The San Diego French Film Festival debuted when in-person events faced a hostile force — the COVID-19 pandemic. Four years later, the festival is anticipating its largest turnout yet when it returns next month to La Jolla.
The annual festival — now in its fifth edition — is put on by Alliance Francaise, a nonprofit organization and certified Heritage School founded in 1927 to promote the French language and French-speaking cultures. This year’s event is scheduled for Sunday through Wednesday, May 4-7, at The Lot, 7611 Fay Ave.
About 1,000 people are expected to attend.
The opening-night gala will feature a screening of the drama “En Fanfare,” along with hors d’oeuvres, champagne and live entertainment.
Four award-winning films will be presented over the following three days, with a batch of short films playing right before them.
The feature films include “Neuilly-Poissy,” a comedy examining diversity and tolerance; “Moto Taxi,” described as “a raw and immersive look at urban life”; “Quelques Jours Pas Plus,” a comedy-drama exploring unexpected connections; and “Ru,” a semiautobiographical drama speaking to the strength of the human spirit.
Also included in the festivities is a May 5 discussion of “Neuilly-Poissy,” featuring director Gregory Boutboul, actor Franck Amiack and You Film and CinéArt Chief Executive Youri Rapoport.
This year’s festival theme is “Love in All Its Forms,” highlighting concepts such as solidarity, interfaith harmony and social determinism.
Julie Ripoll, executive director of Alliance Francaise, said she and her team landed on that theme by observing the general state of the world.
“It started last year with the world changing rapidly, with communities being torn apart,” Ripoll said. “So it was a nice way to create something about positivity, love, friendship and comion in 2025.”
Another distinctive element of this year’s festival is its inclusion of students in San Diego County. On March 21, Alliance Francaise held a special screening at San Diego’s Patrick Henry High School for students from area schools where the French language is taught.
Nine schools and nearly 500 students participated. The event, named “Young Cinephiles Day,” was held in March because of students’ exam schedules in April and May.
The featured film, “L’Océan Vu Du Coeur,” is a Canadian documentary showcasing the biodiversity of the ocean, the threats it faces and how humans can prevent negative impacts. Students also heard from director Iolande Cadrin-Ross and took educational booklets back to their classrooms to work on.
The San Diego French Film Festival began as a fully virtual event in 2021. The following year, pandemic restrictions were loosened and a desire to return to in-person events intensified. But Ripoll wrestled with the question of how to draw people out of their homes when they can stream films on TV. Her idea was an in-person ceremony with virtual screening options.
The year after that, the festival expanded to three days in person.
The event’s scale has grown each year, drawing a record 756 people in 2024.
For Ripoll, the festival reinforces the importance of coming together.
“What makes us human are connections,” she said. “So this event is a way for us to gather and be all together and celebrate great films.”
Ticket packages range from $31 to $318. To learn more or purchase tickets, visit afsandiego.org/san-diego-french-film-festival-2025. ♦
