The full programme of the French Film Festival London 2025 has just been unveiled, bringing 33 new titles across 76 screenings of UK premieres and award-winning previews of the best in new French cinema to audiences. The FFFL 2025 will launch at the Ciné Lumière, part of London’s French Institute, on Wednesday 12 November with The Great Arch (L’Inconnu de la grande arche), by Stéphane Demoustier, starring Claes Bang, with special screenings on Saturday 22 November of Case 137 (Dossier 137), by Dominik Moll, starring Léa Drucker and Stanislas Merhar, and on Sunday 23 November of Colours of Time by Cédric Klapsich starring Vincent Macaigne and Suzanne Lindon. Each director will appear in conversation after their UK Premieres, following invitations to the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year.
This edition will celebrate French film with features, documentaries, international co-productions, restorations and animated titles, presenting stories rich in diversity that will excite, inspire debate, entertain and encourage fresh perspectives from audiences.
Perfect examples of this are films such as this year’s Palme d’Or winner and French submission to the Oscars It Was Just an Accident by the award-winning director Jafar Panahi, a thriller that questions the aftermath of political repression. Yes!, from Israeli director Nadav Lapid, is a continuation of his profound and visceral reflection on Israeli society, while in Black to the Future, from renowned comedian Jean-Pascal Zadi, the first African space mission is launched in utmost secrecy to explore a potential planetary refuge for the wider diaspora. The Voice of Hind Rajab by Kaouther Ben Hania, is the deeply moving docudrama on everyone’s lips, having won the Silver Lion after its premier at Venice, the Audience Award in San Sebastian as well as the Tunisian entry to the next Academy Awards.
Julia Ducourneau is bound to divide audiences with her new body-horror Alpha, Adèle Exarchopoulos stars in the sci-fi thriller Dog 51 – Cédric Jimenez’s look at a Paris categorised by class – 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. Nouvelle Vague, by Academy Award winner Richard Linklater, is the eagerly anticipated homage to the making of the truly iconic and ground-breaking Breathless.
Adaptations will feature in this year’s French Film Festival London programme, with The Stranger, based on the Albert Camus novel and brought to the big screen by François Ozon, and Little Sister 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. Tell Her That I Love Her is the celebrated actress Romane Bohringer’s new quasi-documentary based on the book by French politician Clémentine Autain about her turbulent relationship with her mother, which explores the complexities of mother-daughter relationships.
Writing Life explores how the auto-fictions of Nobel Prize-winning and landmark feminist author Annie Ernaux are taught in French schools and universities, from the renowned documentarist Claire Simon; Menus-Plaisirs Les Troisgros is the multi-award-winning documentary from the pioneering Fred Wiseman. Thousands of Years of Absence by Philippe Rouy screens in the FIDMarseille strand and brings together footage of Japan’s 6,852 islands, fearing their destruction, following the Fukishima nuclear disaster of 2011, winning the Cnap award at the festival.
The Classic cinema strand will present restorations of Patrice Chéreau’s La Reine Margot, winner of five Césars, starring Isabelle Adjani, who turned 70 this year, Jean-Hughes Anglade, Daniel Auteuil and Virna Lisi and The Sorrow and the Pity, deemed as one of the greatest films ever made, by Marcel Ophüls who died earlier this year. Dominik Moll’s debut Harry, He’s Here to Help will be accompanied by a director interview, and stars Sergi López (who can also be seen in Sirât, Spain’s submission to the Academy Awards by Oliver Laxe).
And for families there will be a strand featuring dazzling new animations such as The Songbird’s Secrets and Arco by Ugo Bienvenu and co-produced by Natalie Portman, where the titular boy from the year 3000 falls from the sky and is found by ten-year-old Iris…in 2075. Arco won Best Feature at this year’s Annecy Film Festival. There will also be a specially curated programme for schools and universities from the Education department at the Ciné Lumière, along with special events in the Library.
Diane Gabrysiak, Head of Programming and Exhibition at the Ciné Lumière says:
“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.”
Raïssa Lahcine, Deputy Director of the French Institute and Audiovisual Attaché says:
“As the newly appointed Audiovisual Attachée and Deputy Director of the Institut français du Royaume-Uni, I am delighted and honoured to launch this year’s edition of the French Film Festival London. This inspiring and daring programme 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.”
The French Film Festival London, independently curated by Ciné Lumière, is presented in close collaboration with the French Film Festival UK. It is supported by the Trust of the Friends of the French Institute, Unifrance, Eurostar and the Pelham London.
Check the French Film Festival London Programme
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French Film Festival London Press Contacts
ENG: Ilona Cheshire: ilonacheshire@gmail.com
FR: Natacha Antolini: natacha.antolini@institut-francais.org.uk
French Film Festival UK Press Contact
Michelle Mangan: hello@michellemangan.com
Booking
There will be a discount code for 20% off at the FFFL 2025 when you book to see 5 films or more; discount automatically applied at the checkout: box.office@institut-francais.org.uk
Venue
Ciné Lumière, 17 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2DT / 020 7871 3515
www.institut-francais.org.uk / box.office@institut-francais.org.uk