by FilmInk Staff
The world’s largest French film festival outside of France confirms Australians’ enduring engagement with French cinema, language and culture
More than 211,000 attendees across almost 6,800 screenings of 39 films, up 6% on 2025
The 37th Alliance Française French Film Festival has concluded its most successful edition on record, reaffirming its position as the world’s largest French film festival outside of France and one of Australia’s leading cultural events.
Held from 3 March to 28 April 2026, the nine-week Festival spanned 18 cities and 40 venues, welcoming more than 211,000 attendees, a 6% increase on the previous year. Audiences attended almost 6,800 screenings, including approximately 110 school sessions, across a curated programme of 39 recent French films, the majority presented as Australian premieres.
Now in its fourth decade, the Festival operates as a nationally coordinated platform reaching audiences across major capitals and regional communities through a tightly structured rollout model. Its strength lies in combining scale with curation, delivering a consistent national programme with a strong focus on contemporary French cinema and discovery.
With a presence across 18 cities, the Festival is among the most extensive cultural events of its kind in Australia. Its delivery is supported by a long-established ecosystem bringing together the Alliance Française network, cultural institutions, film exhibitors, distributors, public bodies and private partners.
In an increasingly fragmented media landscape, the Festival offers partners direct access to a highly engaged, culturally curious and premium audience. Visibility spans pre-festival campaigns, cinema environments, digital channels and on-the-ground activations, delivering measurable reach across all participating cities. Current partners include Kérastase Paris, TV5MONDE, Blue Illusions, Western Union, BNP Paribas, New Caledonia Tourism, Aircalin, Delidoor, JCDecaux and Schwartz Media.
The Festival’s principal exhibition partner, Palace Cinemas, has reaffirmed its ongoing commitment to the continued growth and cultural significance of the Festival. Together, the Alliance Française and Palace have built one of Australia’s leading international events, championing French storytelling and connecting local audiences with global cinema.
François Romanet, Chair of the Alliance Française French Film Festival, said: “The Alliance Française French Film Festival demonstrates how a cultural initiative can operate at national scale while remaining true to its core mission: promoting French culture and language across Australia.
This record edition reflects the strength of a long-standing collaborative framework that brings together the Alliance Française network, cultural institutions, exhibitors, distributors, sponsors and partners around a shared ambition.
French cinema continues to resonate deeply with Australian audiences, from major cities to regional communities, confirming its enduring place in Australia’s cultural landscape. We are particularly grateful to Palace Cinemas, our principal exhibition partner, and to all our sponsors and partners for their continued support. This achievement belongs to everyone involved, and we are pleased to continue our partnership with Palace into 2027.”
Frédéric Alliod, CEO of the Alliance Française French Film Festival, said: “The continued growth of the Festival reflects a deliberately structured national model combining high-quality recent French films, a strong pipeline of Australian premieres and a tightly coordinated rollout across all locations. The Festival extends well beyond screenings. It has evolved into a curated national cultural platform and media channel, offering partners structured access to a highly engaged, premium audience.
In a competitive environment where international non-Hollywood films face limited visibility and screen time, this model delivers both cultural impact and measurable value for our partners.”
The 38th Alliance Française French Film Festival will take place in March–April 2027.
Sponsorship and partnership enquiries are now open: partnerships@affrenchfilmfestival.org
For more information and early announcements, visit affrenchfilmfestival.org
