Oscar winner Jodie Foster is one of the world’s most celebrated actors. Until now, all her films made as an adult have been in English. In her new film, A Private Life (French title: Vie Privée), which premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, she plays Lillian Steiner, a Parisian psychiatrist whose client is thought to have taken her life. Steiner believes she may have been murdered and enlists her ex-husband, Gabriel (French star Daniel Auteuil) to help her get to the truth.
A Private Life is making its debut Down Under as part of the Alliance Francaise French Film Festival taking place across Australia this month – the biggest celebration of French-language films outside France.
Festival for Francophones
The festival showcases more than 38 new and classic French language films – 10 of which were directed by women and starring actors such as Marion Cotillard, Isabelle Huppert and Angelina Jolie.
Foster, who speaks fluent French since attending French immersion school as a child in LA, was attracted to the character-driven script by acclaimed director Rebecca Zlotowski. She said acting in French felt like “a new box of crayons” providing more vulnerable and challenging experience compared to her English roles.
Organised by the Alliance Française network in Australia and supported by the French Embassy to celebrate French cinema and culture, the Festival is celebrating its 37th birthday this year. Focusing on contemporary and classic French cinema, it offers a curated selection of films including dramas, comedies, thrillers, documentaries, animation, and family films across 18 Australian cities.
A new patron
Joining the Festival as Patron in 2026 is film-maker and long-time Francophile, Gracie Otto.
Otto, younger sister of actor Miranda Otto, said: “I am honoured to join the Alliance Française French Film Festival this year, a celebration that brings the richness, audacity and emotional resonance of French cinema to audiences across Australia. France has played a meaningful role in my life and I have long been inspired by the artistry, elegance and fearlessness of its film-making. I invite you to immerse yourselves in this year’s program and discover the artistry, passion and imagination that continue to define French cinema.”
Alliance Française French Film Festival runs from 3 March – 26 April 2026 across the country. Filmgoers can also enter a competition to win prizes, including a holiday for two in Nouméa.
Visit affrenchfilmfestival.org
