The Alliance Française French Film Festival (AF FFF) has unveiled its 2025 programme of groundbreaking French cinema. Now in its 36th year, 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.”
Alliance Française French Film Festival 2025
Sydney, NSW: 4 March – 9 April
Venues: Palace Central, Palace Norton Street, Chauvel Cinema, Palace Moore Park, Hayden Orpheum Cremorne, Roseville Cinemas, 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 Ballarat
Brisbane, QLD: 6 March – 8 April
Venues: Palace Cinema James Street, Palace Cinema Barracks
Gold Coast, QLD: 25 March – 15 April
Venue: Dendy Southport Cinemas
Byron Bay, NSW: 13 March – 2 April
Venue: Palace Byron Bay
Ballina, NSW: 13 March – 2 April
Venues: Palace Ballina
Canberra, ACT: 6 March – 9 April
Venue: Palace Electric Cinemas
Perth, WA: 13 March – 16 April
Venues: Palace Raine Square, Luna on SX, Luna Leedeerville, Windsor Cinema
Adelaide, SA: 19 March – 23 April
Venues: Palace Nova Prospect Cinemas, Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas
www.affrenchfilmfestival.org
