Venice Film Festival 2025: French Cinema Makes a Bold Statement
Venice Film Festival 2025: French Cinema Makes a Bold Statement
Unifrance has officially revealed the impressive scope of French and French-co-produced works selected for the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, which kicks off later this month. From heavyweight auteurs in the main competition to immersive VR storytelling and cutting-edge short films, French cinema will have a prominent presence across nearly every section of the festival.
Four French Films Compete for the Golden Lion
Four major French directors will represent France in the official competition:
The Mage of the Kremlin (Le Mage du Kremlin) by Olivier Assayas, an adaptation of Giuliano da Empoli’s bestselling political novel.
The Voice of Hind Rajab, a timely and haunting feature from Kaouther Ben Hania.
At Work (À pied d’œuvre) by Valérie Donzelli, continuing her exploration of female resilience.
The Stranger (L’Étranger) by François Ozon, a modern reimagining of Camus’ classic novel.
They are joined by three high-profile minority co-productions:
Father Mother Sister Brother by Jim Jarmusch,
Orphan by László Nemes,
Silent Friend by Ildikó Enyedi.
French Presence Spreads Across the Program
Outside the main competition, Cedric Jimenez’s dystopian thriller Dog 51 (Chien 51) will screen out of competition. Three French series are also on the lineup, including the highly anticipated A Prophet (Un prophète), adapted from Jacques Audiard’s landmark film.
Other French-backed works in out-of-competition slots include Nuestra tierra by Argentina’s Lucrecia Martel, and two international series: Etty (created by Hagai Levi) and Portobello (created by Marco Bellocchio and Stefano Bises).
Horizons Section Showcases Emerging French-Backed Talent
The Orizzonti section features no fewer than seven French co-productions, with one majority-French project:
Grand Ciel by Akihiro Hata, starring Damien Bonnard, produced primarily in France.
Other French-involved titles in this section include:
Dinții de lapte by Mihai Mincan
Divine Comedy by Ali Asgari
The Mango Tree Blossoms (Les Fleurs du manguier) by Akio Fujimoto
Mother (Mère) by Teona Strugar Mitevska
The Ivy by Ana Cristina Barragán
A Year of School (Un anno di scuola) by Laura Samani
Venice Classics and Spotlight Selections
The French presence continues in the Venezia Classici strand, with documentaries celebrating legendary auteurs and artistic legacies:
Louis Malle, the Rebel (Louis Malle, le révolté) by Claire Duguet
Sangre del toro by Yves Montmayeur
In the Spotlight section, Rachid Bouchareb’s Boomerang Atomic and Marie-Elsa Sgualdo’s À bras-le-corps (minority co-production) will also be featured.
A Strong Slate of Short Films and Immersive Experiences
France will also be present in the short film categories, both in and out of competition. Highlights include:
Rue Malaga by Maryam Touzani
Coyotes by Said Zagha
Je crois entendre encore by Constance Bonnot
La Ligne de vie by Hugo Becker
Nedostupni by Kyrylo Zemlyanyi
In the immersive competition, France is heavily represented with bold VR and XR storytelling:
Collective Body by Sarah Silverblatt-Buser
Danse danse danse – Matisse by Gordon & Agnès Molia
Eddie and I by Maya Shekel
The Girl Who Explodes in VR (La fille qui explose VR) by Caroline Poggi and Jonathan Vinel
Heartbeat by Fanny Fortage
Less Than 5gr of Saffron by Négar Motevalymeidanshah
La Magie opéra by Jonathan Astruc
The Shadow (L’Ombre) by Blanca Li
The Tragic Tale of the Little Mouse Who Desperately Wanted to Be Someone by Nicolas Bourniquel
Out-of-competition immersive entries include D-Day: The Camera Soldier by Chloé Rochereuil, Lili by Navid Khonsari, One True Path by Balthazar Auxietre, and Sense of Nowhere by Hsin-hsuan Yeh.
French Co-Productions in Critics’ Week and Venice Days
The Venice International Critics’ Week will open with The Immortals (Les Immortelles) by Caroline Deruas Peano. Additional French minority co-productions in the sidebar include:
Agon by Giulio Bertelli
Cotton Queen by Suzannah Mirghani
Gorgonà by Evi Kalogiropoulou
Roqia by Yanis Koussim
At Venice Days (Giornate degli Autori), further French-linked titles include:
Damned if You Do, Damned if You Don’t by Gianni Di Gregorio
Do You Love Me? by Lana Daher
Writing Life – Annie Ernaux as Told by High School Students (Écrire la vie) by Claire Simon
Laguna by Sharunas Bartas
Memory by Vladlena Sandu
Still Alive (Qui vit encore) by Nicolas Wadimoff
A Brief Summer (Un bref été) by Nastia Korkia
A Festival That Speaks French—Loud and Clear
From the official competition to emerging voices and immersive narratives, French productions and co-productions are poised to make a major impact at Venice 2025. Whether through auteur cinema, experimental formats, or international collaborations, France is asserting itself as a global creative force at one of the world’s most prestigious film festivals.