Film-festival preview by John P. Harvey.

The Alliance Française French Film Festival, possibly the largest and almost certainly the most highly attended film festival in Australia, is almost upon us. The festival has been getting stronger and longer year by year, the 2025 festival making record sales of just fewer than 199,000 seats. With the lineup this year, it would come as little surprise to me if 2026 broke even that record. The festival features dramas, mysteries, crime thrillers, and a great many feel-good movies. Take a close look at the Alliance Française’s festival site, and get in quick.

The festival screens at Palace cinemas throughout the country. In Canberra, the festival opens at the Palace Electric on Thursday 5 March.