Take a trip to France without leaving town with the 37th Alliance Française French Film Festival. From dazzling comedies to family favourites, gripping dramas, and heartwarming romances, this is the perfect opportunity to see what’s happening in French cinema right now.

The Festival kicks off in Adelaide on 18 March with a special Opening Night celebration including drinks and canapés on arrival. You’ll start the Festival in style seeing the luminous and poetic film Colours of Time (La Venue de L’avenir) from director Cédric Klapisch. This is a sweeping family saga that connects the legendary French history of the 19th century to contemporary concerns. It also talks to those invisible ties that make us what we are down the generations. Thoughtful, immersive, visually elegant, and deeply cinematic, Colours of Time sets the tone for the Festival.

This year’s Festival showcases almost 40 films across day and evening screenings, with special events and family friendly sessions too, at its twin homes at Palace Nova Eastend and Palace Nova Prospect. It’s also visiting the The Fleurieu with a curated selection of films at the Victa Cinema in Victor Harbor.

Highlights for 2026 include the Centrepiece Premiere with The Richest Woman in the World (La Femme la plus Riche du Monde), a sharp, stylish and compelling cinematic portrait of power, ambition and identity. This gripping film explores the personal cost of wealth and influence, offering a modern reflection on privilege and control. Elegant, incisive, and provocative, The Richest Woman in the World  stands at the heart of this year’s Festival program. And it comes with an added touch of French sophistication with a special signature cocktail Fleur de Rose (also available as a mocktail). There are two sessions only on Sunday 22 March (3pm at Palace Nova Eastend and 4.30pm at Palace Nova Prospect).

For something a little different, book in for ‘Flix & Quiz’ on 8 April with The Money Maker (L’Affaire Bojarski). This will be a fun event that combines cinema, conviviality, and friendly competition. Based on the true story of Jan Bojarski, known as ‘the Cézanne of counterfeit money’, The Money Maker is a perceptive commentary on ambition, power, and the pursuit of success.

Make a date with your BFFs for Ladies’ Night on 9 April with Cycle of Time (C’était mieux demain), a film that playfully contrasts life in the 1950s with today’s world. Using humour and sharp observation, it explores how women’s roles, expectations, and freedoms have evolved, while technology has quietly reshaped our lives. This is a feel-good, thought-provoking film to be shared, discussed, and watched together. Enjoy a curated selection of French delicacies and a glass of French wine before the screening, followed by a beauty and make-up activation with Clarins after the film. For a real taste of the famous French ‘art de vivre’.

The Ice Tower (La Tour de Glace) stars adored French actress Marion Cotillard as Cristina in this visually stunning fantasy.  This is a chilling coming-of-age story based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale The Snow Queen.

Another title that’s sure to be a sell-out success is the new Inspector Maigret film. Starring four-time César nominee Denis Podalydè in the title role, Maigret and the Dead Lover (Maigret et le Mort Amoureux) is a stylish crime drama about the murder of a diplomat that will leave you guessing to the very end.

Another top Festival pick is The Party’s Over (Classe Moyenne), a sharply perceptive dark comedy about privilege, class, and the limits of patience and civility.

Fast forward through five weeks of French cinema and join in the fun on Closing Night with an extra-special one-night-only screening of Rodrigue in Love (Avignon). This is a joyful and romantic film about experiencing true love for the very first time. It’s a delightful celebration of romance, of a passion for theatre, and the special allure of youthful idealism.Enjoy drinks and nibbles on arrival and say ‘au revoir’ to the Alliance Française French Film Festival in style. Information and bookings for all films and events at: https://www.affrenchfilmfestival.org/films/adelaide/

The 37th Alliance Française French Film Festival runs from 18 March to 22 April 2026 at Palace Nova Eastend and Prospect; selected screenings in Victor Harbor from 25 March to 1 April 2026.

Dr Diana Carroll