And don’t be surprised to find Jafar Panahi’s latest among the films, as that is the official entry to the International Feature Film Oscar race for France. Vive la France, I say!
Everything is turning up French in London these days. From the Victoria and Albert Museum celebrating ‘Marie Antoinette Style’, to the Barbican putting on French filmmaker and director Caroline Guiela Nguyen’s latest theater production ‘Lacrima’ on their stage, London is going blue, white and red. Well, in a different flag arrangement from the Union Jack anyway.
To add to the fabulous French fun, the upcoming French Film Festival UK will kick off with the independently curated French Film Festival London, taking place inside the beloved South Kensington cultural destination, the Ciné Lumière within the Institut français du Royaume-Uni. With a French bistro right downstairs and film screenings of indie cinema all year round, the place has become my favorite way to watch, listen, eat and love.
This year’s festival will run from November 12th to the 23rd, and will feature 33 new titles across 76 screenings of UK premieres and award-winning previews of the best in new French cinema. Kicking off with The Great Arch (L’Inconnu de la grande arche) by Stéphane Demoustier, and starring Danish actor Claes Bang, the festival with then close with Case 137 by Dominik Moll, featuring a compelling and magnetic performance from Léa Drucker. Both films will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers.
In between, the festival will feature French cinema spotlighting the grandness of that simple statement. From Jafar Panahi’s It Was Just an Accident, which won the Palme d’Or at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival and has been selected to represent France at the next Academy Awards, to Kaother Ben Hania’s The Voice of Hind Rajab, which is a French/Tunisian co-production and was awarded the Silver Lion at this year’s Venice Film Festival, but also featuring American cinephile filmmaker Richard Linklater’s Nouvelle Vague, a black and white film shot in 35mm paying a poignant homage to the French New Wave and the artists who shaped it, French cinema means world cinema. Clearly.
Diane Gabrysiak, Head of Programming and Exhibition at the Ciné Lumière said, about the program: “After months spent diligently viewing a variety of new French films, the Ciné Lumière team is delighted to offer a selection of 33 titles that duly reflect the rich diversity of voices, forms and budgets that altogether represent the wealth of French cinema production, both at home and in the particularly strong trend of French films with or by international actors and directors. From the Palme d’Or Winner and French Oscar Contender It Was Just an Accident by Jafar Panahi to Alice Douard's Love Letters, we hope our selection of films and discussions bring people together to reflect on as well as celebrate the great art form that is cinema.”
There are, of course, French films helmed by French filmmakers in the program as well, and among the most anticipated titles is François Ozon’s The Stranger, based on the Albert Camus novel, which world premiered in Venice earlier this year. French helmer Julia Ducourneau is also bound to divide audiences with her new body-horror Alpha, while Lucile Hadžihalilović returns with her stunning new take on The Snow Queen fairytale with The Ice Tower, featuring Marion Cotillard as a mysterious and manipulative actress. Also worthy of a mention are Colours of Time by Cédric Klapsich starring Vincent Macaigne and Suzanne Lindon, the trippy Sirât, Spain’s submission to the Academy Awards, directed by French-Spanish helmer Oliver Laxe, as well as Rebecca Zlotowski’s latest film A Private Life, featuring Jodie Foster, impressively acting in French!
Also noteworthy are films like The Little Sister by Hafsia Herzi, which won the Queer Palm and Best Actress prizes in Cannes with a personal account of a young French-Algerian woman forging her identity in Paris. Or Yes! from Israeli director Nadav Lapid, a continuation of his profound and visceral reflection on Israeli society. And much, much more.
Raïssa Lahcine, Deputy Director of the French Institute and Audiovisual Attaché added: “As the newly appointed Audiovisual Attachée and Deputy Director of the Institut français du Royaume-Uni, I am delighted and honored to launch this year’s edition of the French Film Festival London. This inspiring and daring program showcases the richness of French cinema: a cinema that is committed, takes risks and boldly expresses its voice and creative freedom. Audiences will all be surprised, moved, challenged and inspired. We are also very proud to collaborate with new partners and sponsors, all eager to strengthen the visibility and impact of French cinema and support the Festival’s mission. I feel privileged to contribute my energy and support, helping the festival grow and reach ever broader audiences.”
For more information, tickets and a complete program, check out the Ciné Lumière website.
Photo used with permission.