The French Film Festival is delighted to welcome a variety of distinguished guests to the 32nd instalment. Actor/director Mathieu Almaric will be in person to introduce two of his films at the Cine Lumiere, whilst master documentarian Claire Simon will also be at our London venue to introduce her latest film Elementary. Our Scottish partner venues will welcome Charlotte Schiøler to introduce her debut feature Mousey, whilst Wilfried Méance will introduce his farcical comedy of sexual manners Maybe More at Institut français d’Ecosse (Edinburgh) and Union Square Cineworld (Aberdeen). 

Read a little more about all our guests below: 

Mathieu Amalric

Actor & Director (Filmlovers & Before it’s Too Late)

César Award winning actor; Cannes Best Director winner and Bond villain, Mathieu Amalric has been one of the most recognisable faces in French film since his breakout in 1996’s My Sex Life… or How I Got Into an Argument.

London Cine Lumiere
29 November 18:00

    Fiona Lloyd-Davies

    Director (Seeds of Hope)

    An award-winning director and photojournalist, Lloyd-Davies has spent three decades exposing human rights issues and bringing stories from areas of conflict to wider audiences. Her 2000 film License to Kill won the RTS award for Best International Journalism.


    Edinburgh Institut français Écosse
    11 November 18:30


      Isabelle Prim

      Director (The Wolves)

      Spanning the world of contemporary art, installations and feature film, Isabelle Prim has established herself as a leading experimentalist in modern French cinema. Her work has screened at Berlinale, Locarno Film Festival and The Palais de Tokyo in Paris, amongst many others. 

      London Cine Lumiere
      30 November 13:00


        Yolande Zauberman

        Director (The Belle from Gaza)

        Working in documentaries and features, Yolande Zauberman has carved out a niche as a producer of intense, thought-provoking cinema on subjects as diverse as South African apartheid, antisemitism and child abuse. Zauberman won the César Award for Best Documentary for 2018’s M. 

        London Cine Lumiere
        3 December 18:00

          Payal Kapadia

          Director (All We Imagine As Light)

          Having won the Golden Eye award at Cannes for her debut, documentary A Night of Knowing Nothing, Payal Kapadia brings her Grand Prix winning narrative debut to the Festival, and with it confirms herself as one of the most exciting young filmmakers around. 

          London Cine Lumiere
          28 November 18:00

            Wilfried Méance

            Director (Maybe More)

            Returning to the festival is Director Wilfried Méance having previously attended with his film Two of a Kind, Méance adds the sparkling comedy Maybe More to his broad and expanding filmography, exploring further themes of changing attitudes in contemporary society. 

            Edinburgh Institut français Écosse
            20 November 18:30
            Aberdeen Cineworld Union Square
            21 November 20:00

              Charlotte Schiøler

              Actor & Director (Mousey)

              Actor/dancer/ writer and now feature film director Charlotte Schiøler brings her debut Maoussi to this year’s festival, building upon her years creating her own dance and theatre productions to worldwide acclaim.  

              Glasgow Film Theatre
              15 November 19:40

              Edinburgh Institut français Écosse
              16 November 18:30

                Louise Labèque

                Actor (Toni)

                Shooting to prominence with 2019’s Bertrand Bonello directed Zombi Child, Labeque has quickly made her name as one of the most exciting young actors in Europe, starring in Bonello’s follow up Coma, and Amazon Prime series Nudes. 


                Edinburgh Institut français Écosse
                9 November 18:30

                  Emmanuel Mouret

                  Director (Three Friends)

                  Actor/director Emmanuel Mouret has been filming romance from all angles for nearly two decades now, and in the process become one of the great makers of romantic comedies of his generation. Three Friends is his 14th feature film. 


                  London Cine Lumiere
                  30 November 19:50





                    Claire Simon

                    Director (Elementary)

                    Claire Simon has been making films since the early 80s, taking in features, television series and documentaries. 2023’s Our Body, an exploration of a gynaecological ward of a Paris hospital was one of the most acclaimed films of its year, and introduced Simon to a whole new generation. 

                    London Cine Lumiere
                    6 December 18:00