KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 3 — The French Film Festival 2026 returns to Malaysia this month with 10 films in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Johor Bahru, and Kuching.
The 24th edition of the festival runs from November 19 to December 6 and features a diverse selection, from major contemporary productions and historical dramas to animation, romance, comedy, and celebrated classics.
Among the films are Les Misérables (2026), The Phantom of the Opera (2026), De Gaulle: Resistance (2026), De Gaulle: Liberty (2026), The Electric Kiss (2026), Just an Illusion (2026), The Chorus (2004), Don't Look Now: We're Being Shot At! (1966), Marsupilami (2026), and Arco (2025).
The festival is organised by Alliances Française centres in Malaysia with the support of the French Embassy in Malaysia and GSC International Screens, the event’s official cinema partner.
Beyond film screenings, Alliances Française is looking to explore potential collaborations between the French and Malaysian film industries, particularly in production, talent development, and animation.
It said The Phantom of the Opera (2026) director Alexandre Castagnetti will be attending the festival's opening on November 18 and meeting with Malaysian filmmakers and film studies students.
An exhibition on André Malraux, a former French Minister of Cultural Affairs who played a significant role in promoting French cinema, will also be held at Alliance Française de Kuala Lumpur in mid-November.
Alliance Française de Kuala Lumpur executive director Thomas Feldstein said the festival aims to provide Malaysian audiences with an opportunity to explore the diversity of French cinema, while fostering connections between the two countries through shared cultural experiences.
“Through cinema, whatever your cultural background, you can open the eyes and minds of people. French cinema has very specific assets to show to the world. I think that anyone can understand, anyone can find themselves into the cinema.
“It makes connections between culture, people, and emotions. We are happy to promote, to propose this lineup and this programme this year again, to offer a good window to the Malaysian audience to the French cinema, and we hope that Malaysian audience will find themselves into the French cinema,” he told Bernama.
Alliance Française de Penang director Michel Gonçalves said French cinema places considerable emphasis on human stories and relationships, making it a meaningful platform for connecting people across cultures.
“French cinema has a strong ability to connect people. The human stories behind those movies are something we really focus on. We are here in Malaysia to connect both countries and cultures, France and Malaysia, and cinema is one way to do that,” he said.
Alliance Française de Kuala Lumpur cultural manager Éléonore Dalzon said France's strength in animation, including through the leading cultural and creative industries institution, the Gobelins school in Paris, offers opportunities for collaborations between Malaysian and French universities.
“It's something we would like to work on to bring Malaysian students in France as well as French students here in Malaysia, for example in the field of animation,” she said.
Dalzon said this year's selection aims to introduce different aspects of French culture beyond its traditional associations with food and lifestyle, including its arts, history and heritage.
The French Film Festival 2026 screenings will take place in Kuala Lumpur from November 19 to 29, Kuching (November 19 to 22), Johor Bahru (November 26 to 29), and Penang (November 26 to December 6) at GSC Mid Valley Megamall and GSC 1 Utama in the Klang Valley, GSC Gurney Plaza in Penang, GSC The Mall, Mid Valley Southkey in Johor Bahru, and GSC CityONE Megamall in Kuching.
Further information on screening schedules and ticket sales will be announced through Golden Screen Cinemas and the official French Film Festival channels. — Bernama
