Alliance Francaise French Film Festival 2025

The 36th edition of the Alliance Francaise French Film Festival is coming to nine Palace Cinemas across Melbourne. This year’s program of 42 films will feature classic French masterpieces, new Australian premieres off the Cannes Film Festival and other big hitters. Travel back to the Renaissance and war-torn France, head underwater in a submarine or find comfort in the warm embrace of a lover.

On the line-up, watch celebrated director Jean-Pierre Melville’s 1969 film Army of Shadows, a gripping account of the French Resistance following Philippe Gerbier (Lino Ventura) – the head of a Resistance cell who is betrayed by a comrade, captured and sent to a Nazi camp.

Winner of three awards at Cannes and Best Actor at the recent European Film Awards, Boris Lojkine’s energetic drama Souleymane’s Story trails a young courier as he runs across Paris, preparing for a life-changing residency interview.

Other highlights include Corsican first-time director Julien Colonna’s thriller The Kingdom. Set in 1995 Corsica, the film follows the story of 15-year-old Lesia (Ghjuvanna Benedetti), the daughter of a violent mafia member who is kidnapped and forced to do the unthinkable to survive. Plus, award-winning director Audrey Diwan’s elegant and sensual remake of the cult classic, Emmanuelle. The festival with round out with Lucas Bernard’s romantic comedy In the Sub for Love, following the budding love of a submarine officer.

See the full program, venues and ticket details here.