Calling all lovers of French cinema! The Alliance Française 35th French Film Festival, the world’s largest showcase of French films outside of France, is returning for its 35th edition from 5 March to 21 April 2024.
Get ready to be surprised, provoked, and enchanted by a diverse selection of films, from acclaimed masterpieces to hidden gems. Whether you’re a Francophile or simply a film enthusiast, there’s something for everyone at this unmissable cultural event.
Mark your calendars!
Opening night: 5 March 2024
Closing night: 21 April 2024
Tickets are on sale now!
Head over to the Alliance Française French Film Festival website to browse the program and book your tickets: https://www.affff.com.au/
À bientôt!
Opening Night
The Three Musketeers: D’Artagnan (Les Trois Mousquetaires – D’Artagnan)
Australian Premiere
Watch & share trailer here | Further info here
Alexandre Dumas’s thrilling and beloved classic novel The Three Musketeers has spawned multiple adaptations since its publication in 1844, but none have approached the material with the scope and spectacle of this wildly entertaining, double blockbuster film production from director Martin Bourboulon, who assembles an all-star cast for the first French cinematic treatment in over 30 years.
Set in the early 17th century kingdom of France, the opening instalment, D’Artagnan, follows a spirited young swordsman, Charles D’Artagnan (François Civil), on his journey from Gascony to Paris to join the King’s elite Musketeers of the Guard. Along the way, he narrowly escapes death whilst heroically saving a woman from being kidnapped. In his efforts to enlist, D’Artagnan manages to offend the sensibilities of three of the most formidable Musketeers in the ranks, Athos (Vincent Cassel), Porthos (Pio Marmaï) and Aramis (Romain Duris).
The film is chock-full of humour, romance and pulse-pounding action.
Opening nights:
- Sydney and Brisbane: 5 March
- Melbourne and Perth: 6 March
- Canberra and Byron Bay: 7 March
- Adelaide: 21 March
Festivalgoers can also enjoy a special screening of both part one: The Three Musketeers: D’Artagnan and part two: The Three Musketeers: Milady on 17th March (Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Perth and Brisbane) and 4th April (Adelaide)
Ladies’ Night Screenings
The President’s Wife (Bernadette)
Australian Premiere
French cinema legend Catherine Deneuve stars as Bernadette Chirac, the French version of Hillary Clinton, in this uproarious comedy based on actual events. 1995, Jacques Chirac is elected President of the French Republic. When Bernadette Chirac steps into the Elysée, she’s ready for the recognition she’s earned, having tirelessly supported her husband’s journey to the presidency. Instead, she finds herself set aside and brushed off as old-fashioned, cold and sour-tempered. With the help of her chief of staff, Bernard Nique, Bernadette embarks on a light-hearted campaign to restore her reputation and assert her role as the first lady.
In her debut film, documentarian Léa Domenach skilfully blurs the lines between fact and fiction, presenting a hilarious satirical portrayal of an unexpected feminist icon.
Dates: 14 March (Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Perth and Brisbane) and 3 April (Adelaide)
Taste of France Screenings
The Taste of Things (La passion de Dodin Bouffant)
Watch & share trailer here
Since premiering at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, The Taste of Things has whetted appetites and tugged at heartstrings all over the world. This deliciously sensual adaptation of Marcel Rouff’s classic 1924 novel The Life and Passion of Dodin-Bouffant blends cooking with romance, winning director Tran Anh Hung (The Scent of Green Papaya) the Best Director prize at Cannes 2023.
Academy Award winner Juliette Binoche (The English Patient) plays Eugénie, a renowned cook who in 1885 had no equal. Benoît Magimel (The Piano Teacher) is Dodin, a brilliant epicure whose ideas for recipes when combined with Eugénie’s talents, create culinary works of art. Together Eugénie and Dodin create gastronomic masterpieces, establishing a strong friendship that occasionally leads to something more.
With Chef Pierre Gagnaire as its Culinary Director, this film serves up a delicious tribute to French cuisine and the dedication, care and amour required to make it unique.
Dates: 21 March (Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Perth and Brisbane) and 9 April (Adelaide)
Other films not to be missed with multiple screenings taking place around Australia during the festival include:
The Animal Kingdom (Le règne animal)
Australian Premiere
Watch & share trailer here
One of the most talked about films at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, and a huge success at the French box office with over 1 million admissions. Brace yourself for a wild and inventive genre mash-up, melding family drama with the disquieting imagery reminiscent of Cronenbergian body horror.
The dynamic Romain Duris (The Beat That My Heart Skipped) and Paul Kircher (Winter Boy) play a father (François) and son (Émile) navigating a not-so-distant future teetering on the edge of chaos.
A new crisis haunts the planet, twisting humanity into grotesque animal mutations. Tragedy strikes when François’s wife, Émile’s mother, falls victim to this nightmarish transformation and is locked up in a human/animal hybrids-specialised facility. As the mystery deepens, paranoia grows, and fear abounds regarding the survival of humanity in this ever-changing natural world. Yet out of this, a touching coming-of-age tale emerges.
All Your Faces (Je verrai toujours vos visages)
Australian Premiere
Watch & share trailer here
A powerhouse cast, including Adèle Exarchopoulos (Blue Is the Warmest Colour) and Gilles Lellouche (Bac Nord), leads this gripping drama about France’s Restorative Justice program. Introduced in 2014, the real-life program offers a unique platform for both victims and offenders to engage in dialogue, all under the watchful eye of professionals and volunteers.
All Your Faces intertwines two stories where anger, hurt and despair have the chance to transform into forgiveness, acceptance and strength. This intelligent and emotional film took the French box office by storm, securing over 1.1million admissions
Jeanne Du Barry
Australian Premiere
Watch & share trailer here
Further info here
Straight from opening Cannes 2023, arrives a lavish new historical drama from the phenomenal writer/director Maïwenn (Mon Roi, Polisse). The tale is freely inspired by the life of the titular rags-to-riches social climber, played by Maïwenn, who became the mistress of King Louis XV, portrayed by Johnny Depp in his first French-language speaking role.
Set in 18th Century, pre-Revolution France, Jeanne Du Barry is a visual feast – sumptuously filmed in 35mm on location at Versailles and featuring majestic costumes and production design.
In portraying a passionate woman, guilty only of trying to rise above her station, Maïwenn delivers an exuberant and sensitive portrait of class, ambition and both the rewards and risks of living in the public eye.
Iris and the Men (Iris et les hommes)
Australian Premiere
Watch & share trailer here
Further info here
After the smash-hit international success of Antoinette In The Cévennes, writer/director Caroline Vignal and the fabulous Laure Calamy reunite for a comedy about reignited desire in the modern age.
“They’re not”. This is how Iris (Calamy) answers her physiotherapist when she is asked how things are going with her husband (Vincent Elbaz). The words slip from her mouth like a brutal realisation: how long has it been since they last made love? Yet everything else is great: her partner loves her, they have two happy daughters, she runs a successful dental practice, lives in a beautiful apartment and has the best friends one could hope for…
But soon Iris will be turning 50. It is a stranger who whispers the seed of an idea: “Take a lover”. So she dares to open Pandora’s box, and hesitantly registers herself on a dating app. Immediately, men start to appear…
Recognising their unwavering support and love of French cinema, the AF FFF continues its 30-year relationship with Palace Cinemas as Exhibition Partner.
With the full festival line-up set to be announced and tickets available from Wednesday 7 February, stay tuned to the latest Alliance Française French Film Festival updates at: affrenchfilmfestival.org
