Films & Art – The American French Film Festival in Los Angeles https://theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org The American French Film Festival in Los Angeles Tue, 03 Feb 2026 21:58:45 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.1 LA SCALA: THE FORCE OF DESTINY ../../../la-scala-the-force-of-destiny-2/ Tue, 03 Feb 2026 21:57:57 +0000 https://theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org/?p=26103

IN THEATERS ON MARCH 27, BEFORE A DIGITAL RELEASE.

LA SCALA: THE FORCE OF DESTINY

| 2026 – 95′ – Documentary, film & Art, Music & Dance, Women Directors
Written by: Anissa Bonnefont, Myriam Weil.
Directed by: Anissa Bonnefont.
Starring: Riccardo Chailly (conductor), Léo Muscato (stage director), Silvia Aymonino (costume designer), Federica Parolini (set designer), Anna Netrebko (soprano), Brian Jadge (tenor), Ludovic Tezier (baryton), Vasilisa Berzhanskaya (soprano), Roberto Bolle (ballet dancer).
Official Competition TAFFF 2025 (North American Premiere).
In English and in Italian with English subtitles.
A Juno Films release. |

A performance of Verdi’s La Forza del Destino marks the opening of the Milan opera season at La Scala. A major cultural event since 1951, “la prima” draws opera lovers from all over the world. La Scala: The Force of Destiny takes us behind the scenes, from the first rehearsals with singers, musicians and dancers, all the way to opening night. Capturing the tension, passion and brilliance that define La Scala, the film plunges us into the day-to-day creative processes that take place behind the closed doors of the world’s most iconic opera house – which opened those doors to cameras for the very first time for this film.

 

 

 

 

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COLORS OF TIME ../../../colors-of-time-2/ Thu, 11 Dec 2025 23:30:38 +0000 https://theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org/?p=25379

COMING SOON TO THEATERS BEFORE A DIGITAL RELEASE.

COLORS OF TIME

| 2026 – 126′ –  Drama, Romance, Paris, Films & Arts, Period & History, TAFFF Awards Winners.
Written by: Cédric Klapisch, Santiago Amigorena.
Directed by: Cédric Klapisch.
Starring: Suzanne Lindon, Abraham Wapler, Vincent Macaigne, Julia Piaton, Zinedine Soualem, Paul Kircher, Vassili Schneider, Sara Giraudeau, Cécile de France, François Berléand, Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, Olivier Gourmet, Raïka Hazanavicius.
Official Selection Cannes International Film Festival 2025. 3 nominations César Awards 2026.
Official Competition TAFFF 2025 (US Premiere, Winner Audience Award 2025)
In French with English subtitles.
A Distrib Films US release. |

A group of strangers, all descendants of a woman named Adèle Meunier, are gathered in Normandy. The town would like to purchase her long-abandoned property, and four “cousins” are tasked with overseeing the transaction. Thus begins a genealogical journey into the past, taking us to 1895 Paris, with the City of Light on the brink of an industrial and cultural revolution. Aptly entitled “The Coming of the Future” in French, Colors of Time literally plunges us into a moment in time when Parisian creativity is at its apex… when not only electricity and technology, but photography and Impressionism in painting and music are creating a spark that’s about to erupt into a movement far beyond anyone’s expectations. Cédric Klapisch‘s endearing new comedy is nothing less than a soul-stirring, time-traveling – at times, hallucinogenic – trip for lovers of the arts everywhere.

 

 

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MOLIERE LAST STAGE ../../../moliere-last-stage/ Mon, 27 Oct 2025 17:35:56 +0000 https://theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org/?p=25136

MOLIERE LAST STAGE

| 2025 – 94′ –  Drama, Biopic, Period & History.
Written by: Olivier Py, Bertrand de Roffignac.
Directed by: Olivier Py.
Starring: Laurent Lafitte, Stacy Martin, Bertrand de Roffignac, Jean-Damien Barbin, Emilien-Diard Detoeuf, Gray Orsatelli, Eva Rami.
In French with English subtitles
A Under The Milky Way  release. |

February 17th, 1673, Paris. The King’s troupe is in the middle of a representation of The Imaginary Invalid performed by Molière himself. But suddenly, the French master begins spitting blood. He decides to continue despite everything and, during his agony, memories and ghosts from the past enter the theatre. Desperately hoping for the King’s arrival, he chooses to make the most of the growing chaos and to transform his death into a final burst of laughter.

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THE SALT OF THE EARTH ../../../the-salt-of-the-earth/ ../../../the-salt-of-the-earth/#respond Mon, 23 Jun 2025 15:16:20 +0000 https://theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org/?p=22596

THE SALT OF THE EARTH

| 2014 – 110′ – A France/Italy/Brazil Co-Production. Documentary, Biopic, Films & Art, Co-Produced by France.
Written by: Wim Wenders, Juliano Ribeiro Salgado.
Directed by: Wim Wenders, Juliano Ribeiro Salgado.
Starring: Sebastião Salgado.
Official Selections Cannes International Film Festival 2014 (Un Certain Regard), Telluride International Film Festival 2014, San Sebastian International Film Festival 2014 (Winner Audience Prize). Winner César Award for Best Documentary Feature 2015. Academy Award Nomination for Best Documentary 2015.
In English, in Portuguese and in French with English subtitles.
A Sony Pictures Classics release. |

For the last 40 years, the photographer Sebastião Salgado has been traveling through the continents, in the footsteps of an ever-changing humanity. He had witnessed some of the major events of our recent history: international conflicts, starvation and exodus. He is now embarking on the discovery of pristine territories, of wild fauna and flora, and of grandiose landscapes as part of a huge photographic project which is a tribute to the planet’s beauty.

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THE DREAMER ../../../the-dreamer-2/ Sat, 21 Jun 2025 16:23:06 +0000 https://theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org/?p=22586

THE DREAMER

| 2023 – 85′ – Drama, Films & Art, Women Directors.
Written by: Anaïs Tellenne.
Directed by: Anaïs Tellenne.
Starring: Raphaël Thiéry, Emmanuelle Devos, Mireille Pitot, Marie-Christine Orry, Cesare Capitani, Christine Gaillard, Natasha Cashman.
Official Selection Venice International Film Festival 2023, My French Film Festival 2025 (Winner Grand Prix of the International Jury).
Official Selection TAFFF 2023 (North American Premiere).
In French with English subtitles.
A Under The Milky Way / France Channel release. |

Anaïs Tellenne‘s eloquent début feature quietly recounts the touching story of a golem —  a clay figurine that magically comes to life. Raphaël is a 58-year-old one-eyed man, the caretaker of a deserted family mansion. He lives with his mother in a small cottage on the grounds and spends his days trapping moles, tending the garden and playing haunting tunes on his bagpipes — as forsaken man grappling with the desolate existence life has dealt him. One stormy night, Garance, the heiress of the estate, appears and takes over the great manor house. An artist in search of a subject, as well as a will to live, she too has her demons to appease. The Dreamer is a stirring tale of longing and heartbreak, of shame and yearning, of creative expression and unrequited love.

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CLOUDS OF SILS MARIA ../../../clouds-of-sils-maria/ ../../../clouds-of-sils-maria/#respond Fri, 13 Jun 2025 18:49:14 +0000 https://theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org/?p=22509

CLOUDS OF SILS MARIA

| 2015 – 124′ – Drama, Films & Art.
Written by: Olivier Assayas.
Directed by: Olivier Assayas.
Starring: Juliette Binoche, Kristen Stewart, Chloë Grace Moretz, Lars Eidinger, Johnny Flynn, Angela Winkler, Hanns Zischler, Nora von Waldstätten.
Official Selections Cannes International Film Festival 2014, Toronto International Film Festival 2014, New York Film Festival 2014. Winner César Award 2015 (Best Supporting Actress for Kristen Stewart). Winner Deluc Prize 2014.
In English.
An IFC Films release. |

At the peak of her international career, Maria Enders (Juliette Binoche) is asked to perform in a revival of the play that made her famous twenty years ago. But back then she played the role of Sigrid, an alluring young girl who disarms and eventually drives her boss Helena to suicide. Now she is being asked to step into the other role, that of the older Helena. She departs with her assistant (Kristen Stewart) to rehearse in Sils Maria; a remote region of the Alps. A young Hollywood starlet with a penchant for scandal (Chloë Grace Moretz) is to take on the role of Sigrid, and Maria finds herself on the other side of the mirror, face to face with an ambiguously charming woman who is, in essence, an unsettling reflection of herself.

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CYRANO DE BERGERAC ../../../cyrano-de-bergerac/ ../../../cyrano-de-bergerac/#respond Fri, 30 May 2025 16:22:02 +0000 https://theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org/?p=22192

CYRANO DE BERGERAC

| 1990 – 135′ – Classic, Comedy, Drama, Romance, Period & History, Film & Literature, Film & Art, Family 14+.
Written by: Jean-Claude Carrière, Jean-Paul Rappeneau.
Based on the Book by: Edmond Rostand.
Directed by: Jean-Paul Rappeneau.
Starring: Gérard Depardieu, Anne Brochet, Josiane Stoléru, Alain Rimoux, Philippe Volter, Sandrine Kiberlain, Ludivine Sagnier, Michel Fau, Vincent Perez, Anatole Delalande, Jacques Weber, Roland Bertin.
Official Selection Cannes International Film Festival 1990. 5 Academy Awards Nominations 1991 (including Best Foreign Film and Best Actor), 9 César Awards Nominations 1991 (including Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actress).
In French with English subtitles.
A The Criterion Collection release. |

Gérard Depardieu delivers a towering performance as the immortal hero of hopeless romantics everywhere. Exquisite Academy Award-winning costumes, elegant cinematography, and a superlative screenplay adaptation by Jean-Claude Carrière and director Jean-Paul Rappeneau come together in this period piece par excellence that captures the wit, heart, and panache of Edmond Rostand’s beloved play.

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THE DIVINE SARAH BERNHARDT ../../../the-divine-sarah-bernhardt/ Tue, 13 May 2025 13:05:15 +0000 https://theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org/?p=22017 THE DIVINE SARAH BERNHARDT

| 2025 – 98′ – DRAMA, ROMANCE, FILMS & ART, BIOPIC, PERIOD & HISTORY.
Written by: Nathalie Leuthreau.
Directed by: Guillaume Nicloux.
Starring: Sandrine Kiberlain, Laurent Lafitte, Amira Casar, Pauline Etienne, Mathilde Ollivier, Laurent Stocker, Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet, Clément Hervieu-Léger.
In French with English subtitles.
A Distrib Films US / FRANCE Channel release. |

A romantic biopic about the world’s first diva. Known as “La Divine”, French actress Sarah Bernhardt (Sandrine Kiberlain) left an indelible mark, shattering societal norms thanks to her daring personality and performances. This decadent film explores her passionate relationship with actor Lucien Guitry whilst she navigates stardom, wealth, scandals and sickness.

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THE BIG HIT ../../../the-big-hit-2/ ../../../the-big-hit-2/#respond Wed, 07 May 2025 16:58:41 +0000 https://theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org/?p=21960

THE BIG HIT

| 2021 – 106′ – DRAMA, COMEDY, FILMS & ART, FAMILY+14.
Written by: Emmanuel Courcol, Thierry de Carbonnières.
Directed by: Emmanuel Courcol.
Starring: Kad Merad, David Ayala, Lamine Cissokho, Sofian Khammes, Pierre Lottin, Wabinlé Nabié, Alexandre Medvedev, Saïd Benchnafa, Marina Hands, Laurent Stocker.
Official Selection Cannes International Film Festival 2020.
Official Competition COLCOA 2021.
In French with English subtitles.
A French Channel release. |

Multitalented screen star Kad Merad gives a powerful performance in The Big Hit, leading a dazzling cast in this jubilant comedy about a down-and-out actor who lands a gig running a prison theater workshop and decides to mount a full-fledged production of Waiting for Godot with his ragtag troupe of inmates.  Based on a true story, this deeply touching film beautifully illustrates Beckett’s take on the human condition — a particularly apt one for both the perpetually-waiting prisoners and their director — with passion, humor, hijinks and a liberal dash of poetry.

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THE MYSTERY OF PICASSO ../../../the-mystery-of-picasso/ ../../../the-mystery-of-picasso/#respond Fri, 17 Jan 2025 21:54:51 +0000 https://theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org/?p=20940

THE MYSTERY OF PICASSO

| 1956 – 78′ –  Documentary, Classic, Films & Art.
Written by: Henri-Georges Clouzot.
Directed by: Henri-Georges Clouzot.
Starring: Pablo Picasso.
Official Selection Cannes International Film Festival 1955 (Special Jury Prize winner).
In French with English subtitles.
A Kino Lorber release. |

In 1955 Henri-Georges Clouzot joined forces with his friend Pablo Picasso to make an entirely new kind of documentary – one that captured the moment and the mystery of creativity. For the film, Picasso created 20 artworks, ranging from playful B&W sketches to widescreen color paintings. Using inks that bled through the paper, Picasso rapidly created fanciful drawings that Clouzot was able to film from the reverse side, capturing their creation in real time. When the artist decided to paint in oils, the filmmaker switched to color film and employed the magic of stop-motion animation. By contract, almost all of these paintings were destroyed when the film was completed. The Mystery of Picasso is exhilarating, mesmerizing, and unforgettable – one of the greatest documentaries on art ever made.

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