer) calling all rom-com fans, writer-director Laura Piani delivers a touching love letter to the author who still shapes our conversations on love today. The journey begins with Camille Rutherford playing the role of an unpublished author working at Paris bookshop, Shakespeare and Co – need we say more?
- Love Boat (trailer) is a hysterical romantic comedy of errors from actor-director Bruno Podalydès. Chaos ensues when Justine (Sandrine Kiberlain) organises a romantic cruise for her boss (Daniel Auteuil) together with her husband (Denis Podalydès) and their penny-pinching group of friends;
- Three Friends (trailer) The illuminating trio of India Hair, Camille Cottin andSara Forestier star in Emmanuel Moure’s feature about three friends who find their lives enmeshed by secrets, lies, and changing bonds;
- See above: Riviera Revenge and In the Sub for Love.
UNVEILING SHADOWS
The 2025 lineup is rich with compelling drama. Don’t miss some of France’s biggest stars in these films certain to resonate long after they finish:
- The Good Teacher (trailer) Inspired by true events, Teddy Lussi-Modeste’sgripping new morality thriller – co-written by Venice Golden Bear winner Audrey Diwan – stars the exceptional François Civil as a dedicated young educator whose world is upended when he is accused of misconduct by one of his students;
- Being Maria (trailer) Based on Vanessa Schneider’s book My Cousin MariaSchneider and informed by director Jessica Palud’s own experience working with director Bernardo Bertolucci, Being Maria explores the harrowing true story of the actress’ fallout in the wake of her role in the Last Tango in Paris. The heavyweight cast includes: Anamaria Vartolomei, Giuseppe Maggio and Matt Dillon.
- The Stolen Painting (trailer) Inspired by incredible true events, acclaimed writer/director Pascal Bonitzer’s sharp and engrossing new social comedy follows an auctioneer (Alex Lutz) whose professional and personal integrity is challenged after discovering a long-lost masterpiece.
- Elyas (trailer) The latest feature from action-thriller director Florent-Emilio Sirisees a traumatised veteran (Roschdy Zem) drawn into a shadowy world when tasked with protecting a fugitive family.
FAMILY DAY OUT
Not just for adults, the festival also offers thought-provoking films to be enjoyed by all the family:
- Speak Out (trailer) This touching comedic drama from Jennifer Devoldère follows a new kid at school with a stutter, who finds his voice in an after-school theatre program led by a passionate drama teacher (José Garcia);
- Like a Prince (trailer) This fresh, upbeat comedy from actor and first-time director Ali Marhyar begins when a champion boxer throws away his only chance at the Olympics and is sentenced to 400 x hours of community service.
AF FFF 25 metro city dates:
Sydney, NSW: 4 March – 9 April
Venues: Palace Central, Palace Norton Street, Chauvel Cinema, Palace Moore Park, Hayden Orpheum Cremorne, Roseville Cinemas, United Cinema Warriewood
Melbourne, VIC: 5 March – 9 April
Venues: Palace Cinema Como, The Kino, Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Westgarth, Pentridge Cinema, The Astor Theatre, Palace Penny Lane, Palace Regent Cinema Ballarat
Brisbane, QLD: 6 March – 8 April
Venues: Palace Cinema James Street, Palace Cinema Barracks
Canberra, ACT: 6 March – 9 April
Venue: Palace Electric Cinemas
Perth, WA: 13 March – 16 April
Venues: Palace Raine Square, Luna Outdoor, Luna on SX, Luna Leederville, Windsor Cinema
Adelaide, SA: 19 March – 23 April
Venues: Palace Nova Prospect Cinemas, Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas
