From Nov. 20-26, Prague will welcome the 28th edition of the French Film Festival, alongside screenings in Brno, České Budějovice, Hradec Králové, and Ostrava. The festival offers Czech audiences a rare opportunity to see fourteen films fresh from the Cannes Film Festival, including historical dramas, contemporary thrillers, and documentaries.
This year’s lineup balances high-profile premieres with tributes to iconic figures of French cinema. The program includes a competition section curated by Czech critics and special homages to late actress Émilie Dequenne and actor Alain Delon.
For Prague-based audiences, the festival provides not only access to internationally acclaimed films but also an overview of French cinematic diversity, from musical dramas to experimental sci-fi and restored classics. In the Czech capital, French Film Festival screenings will take place at Kino Světozor, Kino Lucerna, Edison Filmhub, and Kino 35.
Cannes premieres and contemporary French cinema
The festival’s selection highlights some of the most talked-about films from this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Among the anticipated premieres are Colours of Time by Cédric Klapisch, which captures the atmosphere of Paris at the turn of the 19th century, and The Great Arch by Stéphane Demoustier, focusing on the construction of La Défense. The festival will also feature Amélie Bonnin’s musical drama Leave One Day, which opened Cannes earlier this year.
Other notable screenings include The Richest Woman in the World, starring Isabelle Huppert, a drama inspired by the real-life story of an heiress to a cosmetics empire, and The Divine Sarah Bernhardt with Sandrine Kiberlain portraying the legendary actress. Historical dramas such as Potopa, featuring Mélanie Laurent and Guillaume Canet, explore the final days of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, while Vincent Munier’s documentary Whispers in the Woods offers a nature-centric perspective.
Audiences will also encounter films spanning multiple genres: Camille Perton’s football-centered Arenas, Rebecca Zlotowski’s psychological drama A Private Life with Jodie Foster, Élise Otzenberger’s sci-fi Call of Water, Pascal Elbé’s satirical comedy La bonne étoile, and Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani’s action thriller Reflection in a Dead Diamond.
The festival concludes with a restored classic, Ettore Scola’s Le Bal, reflecting the enduring influence of European cinema.
Tributes, competitions, and Czech critic selections
The 28th edition of the French Film Festival honors Alain Delon, who passed away last August at the age of 88 and features in the festival’s promotional material. Four classic Delon films will screen during the fest: Any Number Can Win, The Swimming Pool, Joy House, and The Black Tulip.
The fest also pays homage to actress Émilie Dequenne, who passed away this spring at age 43. The festival screens four of her films: Close, See You Up There, Love Affair(s), and the romantic comedy Mr. Blake at Your Service!, in which she co-stars with John Malkovich.
In addition to tributes, the festival features the Czech critics’ competition section, where six films compete for the Audience Award. Selections include the Dardenne brothers’ latest, Young Mothers, Sylvain Chomet’s animated The Magnificent Life of Marcel Pagnol, and Richard Linklater’s playful historical piece Nouvelle Vague, which revisits the making of Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless.
Other contenders for the Audience Award are Grégory Magne’s music-focused The Musicians, Nathan Ambrosioni’s romantic drama Out of Love, and Anna Cazenave Cambet’s Love Me Tender, all of which garnered attention at Cannes and Karlovy Vary. The festival also pairs Godard’s debut classic Breathless with Linklater’s Nouvelle Vague, offering a dialogue between French New Wave cinema and contemporary reinterpretations.
The 28th French Film Festival provides Prague audiences a comprehensive snapshot of modern French cinema while honoring its enduring legacies. From Cannes premieres to restored classics and tributes to iconic actors, the festival reinforces the city’s status as a hub for international film culture.
For more details, see the festival’s official website or follow the festival on Facebook.
