The sixteenth edition of the Rendez-vous – Nuovo cinema francese, the festival initiated by the Ambassade de France in Italy and organized by the Institut Françaisin collaboration with Unifrance, will take place from April 7 to 11, 2026, with numerous guests in attendance, once again at the legendary Cinema Nuovo Sacher, Nanni Moretti's movie theater, as well as at the Centre Saint-Louis.
The festival will also feature regional editions across the country from April 7 to 15 in Turin, Milan, Bologna, Florence, Naples, and Palermo.
The 2026 edition will feature 14 recent French films, accompanied by a delegation of filmmakers who will engage with the audience.
Confirmed attendees include Isabelle Huppert, Marina Foïs, Reda Kateb, Léa Drucker, Louis Garrel, Ella Rumpf, Elsa Zylberstein, Thierry Klifa, Antony Cordier, Jean-Paul Salomé, Romane Bohringer, Dominik Moll, Alice Douard, Nathan Ambrosioni, Louise Hémon, Anna Cazenave Cambet, Vinciane Millereau, and Alexis Ducord. All participating artists will take part in Q&A sessions with the audience following the screenings.
Opening night
The Richest Woman In the World will be screened in the presence of Isabelle Huppert, this year’s guest of honor, Marina Foïs, and director Thierry Klifa. The screening will be followed by a gala evening in the sumptuous setting of the Palazzo Farnese, the headquarters of the Ambassade de France in Italy. Many Italian and French industry professionals will be in attendance.
The selection
- The Richest Woman In the World by Thierry Klifa (opening film)
- The Secret of Birds by Antoine Lanciaux
- Love Letters by Alice Douard
- Love Me Tender by Anna Cazenave Cambet
- Into The Wonderwoods by Vincent Paronnaud (Winshluss) and Alexis Ducord
- Out of Love by Nathan Ambrosioni
- Case 137 by Dominik Moll
- The Girl in the Snow by Louise Hémon
- The Party's Over by Antony Cordier
- Couture by Alice Winocour
- Leave One Day by Amélie Bonnin
- Cycle of Time by Vinciane Millereau
- The Money Maker by Jean-Paul Salomé
- Tell Her I Love Her by Romane Bohringer
Roundtables and meetings
Among the new features of this edition is a roundtable discussion centered on the Demain en vues label, initiated by Unifrance with the support of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, dedicated to young filmmakers and new narratives in contemporary cinema. This label highlights films that depict the world of today and tomorrow, telling stories about new family, generational, and gender relationships through social, political, and environmental themes.
The event will take place on Friday, April 10, at the Nuovo Sacher cinema, with Giona A. Nazzaro (moderator) and Margherita Spampinato in attendance, as well as Nathan Ambrosioni, a jury member, and Alice Douard, the first recipient of the label at this year's Rendez-vous.
Another new feature this year is the partnership with La Sapienza University of Rome. Three students from the art-house cinema course in the Department of History, Anthropology, Religions, Art, and Performing Arts (SARAS) will actively participate in the festival by leading the Q&A session following the screening of Tell Her I Love Her, by Romane Bohringer.
Last but not least, with the aim of engaging new generations, a Youth Jury, composed of students from five Italian universities, is also being launched this year. It will be responsible for awarding a prize to a first or second film among those in the selection.
Professional day
Unifrance - Institut Français Italy - Cinecittà professional meetings
As part of the professional program of the Rendez-vous, Unifrance, in partnership with Cinecittà studios and the Institut Français – Italy, will host a Franco-Italian meeting at the Palazzo Farnese (Ambassade de France).
French and Italian industry delegations will be present to participate in several discussion sessions on the state of film distribution and exhibition in Italy, relations with streaming platforms, the Italian tax credit, current trends in mergers and acquisitions, and artificial intelligence.
The French industry delegation will consist of:
- Seven producers: Éric Altmayer (Mandarin & Compagnie), Pauline Attal (Cheyenne Federation), Raphaëlle Delauche (Novoprod Cinéma Cinema), Bertrand Faivre (Le Bureau Films), Florence Gastaud (Les Compagnons du Cinéma), Marc Jousset (Je Suis Bien Content), Mathias Rubin (Récifilms) and Didier Creste (Everybody On Deck).
- Three respresentatives of export companies: Victoire De Monès (France tv distribution), Elise Proux (Pathé Films), and Garance Targowla (Urban Sales).
- A representative of the CNC, Lucile Revelon.
- A representative of Cofiloisirs, Dominique Malet.
Alongside the festival
The Palatine Prize at the Rendez-vous 2026
Presented at the Rendez-vous 2026, Leave One Day by Amélie Bonnin is one of three French films selected for the 2026 Palatine Prize. The Palatine Prize is the first and only binational film award presented by high school students in Italy and France. Italian high school students will be responsible for choosing their favorite film from among the three French films selected in 2026. French high school students, for their part, will be responsible for selecting an Italian film from among the three works proposed this year.
Partners
The 16th Rendez-vous – Nuovo cinema francese is proudly supported by: BNL BNP Paribas (the festival’s main sponsor), Borsalino, Château Livran, Sofitel Rome Villa Borghese, the City of Rome, Rai Cultura, Rai Radio 3, Comingsoon.it, and Nuovo Sacher.
Unifrance also thanks the patrons of the Unifrance Endowment Fund: Accor (Major Patron), BNP Paribas (Patron), and Maison Pommery & Associés (Patron).
