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

Lyon, present day. When widowed marine biologist Abel (Garrel) learns that his impulsive mum Sylvie (Anouk Grinberg) is once again re-marrying – this time to an inmate she met whilst teaching theatre in prison – he’s much more than uncomfortable. Doubting that convicted burglar Michel (Roschdy Zem) is capable of turning over a new leaf, Abel’s protective streak kicks in, and so with the help of his best friend Clémence (a sensational Noémie Merlant), he begins tailing his new stepfather’s movements.

Their amateur sleuthing is quickly uncovered by Michel and triggers an unlikely – and bold – business proposition for them both…

Joyfully paying homage to the great crime capers of the French New Wave, and partly inspired by events from his own life, Garrel’s witty and beautifully constructed film is a delirious mix of comedy, romance, suspense and action, with several twists too good to spoil.

Selected as the special Gala Screening to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the Cannes Film Festival – where it drew a thunderously positive response – this hilarious, quintessentially French comedy aims to please and does so effortlessly.
www.theinnocent.com.au

When lonely 45-year-old widower Erwan (the remarkable François Damiens, The Bélier Family) discovers by accident that that man who raised him isn’t his real father, he begins a search for his biological one. Thanks to a local private detective he soon locates the mischievous, 70-something Joseph (Le Havre’s Andre Wilms), whom it seems his mother may have known briefly. Erwan soon falls not only for his charm, but that of the impetuous Anna (a radiant Cécile de France), who has ties to them both. But the conflicting loyalties become compounded by the pregnancy of his own daughter, who defiantly refuses to name the father… very soon Erwan’s families begin to collide, to unexpected, hilarious and moving effect.

Offering a terrific showcase for her brilliant cast, director Carine Tardieu skillfully weaves a whollyentertaining exploration of love, coincidence and human connection. Few films manage to pluck both the heartstrings and the funny bone as well as JUST TO BE SURE. It’s a delight.

Palace Films’ JUST TO BE SURE, will open in cinemas nationally on December 26, 2017.
hwww.palacefilms.com.au/justtobesure