Francophone Film Festival counts down to Turkey tour: It will visit 19 cities this year

The Francophone Film Festival meets cinema lovers across Turkey starting March 5, 2026. The festival, which will be held in 19 cities, will present a rich selection of Francophone cinema consisting of comedies, dramas, and classics, with a strong focus on female directors.

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Francophone Film Festival counts down to Turkey tour: It will visit 19 cities this year

The Francophone Film Festival has announced its new edition, which will highlight the richness and diversity of Francophone cinema. Starting March 5, 2026, cinema lovers will have the opportunity to discover an eclectic program featuring comedies, dramas, contemporary films, and classic works to be screened in many cities across Turkey.

Since the festival coincides with International Women's Rights Day this year, the program will clearly reflect these issues. 45 percent of the films to be screened at the festival were directed by women, and 70 percent of them feature a female lead. To celebrate this symbolic day, a special screening of the restored version of Agnès Varda's film "L’une chante l’autre pas" (One Sings, the Other Doesn't) will be held in collaboration with Othon Cinema and Atlas 1948.

This year, the festival will host two directors, offering them the opportunity to promote their films and meet with the audience. Amélie Bonnin, one of the new generation of French directors whose films realistically depict the enthusiasm and fragility of contemporary youth, opened last year's Cannes Film Festival with her irresistible romantic musical comedy "Partir un jour" (Leaving One Day), starring Juliette Armanet and Bastien Bouillon. This film will also open the Francophone Film Festival.

French-Belgian director Olivier Meys, known for his films based on true stories and filled with a great sense of humanity, will present "L'été de Jahia" (Jahia's Summer), a coming-of-age film in his own unique style that uses French as a common language that binds destinies together.

The Francophone Film Festival will be held this year in 19 cities and districts across 30 different screening venues. The cities and districts the festival will visit this year include Istanbul, Izmir, Ankara, Ayvalik, Bandirma, Batman, Bodrum, Bursa, Canakkale, Diyarbakir, Edirne, Eskisehir, Gaziantep, Kusadasi, Luleburgaz, Mardin, Mersin, Mugla, and Bergama. Each of these cities will move to the rhythm of French-language films and offer audiences the opportunity to immerse themselves in the creativity and diversity of the cinema of French-speaking countries.

Organized by the French Cultural Center in partnership with the Embassies of France, Switzerland, Belgium, Canada, and Luxembourg, the Francophone Film Festival aims to promote the French language and the cultures of Francophone countries and the member and observer countries of the International Organization of La Francophonie. This partnership emphasizes the importance of international cooperation in the promotion of art and cultural diversity.

Innovations in the 2026 edition of the Francophone Film Festival include: - More films (13 feature films and 4 short films) and more countries (10 countries: France, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Canada, Belgium, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Denmark, and the Netherlands) - Films that have won awards at the biggest festivals: Cannes, Toronto, Venice, Locarno, Annecy... - Many new cities and venues participating in the traveling festival:

6 venues in Istanbul (Institut français, Uskudar Baglarbasi Culture Center, Sinematek/Sinema Evi Kadikoy, IBB Beyoglu Cinema, Atlas 1948, and Biletinial Torun Center Cinemas). - A special screening on March 7 as part of International Women's Rights Day (March 8) in collaboration with Othon Cinema and Atlas 1948. - More school screenings to introduce Francophone cinema to young people.

Florent Signifredi, audiovisual attaché and event manager at the French Embassy and the French Cultural Center, stated that he is very excited to meet with the audience, especially young people, in the 2026 edition of the festival and to present them with impressive stories on the big screen, saying, "Cinema is a place of meeting and sharing that allows for the sharing of the values of French-speaking countries. This year, for the first time, we have approached gender equality in the films presented, and the vast majority of the films are shaped around female characters. We are coming together with more local partners every day and hosting two great directors in Turkey."