Alliance Francaise French Film Festival 2022

Overview

It's that time again: time for the Alliance Française French Film Festival to gift Australian movie-goers with its annual cinema showcase. 2022 marks the event's 33rd round of fests, so get ready to watch your way through more than 40 flicks that'll whisk you off to France while you're munching popcorn in your cinema seat.

There's no shortage of highlights from this year's complete lineup — including the festival's opening night pick, the 19th-century Paris-set Lost Illusions — but Claire Denis' Fire is easily one of the most exciting films on the bill. It'll play AFFFF straight from the Berlinale, and marks the acclaimed French filmmaker's first release since 2018's exceptional High Life. It also stars her Let the Sunshine In lead Juliette Binoche, with the romantic drama pairing the latter up with French actor Vincent Lindon (Titane) for the first time.

Also a standout: Happening, winner of the 2021 Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, which adapts Annie Ernaux's autobiographical novel about the rights of women in France in the 60s. It just nabbed filmmaker Audrey Diwan a BAFTA nomination for Best Director, and follows a bright young student who gets pregnant, then sees her options — for her future, and regarding what to do about her situation — quickly dwindle.

When AFFFF heads to Sydney's Palace Central, Palace Norton Street, Palace Verona, Chauvel Cinema and Hayden Orpheum Cremorne between Tuesday, March 1–Sunday, April 10 (including its encore sessions), the exceptional Petite Maman also sits at the very top of the fest's must-see list. The latest film from Portrait of a Lady on Fire's Céline Sciamma, it already made a few Australian festival appearances in 2021, and channels the director's trademark sensitivity and empathy into a sci-fi-skewing tale of mothers and daughters that's instantly among Sciamma's best.

Other top picks include the latest film in the OSS 117 spy spoof series, OSS 117: From Africa With Love, once again starring The Artist Oscar-winner Jean Dujardin; François Ozon's Everything Went Fine, which sees the Summer of 85 filmmaker tackle the right to die with dignity; Paris, 13th District, a love story from A Prophet and Rust and Bone's Jacques Audiard; and Murder Party, a murder-mystery with big Cluedo vibes.

Or, there's also Anaïs in Love, a rom-com about a woman having an affair with a married man but then falling for his wife; bipoic Authentik, about French hip-hop duo Suprême NTM; World War II drama Farewell, Mr Haffmann, as based on the play; and friendship drama The Braves, about two twentysomething women following their dreams to become theatre actors.

Plus, AFFFF's retro program is also a cinephile's delight, showcasing the work of actor and filmmaker Alain Delon — including via Purple Noon, which adapts Patricia Highsmith's novel The Talented Mr Ripley.