Opening Night French Film Festival 2026 - The Richest Women In The World
Friday 22 May, 6.30pm for 7.00pm
All Tickets: $25.00 - Includes Choc Top and Sparkling Wine click here to purchase.
Director: Thierry Klifa
Cast: Isabelle Huppert, Laurent Lafitte, Marina Foïs, Raphaël Personnaz, André Marcon
Duration: 123mins
Rating: M
French Language with English Subtitles
Country of Origin: France
2026 LUMIÈRE AWARDS NOMINEE (x2) - Best Actress, Best Actor
2026 CÉSAR AWARD NOMINEE (x7) - Incl. Best Actress, Actor & Costume Design
OFFICIAL SELECTION - 2025 CANNES FILM FESTIVAL (Out Of Compétition)
"A French 'Succession' and perverse power game in the glossy beauty industry. Calling all Huppert fans, Francophiles, and fashionistas..." Andrea Baker, FILMINK
Few modern scandals have captivated France as the astonishing events surrounding Liliane Bettencourt, the billionaire heiress to the L’Oreal fortune and doyenne of Parisian society. Now writer/director Thierry Klifa has freely adapted the incredible story into a captivating dark comedy, featuring a jaw-dropping, tailor-made role for one of France’s most iconic stars.
Marianne Farrère (Isabelle Huppert), the head of the Windler Group, is the richest woman in the world. Pierre-Alain Fantin (Laurent Lafitte) is a vivacious dandy, writer and photographer. After meeting on a photo shoot, the two quickly become inseparable. Their friendship – one where Pierre-Alain is only too happy to take financial advantage – surprises, amuses, intrigues, and eventually unsettles the billionaire’s entourage and family.
Most of all, Marianne’s daughter (Marina Fois) struggles with her mother’s sudden complicity with this younger man, but her husband (André Marcon) and loyal butler (Raphaël Personnaz) share her concerns. Surreptitious queries soon transition into a private investigation, resulting in extraordinary ramifications for all involved…
With several twists too good to spoil, THE RICHEST WOMAN IN THE WORLD makes the most of its fabulous ensemble cast, but Huppert and Lafitte simply eat up the screen. This wildly entertaining film became an enormous box-office hit in France for good reason.
From Page to Screen: French Cinema and Creative Inspiration
Saturday 23 May at 11.00am - 12.00pm
Join us for a special in-conversation with acclaimed Australian writer, Catherine Cole, discussing her new book A French House: On The Love Of Place. Catherine will explore the ideas behind her evocative memoir of longing, belonging, and the pull of France. She will also reflect on the French films and books that have shaped and inspired her creative life, and led her to buy a village house in France. Catherine will be joined in conversation by Michaela Bolzan, Artistic Director of the Southern Highlands Writers' Festival, for what promises to be a lively discussion about literature, cinema, and the enduring allure of place.
Free to attend. Booking essential. Click here to secure tickets!
The Musicians
Saturday 23 May at 2.00pm
Director: Grégory Magne
Cast: Valérie Donzelli, Frédéric Pierrot, Mathieu Spinosi (1st violin), Emma Ravier (alto), Daniel Garlitsky (2nd violin), Marie Vialle (cello)
Duration: 102mins
Rating: PG
French Language with English Subtitles
Country of Origin: France
Adults: $16.00, Concessions: $14.00
OPENING NIGHT SELECTION - 2025 FRENCH RENDEZVOUS
"Accomplished, sensitive and funny. A magnificent ode to beauty and living together." Isabelle Danel, BANDE À PART
The enchanting new comedy of manners from acclaimed writer/director Grégory Magne (whose debut Perfumes was a sleeper success in 2019), THE MUSICIANS stars Valérie Donzelli as a wealthy heiress whose plan to stage a landmark concert is derailed by the clashing egos of the virtuosos recruited for the performance.
Astrid Thompson (Donzelli) is determined to honour her late industrialist father’s final wish: unite four priceless Stradivarius-stringed instruments for the premiere recital of a new composition by his favourite artist, to be live-streamed for music lovers globally. With just six days to rehearse, a quartet is assembled, but the dream quickly unravels: the musicians are at odds, blinded by their differences and prejudices, and seemingly incapable of working together. With the deadline fast approaching, Astrid tries to coax the reclusive composer of the score, Charlie Beaumont (Frédéric Pierrot), out from creative seclusion in the desperate hope of salvaging the event…
As the film crescendos to a tender, exhilarating finale where harmony is found not only in music but human connection, THE MUSICIANS celebrates both the chaos and beauty of collaboration. Set amidst the villas, vineyards and chapels of the stunning Champagne region, with an exquisite original score by Grégoire Hetzel, this is sparkling entertainment for the heart (and ears).
A Dash Of Love
Saturday 23 May at 4.30pm
Director: Grégory Magne
Cast: Valérie Donzelli, Frédéric Pierrot, Mathieu Spinosi (1st violin), Emma Ravier (alto), Daniel Garlitsky (2nd violin), Marie Vialle (cello)
Duration: 102mins
Rating: PG
French Language with English Subtitles
Country of Origin: France
Adults: $16.00, Concessions: $14.00
"This lovely romance about disability shines above all through its sharp writing and well-crafted dialogue. The pace is there. And so is the tenderness." - LE FIGARO
When Mélanie (Julia Piaton, Like a Prince, AF FFF25), a brilliant lawyer, decides it’s time to live on her own terms, she persuades her old university friend Benjamin (Quentin Dolmaire, My Golden Days, AF FFF16) to join her on a road trip to Spain.
Their unlikely driver is Lucas (Grégory Gadebois, Delicious, AF FFF21), a recently released ex-con and one of Mélanie’s clients, whom she convinces into taking the wheel.
The improbable trio set off across sweeping landscapes, navigating suspicion and fears, laughter and longing. While Mélanie pushes forward with urgency, Benjamin seems in no hurry to arrive, quietly stretching detours and moments along the way, as if trying to make the road last a little longer...
What begins as an impulsive escape slowly transforms into a tender exploration of freedom, intimacy, and the many shades of love.
A vibrant ode to life and the courage to embrace joy whilst you can, the debut feature from Maël Piriou, A DASH OF LOVE is a tender and deeply human road movie you won’t want to miss!
Inspired by the Flemish film Hasta la vista (2011) by Geoffrey Enthoven.
Maigret and the Dead Lover
Saturday 23 May at 7.00pm
Director: Pascal Bonitzer
Cast: Denis Podalydes, Anne Alvaro, Manuel Guillot, Irene Jacob & Micha Lescot
Duration: 80 mins
Rating: M
Crime Novel Adaptation
French Language with English Subtitles
Country of Origin: France
Adults: $16.00, Concessions: $14.00
"Surprising and seductive. A delightful adaptation, particularly well done. Sharp dialogue, the mystery of the human soul, and extremely concise storytelling: everything that defines the spirit of Simenon is found intact here. So let's raise a glass, as Maigret often likes to do." Jacques Morice, TÉLÉRAMA
Directly following the break-out critical and box office success of 2025’s The Stolen Painting, acclaimed writer/director Pascal Bonitzer brings his unique perspective and directorial panache to Georges Simenon’s beloved Parisian detective Inspector Maigret – a French counterpart to Agatha Christie’s Poirot - as he attempts to solve the murder of a former diplomat with a long-held secret.
Inspector Maigret (four-time César nominee Denis Podalydès, in a tremendous performance) is urgently summoned to the Quai d'Orsay: a former ambassador has been found shot dead by his long-serving housekeeper (Anne Alvaro, The Taste of Others). But rather than contact the police, she has followed diplomatic protocols by first informing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Forewarned that he will find a series of salacious letters – and cautioned to be discrete - Maigret heads to the victim’s opulent apartment. He finds no forensic evidence at the crime scene, but certainly, the letters prove startling – secret, decades-spanning correspondence between the ambassador and the Princess of Vuynes, whose own husband, by strange coincidence, has also just died…Bonitzer, renowned for an intuitive and empathetic focus, finds a perfect match with a protagonist who relies on quiet observation. He delivers an absorbing, wholly compelling mystery that also serves as a thoughtful examination of modern life’s key concerns: hierarchy, aging, and the very different worlds that money creates. Best of all, the twist ending is… a killer.
Longing for France: A Writer's Journey
Sunday 24 May at 11.00am - 12.00pm
Join celebrated Australian writer Catherine Cole for an engaging conversation about her evocative new memoir A French House: On The Love of Place. In this intimate session, Catherine will reflect on the experiences that inspired the book, sharing stories of her deep connection with France and the role the country has played in shaping her life and imagination. Blending travel, memory, and the search for belonging, this discussion offers a fascinating glimpse into the personal journeys and places that have influenced her writing. This session will also allow questions about your own writing approaches and how to incorporate memoir and other elements into your writing. Catherine will be in conversation with Michaela Bolzan, Artistic Director of the Southern Highlands Writers' Festival.
Free to attend. Booking essential. Click here to secure tickets!
The Money Maker
Sunday 24 May at 12.30pm
Director: Jean-Paul Salome
Cast: Reda Kateb, Sara Giraudeau, Bastien Bouillon, Pierre Lottin, Quentin Dolmaire
Duration: 128mins
Rating: M
French Language with English Subtitles
Country of Origin: France
Adults: $16.00, Concessions: $14.00
Jan Bojarski, a young Polish engineer, takes refuge in France during WWII. Gifted and determined to survive, he puts his talents to use forging false identity papers during the German occupation, operating in the shadows where ingenuity becomes a matter of life and death.
When the war ends, freedom does not bring stability. Trapped in poorly paid jobs and denied official civil status, Jan is unable to register the patents for his many inventions. His brilliance remains invisible until a gangster recognises his exceptional skills and offers him a dangerous opportunity: to produce counterfeit banknotes.
This marks the beginning of a secret double life. For more than fifteen years, unbeknownst to his family, Bojarski runs a clandestine counterfeiting operation from a shed at the back of his garden, creating forgeries so precise they rival the originals issued by the bank itself. Quiet, methodical, and obsessive, he becomes a ghost hidden in plain sight.
Inevitably, perfection attracts attention. Jan finds himself on the radar of Inspector Mattei, one of France’s most determined detectives.
Based on the true story of Jan Bojarski, known as the “Cézanne of counterfeit money,” the film is directed by Jean-Paul Salomé, who stages this pursuit as a contemporary Western duel. While rooted in real events, the film embraces the codes of the action thriller to transform a hidden life into a gripping confrontation.
Redress
Sunday 24 May at 3.15pm
Director: Regis Wargnier
Cast: Julia De Nunez, Clovis Cornillac, Julien De Saint Jean, Antoine Pelletier, J.C. Lin
Duration: 104mins
Rating: M
French Language with English Subtitles
Country of Origin: France
Adults: $16.00, Concessions: $14.00
Prepare to be drawn into the mouth-watering mystery of REDRESS, where brilliance at the table coexists with unanswered questions lurking far from the spotlight.
Paskal Jankovski is hours away from the announcement of his third Michelin star - the ultimate consecration in global gastronomy - when he vanishes during a dawn hunting trip. At his side that day is Antoine, his trusted sous-chef, whose ties to the Jankovski family run deeper than the kitchen, adding an unspoken layer of intrigue to the investigation that follows.
Just 20 years old, Clara, Paskal’s daughter, unexpectedly inherits the family restaurant, a bastion of French culinary artistry suddenly beseiged by uncertainty. The team, the produce, the rituals of service all hold firm, but the silence left behind grows louder.
Two years later, a cryptic invitation draws her to Taiwan, where the puzzle begins to shift shape once again.
Returning with renewed intensity after almost a decade away, auteur Régis Wargnier, France’s last Oscar-winning film Indochine, masterfully concocts a rare, cross-continental drama — a film crafted like a recipe, layered with mystery and emotion, designed to awaken curiosity long after the final course...
Jean Valjean
Sunday 24 May at 5.30pm
Director: Eric Besnard
Cast: Gregory Gadebois, Bernard Campan, Isabelle Carre, Alexandra Lamy, Dominique Pinon
Duration: 99mins
Rating: M
French Language with English Subtitles
Country of Origin: France
Adults: $16.00, Concessions: $14.00
"The incredible Gadebois elevates 'Jean Valjean' to great heights. Clearly Besnard's best film: a plea for second chances that resonates strongly in our era, where they are rarely given." Theirry Chèze, PREMIERE
The always-terrific Grégory Gadebois re-teams with writer/director Éric Besnard (Delicious) for a poignant new adaptation of Victor Hugo’s masterpiece Les Misérables, charting the origin story of Jean Valjean, the beloved tale’s iconic protagonist.
1815. Provence, France. In the peaceful village of Digne, there’s a rumour that a dangerous man has entered the area. The hulking Jean (Gadebois) has just been released from prison after nineteen years of hard labour. Issued with identification that forever sees him branded a criminal and ostracised, Jean is not surprised to be repeatedly turned away as he seeks refuge for the night. Desperate, he unknowingly knocks at the door of the house of Monseigneur Bienvenu (Bernard Campan), who lives simply with his sister (Isabelle Carré) and a lone servant (Alexandra Lamy). Against all odds, Bienvenu invites him in. On this crucial night, Jean will face a choice that will define his future...
A gripping exploration of justice, grace and moral redemption, Besnard’s reflective and intimate drama - and Gadebois’ towering central performance - bring great depth to Hugo’s hero, a spurned man transformed by kindness and compassion.
