The Alliance Française French Film Festival 2025 program has just been released (and tickets are now on sale). This is the 36th edition of the festival, and the first program curated by Frédéric Alliod.
As always the festival program is divided into several categories. In 2025, they are:
- Highlights,
- Amour Toujours,
- Timeless Masterpiece,
- Cannes Spotlight,
- Have it your way,
- Unveiling shadows,
- Extraordinary lives,
- Just my luck,
- Of Freedom & Justice,
- Family matters, and
- Family Day Out.
Rather than tell you about each of these categories, we’re approaching the festival from a different angle and will tell you about the biopics, comedies, historical dramas, dramas, romances, and more.
Biopics
Opening night film is the hit biopic Monsieur Aznavour which was released in the year of the 100th anniversary of Charles Aznavour’s birth. Tahar Rahim transforms into the singer songwriter who defied the odds to become one of France’s greatest entertainers and someone who personified French culture to the rest of the world.
Continuing with the music theme, Bolero is director Anne Fontaine’s biopic about Maurice Ravel (Raphaël Personnaz) and his struggle to write the composition, which is now played every 15 minutes somewhere in the world.
French-Argentine director Pablo Agüero’s Saint-Ex tells the real story behind the man who wrote The Little Prince (Le Petit Prince), Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. When his friend and former co-worker, Henri Guillaumet (Vincent Cassel, The Three Musketeers: D’Artagnan and The Three Musketeers: Milady) goes missing when flying over an enormous mountain range in Argentina, Saint-Ex embarks on a courageous high-stakes rescue in the name of friendship and loyalty.
The Divine Sarah Bernhardt (Sarah Bernhardt, La Divine) is about the world’s fist celebrity, theatre diva Sarah Bernhardt (played by Sandrine Kiberlain, November AFFFF 2023). Guillaume Nicloux’s decadent biopic sees Bernhardt, who called Victor Hugo a friend, and defied societal expectations, look back over her stardom while in recovery from surgery
Niki casts a light on Niki de Saint-Phalle (played by Charlotte Le Bon), sculptor, painter, author and filmmaker, and her life before it. Directed by Céline Sallette, the film shows the arachaic “medical” practices women were subjected to and their resilience and even artistic triumphs that came from it.
Being Maria (Maria) is about aspiring actress, Maria Schneider (played by Anamaria Vartolomei, The Count of Monte Cristo, AF FFF25) is cast alongside Marlon Brando (Matt Dillon) in Bernardo Betrolucci(Giuseppe Maggio)’s film Last Tango in Paris. The young 16 year old actress is ambushed by an improvised sexual assault scene thought up by Bertolucci and Brando. Jessica Palud’s film asks whether for women it is ever just “show business”.
Centrepieces and remakes
The centrepiece film of the Alliance Française French Film Festival 2025 line-up is The Count of Monte-Cristo (Le Comte de Monte Cristo), the first French remake of the film in over 50 years. Pierre Niney star as Edmond Dantès, Anaïs Demoustier as Mercédés, the love of his life, an Pierfrancesco Favino as Abbé Farla who reveals the location of a hidden treasure. With almost 10 million tickets sold in France, this remake is also expected to be a hit at this year’s festival.
Another remake is director Audrey Diwan (Happening AFFFF 2022)’s classy, sensual version of the softcore cult classic Emmanuelle starring Noémie Merlant (The Innocent), and Naomi Watts.
Canada ey?
Following in last year’s footsteps, not all of the films in the program are from France. Last year saw the introduction of a Canadian film into the festival and in 2025 we have All Stirred Up! (Tous Toqués !) Sonia (Julie Le Breton) works as a customs officer on the border between the United States and Québec and doesn’t let anything slip through, confiscating unlucky French chef Victor (Édouard Baer, How to be a good wife, AFFFF 2020)’s knives and gourmet food. Underdog Lill-Beth, Sonia’s daughter enters a Mini Chef’s competition she has no hope of winning, unless Julie can get Victor to help her.
Comedies
In Meet the Leroys (Nous, les Leroy), husband Christophe (José Garcia)s reaction to his wife Sandrine (Charlotte Gainsbourg) telling him she wants a divorce is to plan a surprise, nostalgic weekend holiday for the whole family. If Sandrine doesn’t change her mind by the end of the trip, he will accept the divorce.
Emmanuel Courcol’s My Brother’s Band (En fanfare) sees internationally celebrated orchestra conductor Thibaut (Benjamin Lavernhe, Delicious, C’est la vie) discover he is adopted and that he has a younger brother, Jimmy (Pierre Lotin). His brother lives in far more modest circumstances. The only thing the pair appear to have in common is a love of performance with Jimmy playing trombone in a community brass band. Thibaut takes it upon himself to try to nurture Jimmy’s untapped talent.
Retired general François (André Dusoollier, Everything Went Fine, AFFFF 2022) discovers his wife Annie (Sabine Azéma) had an affair 40 years ago in Ivan Calbérac’s (The Tasting, The Student and Mr Henri) Riviera Revenge (N’avoue jamais). Instead of letting the past go, François beomes hell-bent on revenge scouring the Côte d’Azur in search of the man who humiliated him.
Love Boat (La Petite Vadrouille) sees penny pinching Justine (Sandrine Kberlain, November AFFFF 2023 and The Divine Sarah Bernhardt at this year’s festival) asked by her high-flying investor boss Franck (Daniel Auteuil, A Silence AFFFF 2024) to plan a showstopping weekend for him and the woman he loves. She and her unemployed husband hatch a plan to give Franck their own profit-making version of the ultimate love boat experience. Things get complicated when Franck reveals Justine is the woman of his dreams…
This life of mine (Ma vie ma guele) is an equally parts poignant and funny take on midlife crises. Barberie “Barbie” Bichette (Agnès Jaoui, Place Publique, AF FFF19) is a woman under siege. On the brink of her birthday, she faces a choice: conform to society’s dismissive view of aging women or break free.
In Holy Cow (Vingt Dieux) set in the Jura region, a devastating sudden tragedy makes 18 year old Totone (Clément Faveau) the sole carer for his 7-year-old sister Claire (Luna Garret), and sees him forced to sell his father’s farm equipment to make ends meet. Totone devises a plan: follow in his family’s cheesemaking footsteps and win the €30,000 Comté cheese prize – even though he has no idea of where to start.
At the end of the day (Finalement) follows Lino (Kad Merad, The Big Hit, AFFFF 2021 and Before what comes after at this year’s festival) a Parisian lawyer who is fed up with his Bourgeois life, on the run. Unable to lie due to a condition, he flees to the countryside to search for the meaning of life, even in unexpected places and with a musical number or two.
In The Scammers (À l’ancienne) best friends Jean-Jean (Didier Bourdon, Promise at Dawn, AF FFF19) and Henri (Gérard Darmon, Employee of the Month, AF FFF22) settle on a lottery scam with the whole village on side when the hyper million national lottery ticket is held by a dead man on their small Breton isle.
Another film about winning the lottery is Lucky Winners (Heureux gagnants) which follows four interweaving stories in the wake of a life-changing windfall. Starring Audrey Lamy (The Kitchen Bridage, AFFFF 2022), Anouk Grinberg (The Innocent, AFFFF 2023), and Pauline Clément (Maria into Life, AFFFF 2023), the winners will be forced to question whether life really is better after winning the jackpot.
Family Therapy (Jamais sans mon psy) sees acclaimed psychoanalyst (Christian Clavier, Employee of the Month, AF FFF22) forced to spend his 30th wedding anniversary with a needy client, Damien (Baptiste Lecaplain)– who is also dating his daughter
Juliette in Spring (Juliette au printemps) follows 35-year-old Juliette (Izïa Higelin, La Belle Saison)’s, efforts to reconnect to herself and her family during an unexpectedly eventful trip home. Her harried elder sister Marylou (Sophie Guillemin) is carrying on a “one-day-a-week” affair with a man from the costume shop, her grandmother is becoming frailer by the day, and her long-separated parents are feuding – he (Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Marguerite’s Theorem, AFFFF 2024) is kind but emotionally distant, she (Noémie Lvovsky, Rosalie Blum, AFFFF 2016) is wildly-revelling in the second act of her life as a single woman.
In Like a Prince (Comme un Prince), Souleyman (Ahmed Sylla, The Climb). a champion boxer, throws away his only chance at the Olympics and is sentenced to 400 x hours of community service at the Château de Chambord (where the film was shot). Then he meets foster kid Mélissa (Mallory Wanecque, Beating Hearts, AF FFF25) with a gift for boxing.
Speak Out (Le Panache) is a touching comedic drama from Jennifer Devoldère that 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, who is also in Meet the Leroys this year).
Historical dramas
The Deluge (Le Déluge) is Gianluca Jodice’s historical drama depicting the last days of the French Revolution and the fates of Marie Antoinette (played by Mélanie Laurent) and King Louis XVI (played by Guillaume Canet).
No Chains No Masters (Ni chaînes ni maîtres) takes us to 1759 Mauritius and the hell that is the lives of sugar plantation slaves Massamba ((Ibrahima Mbaye) and his daughter Mati (Anna Diakhere Thiandoum). Mati escapes the plantation, a move which could mean death.
Set in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in 1889, Miss Violet (Louise Violet), where Louise Violet (Alexandra Lamy), a teacher with a mysterious past is sent to Mayor Pierre Lecomte (Grégory Gadebois, A Great Friend, AF FFF24)’s town in the rural countryside to deliver the free, secular, and mandated education program of the French Republic to children
Drama
Daniel Auteuil directs and stars in The Thread (Le fil) as Jean Monier, a former defence lawyer turned prosecutor who rediscovers his passion for defending people when he becomes convinced that his wife’s client Nicholas Millik (Grégory Gadebois, Delicious AFFFF 2021, A Good Friend, AFFFF 2024) is innocent.
In My Everything (Mon inséperable) a woman’s burgeoning freedom clashes with the life of her adult son, Joël (Charles Peccia Galletto), who lives with cerebral palsy, and is suddenly expecting a baby. Laure Calamy stars as his mother Mona.
The Story of Souleymane (L’Histoire de Souleymane) is the story of delivery driver Souleymane (Abou Sangaré in his debut) criss-crossing the streets of Paris in a constant race against the clock (it reminds us a little of Full Time from AFFFF 2023). In two days, he will learn whether his asylum application will be approved and nervously practices for his interview while at the same time pushing himself to meet his delivery platform’s demands.
The Ties that bind us (L’attachement) is an adaptation of Alice Ferney’s book L’intimité. Feminist librarian Sandra (Valéria Bruni Tedeschi, Anaïs in Love, AFFFF 2022) vowed never to become a mother. In what she sees as a one off, she agrees to look after her neighbour’s six year old son Elliott (César BottI) while his wife gives birth. After Cécile tragically dies during labour, Sandra, Elliot, and his father Alex (Pio Marmaï, The Three Musketeers: D’Artagnan and The Three Musketeers: Milady, AFFFF 2024)’s lives become entangled in unforeseen ways challenging evolving definitions of love.
91 year old legendary director Costa-Gavras’s Before what comes after (Le dernier souffle) is a reflection on life and mortality. Acclaimed philosopher Fabrice Toussaint (Denis Polyvadès, The President’s Wife, AFFFF 2024) and head of palliative care Dr Augustin Masset (Kad Merad, The Big Hit, AFFFF 2021) meet during a routine checkup and become friends.
When Fall is coming (Quand vient l’Automne) is François Ozon (Everything Went Fine, AFFFF 2021)’s latest film, which sees the secrets of Michelle (Hélène Vincent, The Extraordinary, AF FFF20), a lonely woman’s life unearthed, after a near-fatal encounter serving toxic mushrooms to her daughter Valérie (Ludivine Sagnier, Of Love and Lies, AFFFF20),
Inspired by true events, The Stolen Painting (Le tableau volé) follows auctioneer André Masson (César Award-winner Alex Lutz) whose professional and personal integrity is challenged after discovering a long-lost masterpiece. The Good Teacher (Pas de vagues) is also inspired by true events. François Civil (The Three Musketeers, AFFFF 24, Beating Hearts, AFFFF25) plays a teacher who is shocked when informed an introverted pupil . Leslie (Toscane Duquesne), has claimed he tried to seduce her in class.
Prodigies (Prodigeuses) is also based on a true story and sees twin sisters Claire (Camille Razat, Emily in Paris) and Jeanne (Mélanie Robert) who have been militantly trained by their father for greatness enter the Karlsruhe Conservatory of Music and discover that their sibling rivalry is their greatest challenge.
Romance
A decade after tragedy pulled an unlikely couple apart, Gilles Lellouche’s Beating Hearts (Amour Ouf) sees Clotaire (François Civil) desperately try to win back his lost love Jackie (Adèle Exarchopoulos).
You can see this film before the festival with special Valentine’s Day screenings happening in Adelaide, Ballarat, Brisbane, Byron Bay, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.
Camille Cottin, Sara Forestier, India Hair star as three friends who find their lives enmeshed by secrets, lies, and changing bonds in Three Friends (Trois Amies).
An oldie but a goodie
As always, the festival programs an old film and this year it’s the 4K restoration of Jean-Pierre Melville’s 1969 film Army of Shadows (L’armée des ombres), which was presented at Cannes Classic in 2024. This unglamourous and nuanced study of the French Resistance attacking itself from the inside was controversial when it was released in France and wasn’t released in the USA until 2006.
Action Thriller
Traumatised veteran Elyas (Roschdy Zem, The Origin of Evil, AF FFF23) is drawn into a shadowy world when tasked with protecting Amina (Laëtitia Eïdo) and her teenage daughter Nour, a fugitive family in Florent-Emilio Siri’s Elyas.
Films only just, or not yet, released in France
How to make a Killing (Un ours dans le Jura) was released on New Year’s Day (and we’re excited to see it at the media preview tonight – expect a review soon). In it, Michel (Franck Dubosc, Rumba Therapy, AFFFF 2022) and his long-suffering wife Cathy (Laure Calamy) are drawn into a web of murder and money. Romcom Jane Austen wrecked my life (Jane Austen a gâché ma vie) came out on 22 January.
Before what comes after (Le dernier souffle) will be released in France next week. The Ties that bind us (L’attachement) will be in French cinemas the week after.
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As you can see Frédéric Alliod has put together a fantastic, varied selection with something for all tastes in the Alliance Française French Film Festival 2025.
Which films do you want to see at the Alliance Française French Film Festival 2025?
KEY INFO FOR ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL 2025
WHAT: Alliance Française French Film Festival 2025
WHERE & WHEN:
Adelaide, SA: 19 March – 23 April Venues: Palace Nova Prospect Cinemas, Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas
Brisbane, QLD: 6 March – 8 April Venues: Palace Cinema James Street, Palace Cinema Barracks
Canberra, ACT: 6 March – 9 April Venue: Palace Electric Cinemas
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
Perth, WA: 13 March – 16 April Venues: Palace Raine Square, Luna on SX, Luna Leedeerville, Windsor Cinema
Sydney, NSW: 4 March – 9 April Venues: Palace Central, Palace Norton Street, Chauvel Cinema, Palace Moore Park, Hayden Orpheum Cremorne, Roseville Cinemas, Warriewood
HOW: Tickets are available from today, Wednesday 5 February 2025. You can purchase them from the cinema the film is screening at or affrenchfilmfestival.org or the cinema websites www.palacecinemas.com.au and www.palacenova.com.au
HOW MUCH: Ticket prices vary in each city so check your local cinema or the website. If you’re planning to see several films, you may want to book them all together to take advantage of discount pricing for 5, or 10 films.
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Read our interviews with past festival directors (an interview with Frédéric Alliod is on its way)
We chat to Karine Mauris, Artistic Director of the Alliance Française French Film Festival 2024
Karine Mauris talks cinema and the Alliance Française French Film Festival 2021
Philippe Platel, AFFFF Artistic Director speaks French cinema and French culture in Australia
