AFFFF26 The Richest Woman in the World

Few modern scandals have captivated France as the astonishing events surrounding Liliane Bettencourt, the billionaire heiress to the L’Oréal fortune and doyenne of Parisian society. Now writer/director Thierry Klifa has freely adapted the incredible story into a captivating dark comedy, featuring a jaw-dropping, tailor-made role for one of France’s most iconic stars. Marianne Farrère (Isabelle Huppert, Things To Come, AF FFF17), the head of the Windler Group, is the richest woman in the world. Pierre-Alain Fantin (Laurent Lafitte, The Count of Monte Cristo, AF FFF25) is a vivacious dandy, writer and photographer. After meeting on a photo shoot, the two quickly become inseparable. Their friendship – one where Pierre-Alain is only too happy to take financial advantage – surprises, amuses, intrigues, and eventually unsettles the billionaire’s entourage and family. Most of all, Marianne’s daughter (Marina Fois) struggles with her mother’s sudden complicity with this younger man, but her husband (André Marcon) and loyal butler (Raphaël Personnaz) share her concerns. Surreptitious queries soon transition into a private investigation, resulting in extraordinary ramifications for all involved… With several twists too good to spoil, THE RICHEST WOMAN IN THE WORLD makes the most of its fabulous ensemble cast, but Huppert and Lafitte simply eat up the screen. This wildly entertaining film became an enormous box-office hit in France for good reason.

AFFFF26 Colours of Time

In 2025, nearly 30 individuals learn unexpectedly that they are linked by one shared ancestor, Adèle Meunier (Suzanne Lindon). The legacy awaiting them is unusual: a countryside home in Normandy, abandoned for decades and suspended in time. Four of them, Seb (Abraham Wapler), Abdel (Zinedine Soualem, Divertimento, AF FFF24), Céline (Julia Piaton, Like a Prince, AF FFF25) and Guy (Vincent Macaigne, Three Friends, AF FFF25), are sent to survey the estate. They enter the property expecting organisation, documentation and clear boundaries. The house replies with echoes. As they uncover traces of Adèle’s life, the story opens onto another era. In 1895, Adèle leaves Normandy at twenty and reappears in Paris, a city alive with invention, early photography and the rise of Impressionism. The film moves between 2025 and 1895, letting the past mirror the present. This dialogue across time gently challenges the relatives’ certainties, inviting them to rethink identity, legacy and the future they carry without realising it. With COLOURS OF TIME, Cédric Klapisch (Rise, AF FFF22, Back to Burgundy, AF FFF18) fashions a sensitive and luminous family saga, connecting the great history of the 19th century to contemporary questions and the invisible ties that shape us across generations.

AFFFF26 What is Love?

Marguerite (Laure Calamy, How to Make a Killing, AF FFF25) sees no reason to refuse her ex-husband Fred (Vincent Macaigne, Three Friends, AF FFF25) when he asks for an official Catholic Church annulment of their marriage. They share a child, she has since rebuilt her life with a new partner and a teen daughter, and she is even genuinely pleased to learn that Fred hopes to remarry Chloé, the woman who now shares his life. To satisfy the Church authorities, the former spouses must prove that their marriage was destined to fail from the beginning. What begins as a simple administrative formality slowly turns into an unexpected emotional journey. As Marguerite and Fred revisit old memories, moments of tenderness, and the cracks that once separated them, emotions they believe long-resolved begin to resurface. What follows is a touching and witty family comedy about the strange afterlives of relationships, the surprises that linger after separation, and the subtle power of second chances that can shift everything. The latest film from Fabien Gorgeart (Diane Has the Right Shape, AF FFF18), it is a warm and insightful exploration of love’s complexities and the fragile possibilities of new beginnings, carried by humour, humanity, and a glow that guarantees smiles as you exit the cinema.

AFFFF26 Jean Valjean

Victor Hugo’s masterpiece ‘Les Misérables’ is one of the most beloved novels of the 19th century, but arguably has been tarnished by its many musical adaptations. Fortunately, the superb Grégory Gadebois has re-teamed with his ‘Delicious’ writer/director Éric Besnard for this authentic and emotionally affecting retelling that charts the origin story of the tale’s legendary protagonist. 1815. Provence, France. In the peaceful village of Digne, rumour spreads that a dangerous man has entered the area; indeed, the hulking Valjean (Gadebois) has just been released from prison after nineteen years of hard labour. Branded a criminal and ostracised, Jean is repeatedly turned away. Desperate for a bed, he knocks at the door of the house of Monseigneur Bienvenu (Bernard Campan), who lives simply with his ailing sister (Isabelle Carré) and dedicated – but suspicious – servant (Alexandra Lamy). Without judgement, Bienvenu invites him in. And on this crucial night, Jean will face a choice that will define his future.… With this superbly filmed exploration of justice, empathy and moral redemption, Besnard’s reflective and intimate drama – and Gadebois’ towering performance – bring new depth to Hugo’s hero, a spurned man transformed by kindness and compassion. Admirers of the source text and rich historical drama will not be disappointed by JEAN VALJEAN.

AFFFF26 The Stranger

The superb new drama from multi award-winning writer/director François Ozon (Swimming Pool, 8 Women, Under the Sand), THE STRANGER is a gripping adaptation of Albert Camus’ landmark novella about a detached young expatriate on trial for murder in 1930s French-colonised Algeria. Summer, 1938. Meursault (Benjamin Voisin, Lost Illusions, AF FFF22), a quiet and unassuming clerk in his early thirties, attends his mother’s funeral. The next day he begins a casual affair with Marie (Rebecca Marder), a colleague randomly encountered at the local baths, and quickly slips back into routine. However, daily life is soon disrupted by his volatile neighbour (an excellent Pierre Lottin, My Brother’s Band, AF FFF25), who draws Meursault into a dispute involving an ex-lover. And then, one blisteringly hot afternoon, an inexplicable event occurs on a beach, one that will see Meursault’s very moral standing brought to question… Visually resplendent with sensuous black-and-white imagery, Ozon’s elegant and masterfully realised film shines a contemporary lens on Camus' classic tale of dissociation and morality, capturing the beauty and heat of a charged society on the boil. Both impactful and mysterious, THE STRANGER is one of the major artistic highlights of this year’s Festival, and should not be missed.

AFFFF26 Couture

In Paris, at the heart of Fashion Week, Maxine (Angelina Jolie), an American filmmaker commissioned to direct a film for a prestigious fashion house, receives sudden news that destabilises her whole world. Her path soon crosses with two other women: Ada (Anyier Anei), a young South Sudanese model who has travelled far to carve out her place in Paris, and Angèle (Ella Rumpf, Marguerite’s Theorem, AF FFF24), a French makeup artist quietly dreaming of a different life. Between these three women from vastly different backgrounds, an unexpected solidarity begins to take shape. Beneath the glamorous surface of haute couture lies a quiet form of rebellion, as each woman, in her own way, attempts to mend the loose threads of her personal story. The film follows their intertwined journeys through a world that is as captivating as it is ruthless, gradually revealing vulnerabilities, aspirations, and the power of a subtle yet essential bond. Presented in a bilingual French-English format, COUTURE offers an intimate glimpse into the fashion world while exploring human connection and the resilience of women.

AFFFF26 The Son Of

One week after a chaotic presidential election, France urgently needs a new Prime Minister. A hapless but ambitious young parliamentary assistant (Jean Chevalier) has a plan: convince his retired and highly erratic politician father (François Cluzet, The Country Doctor, AF FFF17) to return from exile and seize the top job. What follows is a breakneck political comedy that transforms into a razor-sharp portrait of power, ambition, and the flexibility of principle. With THE SON OF, former political journalist Carlos Abascal Peiró makes an audacious debut, dynamically navigating the treacherous corridors of the French Republic, his camera stalking the backrooms where ideology evaporates and egos dominate, capturing politicians, fixers and media operators engaged in verbal warfare with astonishing ferocity. Filmed before France's current political turmoil, the narrative hums with uncanny and prophetic resonance. Think Veep with a distinctly Gallic accent; anyone appreciative of Armando Iannucci's savage political dissections and Succession will find much to savour here. Newcomer Chevalier is perfectly cast as the slippery modern opportunist, supported by an hilarious, never-better Cluzet's reluctant patriarch, Karin Viard's irresistible party operative and Alex Lutz (The Stolen Painting, AF FFF25) rounding out a stellar ensemble. Sharp, unsparing, and mischievously satisfying, THE SON OF is a winning satire where absolutely everyone is compromised, and no one emerges unscathed.

AFFFF26 A Private Life

Paris. A shocking death, a determined psychiatrist, and a truth no one else wants to see. When Paula Cohen-Solal (Virginie Efira, Waiting for Bojangles, AF FFF22) is found dead, the authorities rule it a suicide. But her psychiatrist, Lilian Steiner (Jodie Foster in her first major French-language role), refuses to accept it. Convinced that Paula’s husband Simon (Mathieu Amalric, Sink or Swim, AF FFF19) is involved, she decides to investigate on her own – even if it means venturing far beyond her professional limits. With the help of her ex-husband Gabriel (Daniel Auteuil, Love Boat, AF FFF25) and a hypnotist whose sessions trigger unsettling visions, Lilian is plunged into a labyrinth where memory, intuition, and doubt collide. Each vision brings her closer to the truth… or deeper into danger. Jodie Foster delivers a riveting performance worthy of her two Oscars and four Golden Globes, and showcases her sensational linguistic and emotional precision. Directed by Rebecca Zlotowski (Other People’s Children, AF FFF23), the film reimagines the investigative thriller with a bold twist – blending tension, dark humour, and witty couple dynamics within a charged psychological setting. Premiering at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, this sharp, stylish investigation keeps audiences guessing until the very end. Do not miss it!

AFFFF26 Redress

Prepare to be drawn into the mouth-watering mystery of REDRESS, where brilliance at the table coexists with unanswered questions lurking far from the spotlight. Paskal Jankovski (Clovis Cornillac, King of My Castle, AF FFF24) is hours away from the announcement of his third Michelin star - the ultimate consecration in global gastronomy - when he vanishes during a dawn hunting trip. At his side that day is Antoine, his trusted sous-chef (Julien de Saint‑Jean, Lie with Me, AF FFF23), whose ties to the Jankovski family run deeper than the kitchen, adding an unspoken layer of intrigue to the investigation that follows. Just 20 years old, Clara (Julia de Nunez), Paskal’s daughter, unexpectedly inherits the family restaurant, a bastion of French culinary artistry suddenly beseiged by uncertainty. The team, the produce, the rituals of service all hold firm, but the silence left behind grows louder. Two years later, a cryptic invitation draws her to Taiwan, where the puzzle begins to shift shape once again. Returning with renewed intensity after almost a decade away, auteur Régis Wargnier (The Gate, AF FFF15), France’s last Oscar-winning film Indochine, masterfully concocts a rare, cross-continental drama — a film crafted like a recipe, layered with mystery and emotion, designed to awaken curiosity long after the final course...

AFFFF26 Enzo

The beautiful final work of the late Palme d’Or winner Laurent Cantet (The Class), brought to the screen by his longtime collaborator Robin Campillo (BPM, AF FFF18), ENZO is a tender meditation of adolescent longing, and the quiet rebellions that shape us. 16-year-old Enzo (extraordinary newcomer Eloy Pohu) has everything: a sun-drenched luxury home overlooking the Mediterranean, loving parents (Pierfrancesco Favino and Élodie Bouchez), and a future mapped toward privilege. Yet something unnameable pulls him to a different path and he commences a masonry apprenticeship, among people who work not because they choose to but because they have to. On site he meets Vlad, a charismatic Ukrainian labourer who is facing pressure to return and fight in his country’s war against Russia. Vlad’s easy masculinity and uncertain future awaken something in the young man: he’s everything Enzo wishes he was. As their unlikely friendship deepens, Enzo will be forced to confront questions bigger than desire: about class, about duty, and about true courage. Shot through with Campillo’s sensual eye and Cantet’s abiding compassion for the not-yet formed and searching, this is an enormously moving portrait of a teen stumbling toward himself. ENZO’s world premiere as the Opening Film of Cannes Directors’ Fortnight was rapturously received by both audiences and critics. It’s a lovely film.

AFFFF26 The Ice Tower

Colder than ice, her kiss pierces the heart... In the 1970s, Jeanne (Clara Pacini), a 16-year-old orphan, flees her isolated life in the snowbound mountains, drawn to the city she has always dreamed of discovering. Seeking shelter, she slips into what she believes is an abandoned building, only to find herself inside a film studio where a new adaptation of The Snow Queen is being shot. At the heart of the set reigns Cristina (Marion Cotillard, Brother and Sister, AF FFF23), a magnetic and distant star embodying the icy heroine of Jeanne’s favourite tale. Mesmerised by this artificial kingdom of snow and light, Jeanne manages to blend in among the extras, assuming the identity of a young skater she has observed. As filming progresses, Cristina becomes aware of the girl’s quiet intensity. A troubling bond begins to form, fuelled by admiration, desire, and control. Jeanne drifts deeper into Cristina’s orbit, surrendering herself to a world where fiction and reality blur. But how far is she willing to go to remain close to the Snow Queen? Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale, Lucile Hadžihalilović crafts a hypnotic and unsettling film, where cinema itself becomes a realm of seduction and danger. A chilling coming-of-age story, THE ICE TOWER explores obsession, power, and the fragile line between enchantment and sacrifice.

AFFFF26 Case 137

Stéphanie (Léa Drucker, The Stolen Painting, AF FFF25), an investigator at the French National Police General Inspectorate (IGPN), is assigned Case 137, involving Guillaume Girard (Côme Péronnet), a young man left in a critical condition after being struck by a rubber bullet during a tense demonstration in Paris. At first, nothing points to clear police misconduct — until Stéphanie discovers that the victim is from her own hometown, Saint-Dizier, turning the case into something far more personal. As she digs deeper, reviewing surveillance footage, retracing movements, and interviewing officers, Stéphanie confronts the 'blue wall of silence' that shields the institution. The few who might talk, hesitate; those who know more, refuse to. Her only support comes from Alicia Mady (Guslagie Malanda, Saint Omer, AF FFF23), a chambermaid and reluctant witness whose testimony could unlock the truth — but puts them both at risk of retaliation. Torn between loyalty and justice, Stéphanie finds herself increasingly isolated within a system determined to protect its own. A Palme d’Or nominee and four-time Lumière Award nominee, the film has reached approximately 640,000 admissions in France so far.

AFFFF26 Dog 51

A gripping thriller that plunges you into a Paris you haven’t seen before. In the near future, Paris has been fractured into three social zones. At the top of this new order reigns Alma, an all-powerful artificial intelligence that governs society through data, prediction, and surveillance. Assisted by police forces and swarms of drones, Alma identifies potential criminals before crimes are even committed. From the historic heart of the city to its most neglected outskirts, no one escapes its gaze. When Alma’s creator is brutally murdered, a jaded cop from Zone3, Zem (Gilles Lellouche, All Your Faces, AF FFF24), is forced to team up with Salia (Adèle Exarchopoulos, Beating Hearts, AF FFF25), a brilliant investigator from Zone 2. Together, they dive into an investigation that takes them into the most secret corners of Paris, where the murder could reveal the dark secrets of the system they serve and shake the foundations of this new world. As the truth behind the crime emerges, the case threatens to expose the darker foundations of a society built on surveillance, inequality, and fear. Adapted from the novel by Laurent Gaudé and directed by Cédric Jimenez (November, AF FFF23), DOG 51 is a dystopian crime thriller that interrogates our relationship with technology, power, and social division, in which order comes at a dangerous price.

AFFFF26 Maigret and the Dead Lover

Following the breakout success of 2025 hit The Stolen Painting, acclaimed writer/director Pascal Bonitzer brings his unique perspective and panache to Simenon’s cherished Parisian detective – a French counterpart to Agatha Christie’s Poirot – as he attempts to solve the murder of a diplomat with a long-held secret. Inspector Maigret (four-time César nominee Denis Podalydès, in a tremendous performance) is urgently summoned to the Quai d’Orsay: a former ambassador has been found shot dead by his long-serving housekeeper (Anne Alvaro, The Taste of Others). But rather than contact the police, she has followed diplomatic protocols by first informing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Forewarned that he will find a series of salacious letters – and cautioned to be discreet – Maigret heads to the victim’s opulent apartment. He finds no forensic evidence at the crime scene, but certainly, the letters prove startling – secret, decades-spanning correspondence between the ambassador and the Princess of Vuynes, whose own husband, by strange coincidence, has also just died… Bonitzer, renowned for an intuitive and empathetic focus, finds a perfect match with a protagonist who relies on quiet observation. He delivers an absorbing, wholly compelling mystery that also serves as a thoughtful examination of modern life’s key concerns: hierarchy, aging, and the very different worlds that money creates. Best of all, the twist ending is… a killer.

AFFFF26 Rodrigue in Love

A fading actor, Stéphane (Baptiste Lecaplain, Family Therapy, AF FFF24), reluctantly reunites with the theatre troupe he once left behind to perform a light boulevard comedy at the Avignon Festival. For years, he has shared the stage with the same loyal actors, including his sharp-tongued partner in crime Coralie (TV-presenter Alison Wheeler). Together, they defend a popular, accessible form of theatre often dismissed by the classical establishment. At Avignon, Stéphane unexpectedly crosses paths with Fanny (Elisa Erka), a former colleague now shining on the classical stage. A harmless misunderstanding leads her to believe that Stéphane is playing Rodrigue in Corneille’s Le Cid. Flattered by the spark in her eyes, Stéphane chooses not to set the record straight and slips into a role he never meant to play. What begins as an awkward hesitation quickly turns into a lie he will have to sustain throughout the festival. Caught between two worlds, Stéphane juggles rehearsals, rival actors, backstage chaos and mounting suspicion. As the battle between boulevard theatre and classical tradition plays out around him, his deception becomes increasingly difficult to maintain. With each improvised explanation, the line between performance and reality grows thinner. With the help of his troupe, Stéphane tries to come clean, but his growing feelings for Fanny keep pulling him deeper into the role. How long can he keep playing Rodrigue before the curtain finally falls? Winner of both the Grand Prix & the Audience Award at the 28th Festival International du Film de Comédie de l’Alpe d’Huez, RODRIGUE IN LOVE is a joyous love letter to theatre, lies and summer romance, and the perfect film to close the festival. Take your seat now!

AFFFF26 Guru

At a time when faith in politics has eroded and religion no longer provides answers, Mathieu Vasseur, known as “Matt” (Pierre Niney, The Count of Monte Cristo, AF FFF25), has become the most followed personal development coach in France. On stage, he offers clarity, empowerment and catharsis, orchestrating seminars that electrify crowds and promise transformation. Behind the carefully crafted image, however, lies a far more troubling reality. As Matt’s influence grows, so do the mechanisms of control that bind his followers to him. Emotional dependence replaces self-discovery, and persuasion quietly turns into psychological domination. What begins as a collective quest for meaning gradually reveals the darker side of a system built on power, fascination, and submission. Directed by Yann Gozlan (Black Box, AF FFF21), the film follows Matt as he becomes surrounded by a loyal inner circle while drawing increasing scrutiny from critics and authorities alike. His ascent turns perilous, edging towards obsession, manipulation, and collapse. How far can a guru go before his promise of liberation becomes a loss of freedom? Also starring Marion Barbeau, Anthony Bajon and Holt McCallany, GURU is a tense psychological thriller that offers a sharp and unsettling exploration of influence in the modern age, exposing how easily the search for guidance can slide into control. A gripping descent you won’t want to look away from!

AFFFF26 Cycle of Time

Get ready for a sharp, funny, and delightfully subversive leap through time with CYCLE OF TIME, the new social comedy from director Vinciane Millereau, starring Elsa Zylberstein and Didier Bourdon. In a quiet 1950s French town, Hélène (Elsa Zylberstein, At the End of the Day, AF FFF25), Michel (Didier Bourdon, The Scammers, AF FFF25) and their two children live simple happy days. Michel works at the bank while Hélène dedicates herself entirely to the home and family… until a sudden twist catapults them straight into 2025, in a time-jump worthy of Back to the Future. Suddenly, everything familiar has vanished: technology, social codes, and the pace of life itself. The world they knew has been replaced by something faster, louder, and far less predictable. But as they encounter new ways of thinking, loving, and living, the question becomes not just how they will adapt – but whether they even want to. With humour, charm, and an eye for social detail, CYCLE OF TIME invites viewers to rediscover the present through the eyes of two people from another time. This inventive time-travel tale asks: when the future arrives without warning, what do we hold onto and what do we let go?

AFFFF26 13 Days, 13 Nights

Kabul, 15 August 2021. As American troops prepare to withdraw from Afghanistan, the Taliban seize control of the capital. Panic spreads through the city as thousands of Afghan civilians and foreign nationals rush toward the last remaining place of refuge still operating: the French Embassy. Inside the compound, Commander Mohamed Bida (Roschdy Zem, Elyas, AF FFF25) and his men struggle to maintain order while the situation outside collapses. Cut off, outnumbered and running out of time, Bida makes a perilous decision. He enters negotiations with the Taliban to organise a final convoy to the airport, the only possible escape route. At his side is Eva (Lyna Khoudri, November, AF FFF23), a young Franco-Afghan translator and humanitarian whose courage and resolve prove essential to the mission. Together, they walk a razor’s edge between diplomacy, authority, and moral responsibility, where every choice carries life-or-death consequences. For 13 days and 13 nights, the embassy becomes both sanctuary and trap. Exhaustion sets in, fear mounts, and hope flickers among those waiting behind its walls, suspended between departure and abandonment. Directed by Martin Bourboulon (The Three Musketeers, AF FFF24), 13 DAYS, 13 NIGHTS is inspired by the true story and the autobiographical book by Mohamed Bida. Presented out of competition at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, the film delivers an intense and deeply human account of history unfolding in real time.

AFFFF26 A Dash of Love

When Mélanie (Julia Piaton, Like a Prince, AF FFF25), a brilliant lawyer, decides it’s time to live on her own terms, she persuades her old university friend Benjamin (Quentin Dolmaire, My Golden Days, AF FFF16) to join her on a road trip to Spain. Their unlikely driver is Lucas (Grégory Gadebois, Delicious, AF FFF21), a recently released ex-con and one of Mélanie’s clients, whom she convinces into taking the wheel. The improbable trio set off across sweeping landscapes, navigating suspicion and fears, laughter and longing. While Mélanie pushes forward with urgency, Benjamin seems in no hurry to arrive, quietly stretching detours and moments along the way, as if trying to make the road last a little longer... What begins as an impulsive escape slowly transforms into a tender exploration of freedom, intimacy, and the many shades of love. A vibrant ode to life and the courage to embrace joy whilst you can, the debut feature from Maël Piriou, A DASH OF LOVE is a tender and deeply human road movie you won’t want to miss! Inspired by the Flemish film Hasta la vista (2011) by Geoffrey Enthoven.

AFFFF26 A Man and a Woman

Rediscover the brilliance of Claude Lelouch’s Palme d’Or and Oscar-winning masterpiece, A MAN AND A WOMAN; a film he wrote, directed and shot himself. Beautifully restored, this swooning 1966 classic features a breathtaking soundtrack by Francis Lai, the composer behind the iconic, Oscar-winning theme of Love Story. In Deauville, on a quiet Sunday evening, two strangers cross paths while visiting their children at boarding school. Jean-Louis Duroc (Jean-Louis Trintignant, Janis and John, AF FFF04), a race car driver and single father, is still processing his wife’s suicide. Anne Gauthier (Anouk Aimée), a screenwriter and single mother, carries the unresolved sorrow of her husband’s accidental death. What begins as a reserved, almost fragile encounter slowly blossoms into a tender connection. Through hesitant conversations, shared silences and gentle walks along the Normandy coast, the two rediscover emotions they thought were lost forever. Yet each remains bound to their memories, navigating unspoken fears and misunderstandings as they attempt to open themselves to love again. A timeless French romantic drama, A MAN AND A WOMAN remains one of Lelouch’s (At the End of the Day, AF FFF25) most celebrated works, a film of elegance, melancholy, and exquisite emotional clarity that has captivated audiences for generations.

AFFFF26 A Nun in the City

Devoted to her austere convent for twenty years, Sister Lucie (Marilou Berry, Those Happy Days, AF FFF07) joins her fellow nuns on their annual group outing to visit the doctor. Overwhelmed by the outside world, she accidentally becomes separated from the group. Panicked, Lucie jumps onto the first bus she sees, hoping to find her way back, and ends up at a police station. There, she is confronted with shocking news. On a television screen, she recognises the face of her teenage sweetheart, whom she has not seen since entering religious life. He has been accused of murder. The revelation reopens a past she believed long buried. Certain of his innocence, Lucie makes an impulsive decision: she cannot return to the convent without trying to help him. Back at the convent, Lucie’s disappearance causes alarm. The formidable Mother Superior, Mother Henriette (Isabelle Nanty, Fahim, the Little Chess Prince, AF FFF21), sends two nuns, Sister Constance (Barbara Bolotner) and Sister Marthe (Néva Kéhouane), to find her and bring her back... What follows is a hilarious chase through town, where Lucie, naive and full of faith, collides with a world she barely recognises. With A NUN IN THE CITY, Frédéric Quiring (Our Tiny Little Wedding) delivers an offbeat comedy that playfully explores faith, freedom, and the courage to follow one’s convictions.

AFFFF26 Alpha

After winning the Palme d’Or for Titane, Julia Ducournau returns to Cannes’ Competition with ALPHA, a haunting and intimate film that continues her singular exploration of the body, fear, and transformation. Set in the port city of Le Havre between the 1980s and 1990s, the film follows Alpha (Mélissa Boros), a restless 13-year-old living alone with her mother (Golshifteh Farahani, Brother & Sister, AF FFF23), a doctor working in a sealed hospital ward where patients are treated for a mysterious and frightening virus. Their fragile equilibrium is disrupted when Alpha’s uncle Amin (the remarkable Tahar Rahim from Monsieur Aznavour, AF FFF25), infected by the virus and ravaged by addiction, suddenly moves in. One night, Alpha returns home with a tattoo. A single letter. An act that seems trivial, almost innocent, yet one that raises an unbearable doubt: could she have been infected? From that moment, things shift and fear creeps into everyday gestures. As anxiety spreads and trust begins to fracture, ALPHA becomes a tense coming-of-age story shaped by dread and denial. In the shadow of illness and fear, the film asks a haunting question: how far can a mother go to protect her child, and at what cost for both of them?

AFFFF26 Arco

In 2075, a young girl named Iris lives in a world where augmented reality serves as a veil over a ravaged Earth, constantly struck by natural disasters. One day, a mysterious boy dressed in a rainbow suit falls from the sky: Arco, a child from the year 2932, coming from a utopian future where harmony with all living things prevails and where time travel is possible. For Iris, he becomes living proof of a better world, and the embodiment of a wondrous secret. Lost and disoriented, Arco must find a way to return home. Iris decides to help him at all costs, embarking on a journey where Arco’s purity exposes the absurdity of the world humanity is heading toward. Together, they cross a fragile future, revealing the beauty, fear, and contradictions of an Earth on the brink of collapse. As they move through this precarious future, where nature, technology, and illusion collide, their encounter becomes a delicate quest, balancing wonder and awakening, illuminating what remains to be saved. Presented in Official Selection at the Cannes Film Festival, Arco, an animated film by Ugo Bienvenu, won three awards at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, including the Cristal for Best Feature Film.

AFFFF26 Bon Voyage, Marie

At 80 years old and suffering from an incurable cancer, Marie (Hélène Vincent, When Fall Is Coming, AF FFF25) is exhausted by pain and determined to leave life on her own terms. Her decision is clear: she plans to travel to Switzerland, where assisted suicide is legal, and end her life with dignity. When the time comes to tell her family, however, Marie panics. Faced with Bruno (David Ayala, The Big Hit, AF FFF21), her immature and unreliable son, and Anna (Juliette Gasquet), her teenage granddaughter navigating her own turmoil, she invents an elaborate lie. To spare them worry, she announces a family trip to Switzerland, supposedly to collect a mysterious inheritance from a Swiss bank. Accompanied by Rudy (Pierre Lottin, My Brother’s Band, AF FFF25), a caregiver she has only just met and who reluctantly becomes their driver, Marie and her family set off in an old camper van on an unexpected road trip. As the kilometres pass, will Marie find the courage to reveal her true intention before it is too late? Awarded at the Alpe d’Huez Comedy Film Festival for the performances of Hélène Vincent and Juliette Gasquet, BON VOYAGE MARIE, directed by Enya Baroux, is a tender and lucid family dramedy that approaches end-of-life choices with humour and deep humanity. Not to be missed!

AFFFF26 Class Reunion

In 2025, four former high school friends are jolted back into the past when a classmate suddenly disappears after an incident as absurd as it is tragic. As they approach their fifties, the shock prompts an impulsive decision: to organise a full class reunion, thirty years after graduation. What begins as a nostalgic attempt to reconnect quickly spirals into something far more unsettling. Old dynamics resurface, buried resentments re-emerge, and long-avoided questions come sharply into focus. As the reunion unfolds, it becomes clear that time has passed but not always moved forward. Through flashbacks to the 1990s and a soundtrack packed with era-defining tracks, the film explores what these friends have become, and what they have stubbornly refused to leave behind. Their struggle to grow up, let go, and adapt is by turns hilarious, uncomfortable, and unexpectedly touching. Jérôme Commandeur’s latest comedy (Happy 50, AF FFF23) – about friendship, memory, and the passage of time – brings together major figures of French cinema, including Laurent Lafitte (The Count of Monte Cristo, AF FFF25), François Damiens (Of Love and Lies, AF FFF20), and Vanessa Paradis (Love Songs for Tough Guys, AF FFF22). When the past comes knocking, can a group of old friends finally face what they’ve avoided for decades, or will their reunion change nothing at all?

AFFFF26 Leave One Day

Making waves in 2025 as the first-ever debut feature selected to open the Cannes Film Festival, Amélie Bonnin’s joyously entertaining musical romance stars breakout singer/songwriter Juliette Armanet as a talented Parisian chef forced to reconnect with her small-town upbringing during an unexpected trip home. Cécile (Armanet) – a fan-favourite Top Chef winner – is about to finally realise her dream and open her own restaurant when her father, the cook at a small rural truck stop, falls unwell. Cécile must deal with a return to her roots that is more complicated than she imagined; when she runs into her teenage first love (César Awardwinner, Bastien Bouillon), old memories and sensations resurface... and then her fiancé, who senses something’s wrong, shows up. Evocatively depicting regional France and the complications of family life with tenderness and wit, LEAVE ONE DAY interweaves music naturally into the story, blending several classics with more recent hits by artists such as Stromae and Céline Dion. Armanet, herself one of France’s most popular contemporary artists, performed John Lennon’s “Imagine” during the Paris Olympic Games’ opening ceremony and proves to be a shining discovery in this warm-hearted and completely endearing gem.

AFFFF26 Little Amélie or the Character of Rain

Amélie, a little Belgian girl born in Japan, spends her early years trapped within her own body: until she is two and a half, she sees herself as a simple “tube,” unable to act or express her feelings. In her innocence, she believes herself at the center of the world, almost divine, watched by adults who try to pierce her silence. Everything changes on her third birthday. A single piece of white chocolate sparks a breathtaking transformation: the child awakens to life. Light, fear, joy, sounds, and words surge within her like a burst of discovery. Amélie learns language, explores her family, and the paradise-like garden surrounding her home, as well as her first passions and aversions. Guided by her friend Nishio-san, every moment becomes an adventure, every feeling a revelation. Japan in the 1960s emerges in vibrant colours and delicate textures, reflecting Amélie’s emotions and her innocent, naïve, and wide-eyed perspective. This adaptation of Amélie Nothomb’s short novel celebrates the transition from early childhood to childhood, and the awakening of a mind marveling at the beauty of the world.

AFFFF26 The Little Sister

Fatima (Nadia Melliti), 17, is the youngest daughter of a Franco-Algerian family living in the suburbs of Paris. Surrounded by her sisters, she grows up in a warm, loving household shaped by strong traditions and Muslim faith. A gifted student, she graduates high school and enrols in a philosophy program in Paris, where she is suddenly exposed to a world far removed from everything she knows. In the capital, new encounters and ideas unsettle her certainties. Torn between her attachment to family and faith and the stirrings of a new identity, Fatima begins to question who she can be. The awakening of her attraction to women profoundly disrupts her balance, placing her between two worlds: one of belief and belonging, and another of desire, freedom, and self-discovery. On paper, everything seemed in place for yet another story of intra-family conflict. But Hafsia Herzi takes a different path. With sensitivity and intelligence, she sidesteps the expected tensions to deliver a film of rare beauty, infused with sincerity and quiet joy. Adapted from Fatima Daas’ novel, THE LITTLE SISTER was selected for the Official Competition at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where Nadia Melliti won the Best Actress award and the film received the Queer Palm. A pure gem not to be missed.

AFFFF26 Once Upon a Time Michel Legrand

ONCE UPON A TIME MICHEL LEGRAND offers a captivating portrait of the legendary composer and jazz virtuoso whose work transformed both music and cinema. Through never-before-seen archival footage and interviews with admirers and friends, including Barbra Streisand, the film celebrates a man who brought French music to the world stage and devoted himself tirelessly to his art until the very end. A prodigy from the age of ten, Legrand entered the Conservatoire de Paris and quickly distinguished himself. Three Oscars and seventy-five years later, he performed for the first time at the Philharmonie de Paris, delivering a triumphant concert that crowned a lifelong journey of innovation and musical curiosity. From the chanson tradition to film soundtracks, Legrand constantly reinvented his craft. He composed unforgettable scores for The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, Yentl and The Thomas Crown Affair, and collaborated with icons such as Jean-Luc Godard, Miles Davis, Dusty Springfield, Jacques Demy, Charles Aznavour, and Natalie Dessay. His melodies continue to enchant audiences worldwide. Presented at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, the film blends rare archival footage, excerpts from Orson Welles’s The Other Side of the Wind – Legrand’s final composition – and images from his dazzling 2018 concert in Seville, resulting in a luminous tribute to one of the century’s greatest musical storytellers.

AFFFF26 Out of Love

One summer evening, Suzanne (Juliette Armanet, the famous french singer also starring this year in Leave one Day) arrives unannounced at her sister Jeanne’s home, accompanied by her two young children. The visit is unsettling. The sisters have not seen each other for months, and Suzanne seems distant and hard to read, her behaviour raising quiet concern. The following morning, Jeanne (Camille Cottin, Three Friends, AF FFF25) wakes to a shock. Suzanne has vanished, leaving behind only a farewell letter. At the police station, Jeanne’s confusion turns to anger when she is told that no search can be launched: her sister has chosen to disappear. Suddenly responsible for her niece and nephew, Jeanne must put her own life on hold. Recently separated and only beginning to rebuild herself, she is forced to confront the weight of responsibility, the silence left behind, and the unanswered question of why her sister walked away. Directed by Nathan Ambrosioni (Toni, AF FFF24), OUT OF LOVE is a quiet, deeply affecting family drama about sisterhood, absence and the bonds that endure when words fail. Carried by restrained performances and a sensitive use of light and silence, the film offers a poignant reflection on what it truly means to be there for those we love, even when they choose to leave.

AFFFF26 Ride Away

Mathias (Mathias Mlekuz), a father mourning his son, decides to honour his memory by retracing the bicycle journey his son once undertook, from La Rochelle to Istanbul. Seeking a way to come to terms with his grief, Mathias sets off with his longtime friend Philippe (Philippe Rebbot, Take a Chance on Me, AF FFF24) on this unusual road trip from the Atlantic Ocean to the Black Sea. What begins as a personal pilgrimage soon evolves into a deeply emotional human adventure exploring friendship and marked by laughter and pain. As the kilometres unfold, the journey becomes less about the destination than about learning how to move forward. Between moments of humour, silence, and raw emotion, the two men navigate vulnerability, allowing space for tenderness and unexpected lightness. Philippe Rebbot delivers a critically acclaimed performance, earning the Best Actor award at the Festival 2 Cinéma de Valenciennes 2024. Premiering worldwide at the Festival du Film Francophone d’Angoulême 2024, the film received three awards: Best Direction, Audience Award, and Best Film Music. Shot in a style reminiscent of a documentary, RIDE AWAY captures the authenticity of the journey with remarkable sincerity. A moving and soothing film that gently shows how, even after tragedy, it is possible to heal, reconnect, and rediscover the joy of being alive.

AFFFF26 Six Days in Spring

The deeply affecting new drama from multi award-winner Joachim Lafosse (A Silence, AF FFF24), SIX DAYS IN SPRING powerfully depicts the story of a hard-working single mother whose promise to offer her sons a vacation risks shattering the fragile stability of their everyday lives. Recently divorced 40-something Sana (the terrific Eye Haïdara, C’est la vie!) struggles to make ends meet, working two jobs while raising her gregarious 10-year-old twins. When plans for their spring vacation fall through, Sana impulsively drives south to SaintTropez, to the unattended luxurious villa owned by her ex-husband’s parents; the family aspire to spend six sunlit days of laughter and relaxation at their borrowed paradise. But Sana’s carefully constructed illusion soon begins to crack: a seemingly friendly neighbour (Emmanuelle Devos, Perfumes, AF FFF21) has questions, a tradesman (Damien Bonnard, Three Friends, AF FFF25) challenges the boys’ behaviour, and – worst of all – their father demands information on their whereabouts... Directed with precision and anchored by Haïdara’s stunning performance, SIX DAYS IN SPRING is a sensitive and incisive exploration of class, resilience, and the lengths a parent will go for their children’s happiness. Festivalgoers who responded to the artistic strengths of Full Time (AF FFF22), Àma Gloria (AF FFF24) and The Story of Souleymane (AF FFF25) should be similarly enriched by this beautiful and moving film.

AFFFF26 The French Job

In the early hours of 20 May 2010, five priceless paintings vanish from the Museum of Modern Art in Paris. Matisse, Modigliani, Picasso… masterpieces worth over 100 million euros. Inspired by this real, unsolved theft, this outrageous comedy imagines what might have happened to the missing works; a question that feels even more timely after the spectacular Louvre heist that shook France this year. At the centre of the story is Yonathan (Melville Poupaud, Jeanne du Barry, AF FFF24), a luxury watch expert whose life is as polished – and predictable – as the pieces he appraises. Everything changes the day he crosses paths with Éric (Sofiane Zermani), a charismatic con man with a gift for turning chaos into opportunity. Drawn into Éric’s glamorous orbit, Yonathan soon finds himself far beyond his comfort zone. The stakes skyrocket when Jo (Steve Tientcheu, Neneh Superstar, AF FFF24), a brilliant but volatile thief, executes a daring heist at the Musée d’Art Moderne; setting the trio on a chaotic collision course they can no longer control. Fast, funny, and fuelled by escalating absurdity, this offbeat caper film from Dominique Baumard plays with the codes of the heist genre, blending sharp twists and dark humour to deliver a wildly inventive riff on the most infamous art robbery of the 21st century. THE FRENCH JOB won the Special Jury Award at the 2025 Alpe d’Huez International Comedy Film Festival, a must-see!

AFFFF26 The Great Arch

A captivating Claes Bang (The Square) leads a superb ensemble cast in director Stéphane Demoustier’s darkly comic and thoughtprovoking new film, as an idealistic architect whose quest to build an ambitious landmark in Paris triggers unforeseen consequences. 1982. President François Mitterrand has launched an international competition to design the flagship project of his term: the Great Arch of La Défense, a building to match and complement the Louvre and the Arc de Triomphe. To the surprise of everyone, the commission is won by an unknown 53-year-old from Copenhagen, Otto von Spreckelsen. An outsider with only a few modernist churches to his name, the stunning submission – taking the form of a perfect white cube – becomes the talk of the capital. Spreckelsen and his wife Liv (the marvellous Sidse Babett Knudsen) arrive in Paris to commence work, overseen by the project’s shrewd managing bureaucrat (Xavier Dolan). However, the purity of Spreckelsen’s design is quickly tested not only by budgetary constraints but the vicissitudes of politics, forcing the couple to consider whether the pursuit of perfection is worth the emotional and physical toll. Inspired by remarkable true events, the near-mythic story of THE GREAT ARCH is sure to stir conversation. It’s one of France’s best films of the year.

AFFFF26 The Money Maker

Jan Bojarski (Reda Kateb, The Extraordinary, AF FFF20), a young Polish engineer, takes refuge in France during WWII. Gifted and determined to survive, he puts his talents to use forging false identity papers during the German occupation, operating in the shadows where ingenuity becomes a matter of life and death. When the war ends, freedom does not bring stability. Trapped in poorly paid jobs and denied official civil status, Jan is unable to register the patents for his many inventions. His brilliance remains invisible until a gangster recognises his exceptional skills and offers him a dangerous opportunity: to produce counterfeit banknotes. This marks the beginning of a secret double life. For more than fifteen years, unbeknownst to his family, Bojarski runs a clandestine counterfeiting operation from a shed at the back of his garden, creating forgeries so precise they rival the originals issued by the bank itself. Quiet, methodical, and obsessive, he becomes a ghost hidden in plain sight. Inevitably, perfection attracts attention. Jan finds himself on the radar of Inspector Mattei (Bastien Bouillon, Monsieur Aznavour, AF FFF25), one of France’s most determined detectives. Based on the true story of Jan Bojarski, known as the “Cézanne of counterfeit money,” the film is directed by Jean-Paul Salomé, (Godmother, AF FFF21, Sitting Duck, AF FFF24) who stages this pursuit as a contemporary Western duel. While rooted in real events, the film embraces the codes of the action thriller to transform a hidden life into a gripping confrontation.

AFFFF26 The Musicians

The enchanting new comedy of manners from acclaimed writer/director Grégory Magne (whose debut Perfumes was a sleeper success in 2019), THE MUSICIANS stars Valérie Donzelli as a wealthy heiress whose plan to stage a landmark concert is derailed by the clashing egos of the virtuosos recruited for the performance. Astrid Thompson (Donzelli) is determined to honour her late industrialist father’s final wish: unite four priceless Stradivariusstringed instruments for the premiere recital of a new composition by his favourite artist, to be live-streamed for music lovers globally. With just six days to rehearse, a quartet is assembled, but the dream quickly unravels: the musicians are at odds, blinded by their differences and prejudices, and seemingly incapable of working together. With the deadline fast approaching, Astrid tries to coax the reclusive composer of the score, Charlie Beaumont (Frédéric Pierrot), out from creative seclusion in the desperate hope of salvaging the event… As the film crescendos to a tender, exhilarating finale where harmony is found not only in music but human connection, THE MUSICIANS celebrates both the chaos and beauty of collaboration. Set amidst the villas, vineyards, and chapels of the stunning Champagne region, with an exquisite original score by Grégoire Hetzel, this is sparkling entertainment for the heart (and ears).

AFFFF26 The Party's Over

Freshly graduated corporate lawyer Mehdi (Sami Outalbali, internationally recognised as Rahim in Sex Education) is spending the summer at the luxurious South of France villa owned by his girlfriend Garance’s family. The Trousselards are everything he is not: wealthy, polished, and quietly condescending. Philippe (Laurent Lafitte, The Count of Monte Cristo, AF FFF25), Garance’s father, is a celebrated Parisian lawyer who never misses an opportunity to assert his superiority. His wife, a once-promising actress, struggles with a fading fame and unfulfilled ambitions. In the background, the estate’s caretakers, Tony and Nadine (Ramzy Bedia and Laure Calamy – who needs no introduction), live on the property with their daughter, maintaining the villa while enduring a series of subtle humiliations. When a financial dispute arises, the family’s refined manners begin to crumble, exposing long-simmering tensions. Coming from a modest background, Mehdi instinctively sympathises with the caretakers. But eager to secure an internship at Philippe’s prestigious law firm, he attempts to mediate between the two sides, only to find himself trapped in a conflict that spirals beyond his control, where money, pride, and power collide. Directed by Antony Cordier (Happy Few, AF FFF11), this sharp dark comedy draws on real-life situations pushed to satirical extremes, delivering a biting portrait of class privilege and the fragility of civility.

AFFFF26 The Rookie Guide

Yann (Hakim Jemili, A Good Doctor, AF FFF23) has only ever had one dream: to travel the world. So when the legendary Routard travel guide starts recruiting new explorers, he jumps at the opportunity and miraculously lands the job of a lifetime. There is just one small detail he forgets to mention: Yann has never travelled anywhere in his life. His first assignment sends him straight into the deep end. Dispatched to Marrakech, he has just five days to inspect and validate forty recommended addresses. What initially sounds like the "best job in the world" quickly becomes a chaotic ordeal, as culture shock, exhaustion, and his total lack of experience collide at every turn. Before he can regain control, Yann is unwillingly swept into a frantic and unpredictable hunt for a local treasure, transforming his professional mission into a wild and increasingly absurd escapade. Along the way, he encounters larger-than-life characters played by Christian Clavier (Family Therapy, AF FFF25) and Michel Blanc (Take a Chance on Me, AF FFF24), in one of his final screen roles, delivering sharp, memorable comic moments. Offbeat, fast and irresistibly chaotic, LE ROUTARD is the perfect invitation to laugh, escape, and get lost in a comedy of travel gone very wrong.

AFFFF26 Treasure Hunters: On the Tracks of Khufu

What if Egypt’s greatest treasure – the lost treasure of Pharaoh Khufu – were not buried beneath the sands, but hidden in the heart of Paris? This crazy theory obsesses Christian Robinson (Fabrice Luchini, The Mystery of Henri Pick, AF FF20), a brilliant yet wildly unconventional archaeologist who becomes convinced of its truth after uncovering a strange inscription during illegal excavations in Cairo. Certain that the key lies in the clues left behind by the first director of the Louvre, Robinson launches into an extraordinary treasure hunt across Paris. From the labyrinth of the Louvre’s archives to the shadowed chambers of the Château de Malmaison, Robinson follows a trail that may rewrite history. He is joined – willingly or otherwise – by his daughter Isis (Julia Piaton, Like a Prince, AF FF25) and his grandson Julien (Gavril Dartevelle). The three form an unlikely trio, propelled by the dream of uncovering the most spectacular archaeological find of the 21st century. Directed by Barbara Schulz, the film is inspired by true historical threads, including Napoleon’s Egyptian campaign and the astonishing artefacts brought back to France. With wit and imagination, it blends fact and fiction into a spirited adventure through time, museums and family bonds.