Unearth the Hidden Gems of the 2025 French Film Festival

The 2025 French Film Festival is in full swing! With only three weeks left of this year's edition, now is the time to dive in and enjoy a spectacular selection of French films before it's too late. While you may already be aware of the big blockbusters in the line-up, we've sifted through to help unearth the hidden gems for you to discover.

The Festival must end on 23 April so don't miss your opportunity to be swept away by French cinema!


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Staff Picks Staff Picks Just My Luck Just My Luck Familiar Faces Familiar Faces For fans of... For fans of...


 

Staff Picks

Our staff are great lovers of cinema, so we've asked them to share their top pick to see at the Festival. Whether you enjoy a broody family drama, a poignant romantic epic or a tense thriller, we have a recommendation for you!

Ben’s Pick


When Fall is Coming

Ben says: "Don't think twice - go see When Fall is Coming, a broody family drama set against the stunning autumnal landscapes of Burgundy.

What begins as an innocuous first night meal turns to tragedy, and kickstarts a deeply engrossing, often menacing film, with a web of secrets and lies. You’ll never look at mushrooms the same way again!"

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Sarah’s Pick

Beating Hearts

Sarah says: "A poignant and energetic film, full of 80s nostalgia. Somewhere between a love story and an action movie, this was my favorite film of the season!"

Beating Hearts is a vibrant, genre-spanning romantic epic of starcrossed lovers tested by social boundaries, betrayal and things beyond all control. A box office smash in France!

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Axelle’s Pick

The Good Teacher

Axelle says: "Director Teddy Lussi-Modeste, inspired from his own experience as a teacher, has created a gripping, deeply human story.

What starts as a simple situation in a school quickly spirals into a tense, thriller-like storm where everyone gets hurt.

You're sure to be hooked until the very end!"

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Just My Luck

Delight in the (mis)fortunes of others as these films delve into the complex webs that plots, scams and schemes can create. 

Family Therapy

Dr Béranger, a brilliant psychoanalyst, has an issue: his desperately needy client, Damien. Suffocated by his clinginess, Béranger devises a plan to get rid of him: convincing Damien that true love will cure him. Fast-forward to Béranger’s thirtieth wedding anniversary where his daughter reveals her new boyfriend is none other than Damien!

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The Scammers

Is it bad luck to rob a dead man if everyone wins? Best friends Jean-Jean and Henri find their quiet, ordinary life disrupted when a local claims the "hyper million" national lottery. This sweetly hysterical film blends absurdity, heart, and a lot of mischief. Misfits Jean-Jean and Henri prove that you're never too old to raise a little hell.

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The Stolen Painting

A sharp and engrossing new social comedy follows a self-assured auctioneer whose professional and personal integrity is challenged by the discovery of a long-lost masterpiece. A thrilling exploration of the often-cynical world of art dealing and collecting, where the outlandish prices aren't always related to the rarity of the object.

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Familiar Faces: Double Duty

Big names on the big screen: watch the latest from these stars of French cinema as they pull double duty and feature in two films at this year's Festival!


Pio Marmaï

As seen in:
The Three Musketeers (Les Trois Mousquetaires)
AF FFF24
A Difficult Year (Une année difficile)
AF FFF24
The Trouble with You (En liberté !)
AF FFF19

The Ties That Bind Us

Sandra is not interested in children. When her neighbour, Alex (Marmaï), asks her to watch his son while his pregnant wife, Cécile, gives birth, Sandra sees it as just a one-off – until Cécile tragically dies after labour. The Ties That Bind Us is a powerful reminder that it takes many shapes to form a family.

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In The Sub For Love

She’s a serious submarine officer, he’s a carefree steward, and neither the Pacific nor Artic Ocean can separate their boundless love of their budding romance… In the Sub for Love is a buoyant love letter to the screwball romantic comedies of the 1940s. All hands on deck – don’t miss this heartfelt film!

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Laure Calamy

As seen in:
Iris and the Men (Iris et les Hommes)
AF FFF24
Two Tickets to Greece
(Les Cyclades)
AF FFF23
Antoinette dans les Cévennes

AF FFF21


How To Make A Killing

A freak run-in with a black bear leads down-on-their-luck couple, Michel and Cathy, to the discovery of 2 million euros. Burying themselves in an avalanche of lies, how far will Michel and Cathy go to get away with it? Franck Dubosc’s black comedy is a journey full of twists where nothing is as it seems.

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My Everything

Calamy plays single, middle-aged beautician Mona, completely dedicated to her 30-year-old son Joël, who lives with cerebral palsy. Joël is secretly in love with co-worker Océane; while Mona knows nothing of their relationship, all is revealed when it becomes evident that Océane is pregnant.

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José Garcia

As seen in:
We’ll End Up Together (Nous finirons ensemble)
AF FFF20
Mrs. Hyde (Madame Hyde)
AF FFF18


Meet the Leroys

A sincere depiction of a family in crisis and a bittersweet exploration of the things we lose without realising, Meet the Leroys is the moving story of the veneer we paint over lost connections and a reminder that even the brightest bonds, like stars, can fade, despite our best intentions.

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Speak Out

Colin, a 14-year-old with a stutter, is content to remain invisible if it means avoiding attention...until he meets Monsieur Devarseau, who challenges Colin to take on the lead role of Cyrano de Bergerac in their school production. Every leap of faith begins with someone who believes in us!

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For fans of...

A Great Friend

You may like...


Three Friends

Three Friends is a study of the lies we tell ourselves and each other. Tempted by desire and haunted by the fear of alienation, Three Friends shows that betrayal is not a leap but a series of small steps. Three friends, three lies, three truths – this is a compelling film you don't want to miss!

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All Your Faces

Check out...


Before What Comes After

What begins as a chance encounter during a routine checkup evolves into a profound friendship between acclaimed philosopher, Fabrice Toussaint, and head of palliative care doctor, Augustin Masset. Daring to ask life's biggest questions, it invites us to listen closely – the answers may surprise us.

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Take A Chance On Me

Go and see...

Like a Prince

When champion boxer Souleyman gets in a bar fight, he sentenced to 400 hours of community service at the decadent Château de Chambord. He's resigned to his fate until he's surprised by foster kid Mélissa. With an inherent gift for boxing, she might just be the ticket to Souleyman's official comeback.

SEE MORE


More Festival Blog Posts

See more from the Festival, including some of our other recommendations and our local French Film Festival page.


Festival Must-Sees

Lights...Camera...Action! The French Film Festival has officially begun and it's now time to be swept away by an exquisite selection of films. With so many to choose from, here are just some that we think are must-sees for this edition.


Festival Highlights

With 42 films in this year's Festival line-up, it can be hard to know where to start. We have curated some categories to get you on track and discover some of the hidden gems of this year's Festival to add to your Festival watchlist!


L'amour toujours

Dive into a romantic collection of this year's line-up. From passionate epics to charming romantic comedies, our 2025 line-up is full of heart and desire. There's a reason French is known as the language of love!


French Film Festival

See more about all of our local special events; our regional screenings in Mt Gambier, Renmark and Victor Harbor; Festival trailer and raffle; school screenings; volunteering opportunities and so much more!


About the Alliance Française French Film Festival

The 36th Alliance Française French Film Festival continues a thriving annual celebration of French cinema as a cornerstone of cultural exchange, fostering a deeper appreciation of the French language and Francophone cultures. With its diverse film lineup and a vibrant program of special events, the Alliance Française French Film Festival is the perfect launchpad for another extraordinary year of cultural activities in Australia.

From our Opening Night film, Monsieur Aznavour, to our Closing Night film, In the Sub for Love, and the 40 other films in between - there's something for everyone. We invite you to join us in an unforgettable cinematic journey, celebrating the art of French storytelling and the enduring friendship between France and Australia!


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