Boston French Film Festival

The Boston French Film Festival returns with an exciting lineup that captures the textures, tensions, and petits bonheurs (small joys) of contemporary French life. The festival opens with Three Friends, Emmanuel Mouret's bittersweet comedy about love, infidelity, and emotional entanglement among a trio of women. Catherine Deneuve leads The President's Wife, a sly comedy about politician Bernadette Chirac's bid to step out from her husband's shadow. Winner of the 2024 Jury Prize and Best Actor award in the Un Certain Regard section of Cannes, Souleymane's Story is a gripping portrait of life on the margins. Holy Cow brings charm to the lineup with a tale about a teenage cheesemaker chasing a contest prize, while Night Call delivers high-stakes thrills as a locksmith races through Brussels during a night of unrest. Alexandre de La Patellière and Matthieu Delaporte's sweeping new adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo reminds us that French cinema, like the country's literature, still revels in grand tales of betrayal, justice, and revenge.

Together, these films offer a vivid snapshot of a society in motion—ever-evolving while remaining rooted in the passionate pursuit of artistic and intellectual truth. Grab some French wine and cheese at Taste and join us for these evocative stories.

Schedule of Events:

11:00 am–1:00 pm - Three Friends (Trois amies)

Directed by Emmanuel Mouret (France, 2024, 117 min.). French with English subtitles.

From acclaimed writer-director Emmanuel Mouret comes Three Friends, a romantic comedy-drama that explores the entangled love lives of three women—Joan (India Hair), Alice (Camille Cottin), and Rebecca (Sara Forestier)—whose friendships are tested by shifting desires and inconvenient truths.

Set in the cultured circles of Lyon's teachers, artists, and academics, and told with Mouret's signature combination of wit and aching vulnerability, Three Friends is a bittersweet and often hilarious exploration of modern romance. Anchored by soulful performances and unexpected narrative turns, it's a film that asks whether we're ever really in sync when it comes to love—and whether that's even the point.

"It doesn't get more French than this.… Handsomely directed and tactfully performed, it shows Mouret reaching a peak style he's been perfecting from film to film." —Hollywood Reporter

"A rewarding, if not downright cathartic watch for all who have suffered for love." —AwardsDaily

Members
$12.00

Nonmembers
$15.00

Location: Harry and Mildred Remis Auditorium (Auditorium 161)

2:30pm - 4:15pm - When Fall Is Coming (Quand vient l'automne)

Directed by François Ozon (France, 2024, 104 min.). French with English subtitles.

In his latest genre-bending tale, François Ozon (The Crime is Mine; 8 Women) returns with a masterfully restrained and quietly unsettling tale of family, memory, and suspicion.

Living a quiet retirement in the Burgundy countryside, mushroom-hunting Michelle (Hélène Vincent) hopes a visit from her young grandson will help mend a rift with her estranged daughter. But when a culinary accident disturbs the delicate balance of the household, long-festering tensions give way to deeper questions—and possibly darker motives.

With a light touch and simmering unease, When Fall Is Coming evolves from domestic drama into a twisty, character-driven mystery, laced with Ozon's signature tonal ambiguity. Featuring standout performances from Vincent, Josiane Balasko, and Ludivine Sagnier—reuniting with Ozon for the first time since Swimming Pool—the film offers a wry, disquieting reflection on the thin line between care and control.

"Gorgeously shot…. François Ozon plays a tricky game, and there are currents of darkness swirling underneath that cottagecore exterior. Ozon has crafted a deceptively intricate little puzzle of a film which sticks in your mind." —Boston Hassle

Members
$12.00

Nonmembers
$15.00

Location: Harry and Mildred Remis Auditorium (Auditorium 161)

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