The Boston French Film Festival returns with an exciting lineup that captures the textures, tensions, and petits bonheurs (small joys) of contemporary French life. The festival opens with Three Friends, Emmanuel Mouret’s bittersweet comedy about love, infidelity, and emotional entanglement among a trio of women. Catherine Deneuve leads The President’s Wife, a sly comedy about politician Bernadette Chirac’s bid to step out from her husband’s shadow. Winner of the 2024 Jury Prize and Best Actor award in the Un Certain Regard section of Cannes, Souleymane’s Story is a gripping portrait of life on the margins. Holy Cow brings charm to the lineup with a tale about a teenage cheesemaker chasing a contest prize, while Night Call delivers high-stakes thrills as a locksmith races through Brussels during a night of unrest. Alexandre de La Patellière and Matthieu Delaporte’s sweeping new adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo reminds us that French cinema, like the country’s literature, still revels in grand tales of betrayal, justice, and revenge.

Together, these films offer a vivid snapshot of a society in motion—ever-evolving while remaining rooted in the passionate pursuit of artistic and intellectual truth. Grab some French wine and cheese at Taste and join us for these evocative stories.

The festival runs from July 25 through August 24. The first part of the lineup is announced June 10 and tickets go on sale June 17; additional films will be added July 1, with tickets going on sale July 8.