The 33rd French Film Festival in Japan, which will be held from March 19 to 22, 2026, will present 12 iconic works of contemporary French cinema, from filmmakers recognized at major international festivals to new talents shaping the next generation.
Starting this year, the festival will be held in Shibuya, opening a new chapter in its history after many years in Yokohama.
A promo video, introduced by Gilles Pélisson and Daniela Elstner (respectively President and CEO of Unifrance), has been created to reveal the highlights of this edition. In it, the official Japanese ambassador, actress Yuumi Kawai (seen in Renoir, in Competition at Cannes 2025), is introduced, and the selection is shown in detail in images. Discover it below. ⬇️
The festival will take place at two venues in the Shibuya district, Bunkamura Le Cinéma Shibuya Miyashita and Euro Live, in the presence of a sterling French delegation:
Stéphane Demoustier, Olivier Marguerit (composer), Robin Campillo, Rebecca Zlotowski, Olivier Assayas, Ken Scott, Guillaume Senez, Charlène Favier, Sylvain Chomet, Anaïs Petit, Lisa Azuelos, Valentine Cadic, Sophie Marceau, Thaïs Alessandrin, and Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne.
Q&A sessions will follow the screenings.
The selection
- A Private Life by Rebecca Zlotowski (opening film)
- A Missing Part by Guillaume Senez
- Once Upon My Mother by Ken Scott
- The Wizard of the Kremlin by Olivier Assayas
- LOL 2.0: Anne's Golden Hour by Lisa Azuelos
- That Summer in Paris by Valentine Cadic
- It Was Just an Accident by Jafar Panahi
- Enzo by Robin Campillo
- A Magnificent Life by Sylvain Chomet
- The Great Arch by Stéphane Demoustier
- Oxana by Charlène Favier
- The Young Mothers' Home by Luc Dardenne and Jean-Pierre Dardenne (closing film)
The festival's official website
Related event
"Olivier Assayas 2026 – Cinema in the Present"
In partnership with the Institut Français in Japan – Espaces Images, a retrospective from March 18 to April 5, 2026, featuring a dozen major works and an exceptional masterclass with Olivier Assayas.
Talk Elle, Sunday, March 22, in the presence of Valentine Cadic, Charlène Favier, Miwa Nishikawa, and Miyuki Fukuma.
Faces of French Cinema exhibition
Echoing the festival, this photographic exhibition will be held at the Galerie Boutique agnès b. from February 21 to April 5, 2026, offering an exploration of the history of the festival in Japan through the eyes and iconic faces immortalized by photographers Marie Rouge, Laura Stevens, and Philippe R. Doumic.
Air France contest
Air France is giving away two round-trip tickets in economy class from Japan to Paris. One audience member, chosen at random from among those who put in an Audience Award vote, will win a round-trip ticket for themselves and a companion of their choice (departing from Japan, from the same city, and bound for Paris).
Film and Audiovisual Market
Following the festival, Unifrance is organizing the French Film and Audiovisual Market in Tokyo on March 23 and 24 at Shibuya Scramble Hall, in the heart of the Shibuya district. Around fifty Japanese buyers – as well as Korean buyers, for the audiovisual side – will be present to meet with French sellers exhibiting at the market.
An opening cocktail party for the market will be held on Monday, March 23 at the Torque restaurant.
The companies present
Audiovisual
- About Premium Content
- Ampersand
- Arte Distribution
- CPB
- Federation International
- France tv distribution
- HARI
- Millimages
- NORMAAL
Film
- Be For Films
- Best Friend Forever (BFF)
- Charades
- Gaumont
- Ginger & Fed
- Global Constellation
- Goodfellas
- Goodfellas Animation
- Indie Sales
- Kinology
- Le Pacte
- Logical Pictures international
- Losange Films
- Lucky Number
- mk2 films
- SND - Groupe M6
- STUDIO TF1
- The Pool Films
- Urban Sales
The French Film Festival in Japan is organized in collaboration with the Ambassade de France in Japan and the Institut Français in Japan.
It benefits from the valuable support of d'agnès b., Tokyu Hotels & Resorts, CNC, PROCIREP, Sacem / Copie privée, Bunkamura, Eurospace, Shibuya MICE Association, Shibuya City Tourism Association, TitraFilm, and the City of Shibuya.
Unifrance also thanks the patrons of the Unifrance Endowment Fund: Accor (Grand Patron), BNP Paribas (Patron), and Maison Pommery & Associés (Patron).
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