Film

Once again, we opened the 34th annual Alliance Française French Film Festival with another Cannes smash-hit, Nicolas Bedos’ steamy new thriller Masquerade. Together across 12 regions and 15,000km, audiences enjoyed the film and celebrated the start of another year of exceptional cinema with French champagne, delicacies and of course, exciting entertainment and activations!

Among those in attendance were festival patrons, internationally esteemed actor and director David Wenham and French chef Guillaume Brahimi. Our special events, including the Flix & Wine sessions, private screenings and previews, provided unique experiences and immersed audiences in French cinema.
Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, cementing the Festival as a premier cultural event on the Australian events calendar.

It was with passion and enthusiasm that the 33rd edition of the Alliance Française French Film Festival (AFFFF) was launched in Sydney on March 1, 2022.

Both AFS and sponsors were very pleased with the results: despite the floods, incessant rain and Omicron, the festival welcomed 50,000 Francophile patrons in cinemas across Sydney to view the 42-film line-up assembled by Karine Mauris, Artistic Director and Cultural Attaché of the Embassy of France in Australia.

National attendance was also hampered by weather and the reluctance of patrons in some states to return to cinemas. 

The AFFFF, travelling to 10 cities around Australia and 26 cinemas, celebrates the best of contemporary French cinema. It is the leading festival of French film outside of France and a major event in Australia’s annual cultural calendar. 

The 32nd Alliance Française French Film Festival returned to Sydney in March 2021, bringing a sense of renewal and celebration after a year of global disruption. Despite the lingering impact of COVID-19, the Festival delivered a vibrant program of over 35 films, drawing audiences back to cinemas with stories full of imagination, emotion, and adventure.

Highlights included the surreal comedy Mandibles, the inspiring sports drama Final Set, and the heartfelt journey of Miss. Films like Gagarine and Skies of Lebanon explored themes of flight and resistance through poetic storytelling, while Summer of 85 and The Godmother offered tales of love, loss, and transformation.

Audiences also embraced the charm of Antoinette in the Cevennes, a whimsical mountain trek with a stubborn donkey and unexpected self-discovery. The Festival’s return was a testament to the enduring power of cinema and its place in Australia’s cultural calendar.

2020 was a year like no other, with devastating impacts on Sydney’s cultural landscape and local institutions. Despite the challenges and disruptions of this unprecedented year, our main cultural event - the Alliance Française French Film Festival – took place, capturing the hearts and imaginations of Australians once again.  

In the lead up to 31st edition program launch, we welcomed distinguished guests for a VIP event presented by Artistic Director Philippe Platel, during which he discussed his process for curating the Festival, divulged behind-the-scenes anecdotes and shared his musings on this year’s must-see films.

In early March we hosted the Opening Night at the beautiful Notre Dame, Chippendale, which included an elegant reception with wine, canapés and live music, followed by a screening of the gloriously uplifting The Extraordinary starring Vincent Cassel.

Only a week later, in compliance with government restrictions on non-essential social gatherings and in the interest if protecting our patrons and staff, we had to take the difficult decision to postpone the remainder of the Festival.

After a brief hiatus, the Festival officially relaunched in July for two weeks, representing one of the first and only major cultural events to do so in the country – and the biggest public event in Australia in 2020. Whilst there were many new restrictions to contend with – including reduced cinema capacities and additional safety measures – the Festival still welcomed 70,000 attendees nationally, attesting to the unwavering love and connection between our two countries and cultures.

In September, we also hosted an online lecture on French Cinema, during which Associate Professor Michelle Royer (Chair of the Department of French and Francophone studies at the University of Sydney) presented the reciprocal influences between French cinema and other 'national' cinemas and explored the phenomenal international success of socio-political films and popular comedies.

We also welcomed an exciting online event with Anne-Sophie Versnaeyen, the score composer of the whimsical and romantic film La Belle Époque, directed by Nicolas Bedos, which featured in the Festival.

This year marked the 30th anniversary of the Alliance Française French Film Festival, the largest and most successful festival of French cinema in Australia and worldwide (outside France), which saw a record number of attendances (63,000 in Sydney and 195,000 patrons nationally). Organised in conjunction with the French Embassy in Australia and venue partner Palace Cinema, this powerhouse season included many special events and screenings.

This milestone celebration included a launch at the Old Rum Store in Chippendale by the Ambassador of France to Australia His Excellency Mr Christophe Penot, an introductory speech by Creative Director Philippe Platel and address by President of the Alliance Française de Sydney, Lyn Tuit; a Q&A between David Stratton and internationally acclaimed French director Jacques Audiard following the screening of his film The Sisters Brothers which won him best director at the Venice Film Festival; a Canadian themed evening complete with Canadian nibbles and refreshments to match; a Q&A with beloved actor Gilles Lellouche to discuss his directorial debut Sink or Swim; a Date Night event which offered a glass of wine in addition to the Australian premiere of the comedy Happy Holidays and a Women’s Day event centred around Eva Husson’s unapologetically femme-centric film about the Kurdish women fighting ISIS in Iraqi Kurdistan followed by a Q&A with university lecturer Lucia Sorbera, to only name a few.

Another highlight included French director Zabou Breitman's thrilling behind-the-scenes account of her upcoming animated film Les hirondelles de Kaboul (which will be featured in the line-up of this year’s Festival). This beautiful adapted drama, which brings to life the poetry of Algerian author Yasmina Khadra’s 2002 novel by the same name, follows the tale of two couples living in the Afghan capital during the nineties, and the impact of the Taliban rule has on each relationship. It has since been lauded at film festivals around the world, from Portugal to Japan to France’s acclaimed Annecy International Animated Film Festival and Cannes.

​We acknowledge the tireless work by the staff of the Alliance Française de Sydney in realising another incredible season of the Alliance Française de Sydney and the assistance and participation of numerous valued volunteers.

In addition, this year saw the triumphant return of the Alliance Française Classic Film Festival. This fifth edition was dedicated to the incomparable Isabelle Adjani, one of France’s most acclaimed stars and the only actor in history to win five César Awards. Renowned for her emotionally raw performances, particularly in representing tormented and tragic heroines, the Festival programme reflected her ongoing ability to captivate and enthral, transcending time.