School Screenings Selection 2026

4 March - 8 April 2026

SCHEDULE SCHEDULE

BOOKING INSTRUCTIONS BOOKING INSTRUCTIONS

The Alliance Française de Sydney and Palace Cinemas are delighted to announce 5 films as part of the 2026 Alliance Française French Film Festival School Screenings. Teaching kits will be available for each film to help you prepare activities with your class before or after the screenings.

LITTLE AMÉLIE OR THE CHARACTER OF RAIN - AMÉLIE ET LA MÉTAPHYSIQUE DES TUBES | FROM Y5

Director: Maïlys Vallade, Liane-Cho Han
Country: France
Cast: Loïse Charpentier, Victoria Grosbois, Yumi Fujimori, Cathy Cerdà, Marc Arnaud
Run time: 1h17 - 77' mins
Date of Release: 25/06/2025
Recommended: (10 – 14 years): Year 5 to Year 9
Genre: Animation
Language: French with English subtitles
Classification: PG
Trailer: TBC

SYNOPSIS

Amélie, a little Belgian girl born in Japan, spends her early years trapped within her own body: until she is two and a half, she sees herself as a simple “tube,” unable to act or express her feelings. In her innocence, she believes herself at the center of the world, almost divine, watched by adults who try to pierce her silence.
Everything changes on her third birthday. A single piece of white chocolate sparks a breathtaking transformation: the child awakens to life. Light, fear, joy, sounds, and words surge within her like an explosion of discovery.
Amélie learns language, explores her family, the paradisiacal garden surrounding her home, as well as her first passions and aversions. Guided by her friend Nishio-san, every moment becomes an adventure, every feeling a revelation.
Japan from the 1960s emerges in vibrant colours and delicate textures, reflecting Amélie’s emotions and her innocent, naïve, and wide-eyed perspective. This adaptation of Amélie Nothomb’s novel celebrates the transition from early childhood to childhood, and the awakening of a mind marveling at the beauty of the world.

CLASSIFICATION – CONTENT WARNING

Schools considering the School Screening of LITTLE AMÉLIE OR THE CHARACTER OF RAIN are advised of the following content:

Themes of religion and faith (references to God/the divine).
Scenes of children arguing, including brief physical fighting.
Discussions of death and grief, including the death of the grandmother (but not pictured).
Discussions related to war (but not pictured).

Date	Cinema	Time
Wed 4 March, 2026	Palace Norton	10.00 am
Wed 11 March, 2026	Hayden Orpheum	10.00 am
Thu 12 March, 2026	Palace Moore Park	10.00 am
Tue 17 March, 2026	Palace Moore Park	10.00 am
Wed 18 March, 2026	Palace Central	10.00 am
Wed 25 March, 2026	Palace Moore Park	10.00 am
Thu 26 March, 2026	Palace Central	10.00 am
Tue 31 March, 2026	Palace Central	10.00 am

ARCO - ARCO | FROM Y6

Director: Ugo Bienvenu
Country: France
Cast: Margot Ringard Oldra, Oscar Tresanini, Swann Arlaud, Alma Jodorowsky, Vincent Macaigne
Run time: 1h28 - 88' mins
Date of Release: 22/10/2025
Recommended: (11 - 17 years) : Year 6 to Year 12
Genre: Animation
Language: French with English subtitles
Classification: TBC
Trailer: TBC

SYNOPSIS

In 2075, a young girl named Iris lives in a world where augmented reality serves as a veil over a ravaged Earth, constantly struck by natural disasters. One day, a mysterious boy dressed in a rainbow suit falls from the sky: Arco, a child from the year 2932, coming from a utopian future where harmony with all living things prevails and where time travel is possible. For Iris, he becomes living proof of a better world, and the embodiment of a wondrous secret
Lost and disoriented, Arco must find a way to return home. Iris decides to help him at all costs, embarking on a journey where Arco’s purity exposes the absurdity of the world humanity is heading toward. Together, they cross a fragile future, revealing the beauty, fear, and contradictions of an Earth on the brink of collapse.
As they move through this precarious future, where nature, technology, and illusion collide, their encounter becomes a delicate quest, balancing wonder and awakening, illuminating what remains to be saved.
Presented in Official Selection at the Cannes Film Festival, Arco, an animated film by Ugo Bienvenu, won three awards at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, including the Cristal for Best Feature Film.

CLASSIFICATION – CONTENT WARNING

Schools considering School Screening of ARCO are advised of the following content:

Death of the robot.
Close-up of a scar, with a bit of blood.
Surgical procedure implied (the robot stitches Arco’s scar, but the image stops at the thread passing through the eye of the needle).
Low-impact car accident.
Scenes of wildfires.
Brief knockout of secondary characters.
Arco is shirtless while receiving medical care.
Some language: débile, idiot, cafteuse
The robot appears in the dark with red eyes that can be slightly frightening.

Date	Cinema	Time
Wed 4 March, 2026	Palace Central	10.00 am
Thu 5 March, 2026	Palace Moore Park	10.00 am
Tue 10 March, 2026	Palace Central	10.00 am
Wed 11 March, 2026	Palace Moore Park	10.00 am
Tue 17 March, 2026	Palace Norton	10.00 am
Tue 24 March, 2026	Palace Moore Park	10.00 am
Thu 26 March, 2026	Hayden Orpheum	10.00 am
Wed 1 April, 2026	Hayden Orpheum	10.00 am

TREASURE HUNTERS: ON THE TRACKS OF KHUFU- LE SECRET DE KHÉOPS | FROM Y7

Director: Barbara Schulz
Country: France
Cast: Fabrice Luchini, Julia Piaton, Gavril Dartevelle, Johann Dionnet, Camille Japy
Run time: 1h37– 97’ mins
Date of Release: 05/03/2025
Recommended: (12 – 17 years): From Year 7
Genre: Fiction
Language: French with English subtitles
Classification: PG
Trailer: TBC

SYNOPSIS

What if Egypt’s greatest treasure – the lost treasure of Pharaoh Khufu – were not buried beneath the sands, but hidden in the heart of Paris?
This crazy theory obsesses Christian Robinson (Fabrice Luchini, The Mystery of Henri Pick, AF FF20), a brilliant yet wildly unconventional archaeologist who becomes convinced of it after uncovering a strange inscription during illegal excavations in Cairo... Certain that the key lies in the clues left behind by the first director of the Louvre, Robinson launches into an extraordinary treasure hunt across Paris.
From the labyrinth of the Louvre’s archives to the shadowed chambers of the Château de Malmaison, Robinson follows a trail that may rewrite history. He is joined – willingly or otherwise – by his daughter Isis (Julia Piaton, Like a Prince, AF FF25) and his grandson Julien (Gavril Dartevelle), forming an unlikely trio propelled by the dream of uncovering the most spectacular archaeological find of the 21st century.
Directed by Barbara Schulz, the film is inspired by true historical threads, including Napoleon’s Egyptian campaign and the astonishing artefacts brought back to France. With wit and imagination, it blends fact and fiction into a spirited adventure through time, museums and family bonds.

CLASSIFICATION – CONTENT WARNING

Schools considering the School Screening of TREASURE HUNTERS: ON THE TRACKS OF KHUFU are advised of the following content:

The film has no particular content concerns, apart from a few mild fight scenes.
Note that the grandfather encourages his grandson to lie to his school about his absence, in order to take him on the adventure.
Regarding language: several French expressions such as “merde”, “putain”, “fait chier”, and “tu m’emmerdes” appear in the film. They are used in a natural, light-hearted, and friendly way, without any intention to be aggressive or insulting. In English, they would correspond to mild expressions such as “damn” or “leave me alone.”

Date	Cinema	Time
Fri 6 March, 2026	Palace Moore Park	10.00 am
Tue 10 March, 2026	Palace Norton	10.00 am
Thu 12 March, 2026	Palace Central	10.00 am
Wed 18 March, 2026	Hayden Orpheum	10.00 am
Thu 19 March, 2026	Palace Moore Park	10.00 am
Tue 25 March, 2026	Palace Norton	10.00 am
Wed 1 April, 2026	Palace Moore Park	10.00 am

JEAN VALJEAN - JEAN VALJEAN - | FROM Y9

Director: Eric Besnard
Country: France
Cast: Grégory Gadebois, Bernard Campan, Isabelle Carré, Alexandra Lamy, Dominique Pinon
Run time: 1h38 – 98’ mins
Date of Release: 19/11/2025
Recommended: (14 – 17 years): Year 9 to Year 12
Genre: Drama, Book Adaptation
Language: French with English subtitles
Classification: TBC
Trailer: TBC

SYNOPSIS

In this compelling new adaptation of Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables, Jean Valjean (2025) focuses on the transformative first arc of the legendary tale. After 19 years of brutal hard labour for stealing a loaf of bread, Jean Valjean is released on parole — but freedom proves harsher than prison in a society that refuses to let him forget his past. When a generous bishop shows him unexpected kindness, Valjean faces a choice that will define his life.
Blending historical authenticity with deeply felt performances, the film revisits Hugo’s timeless questions of justice, mercy, and human resilience. A gripping, elegantly told drama that invites a new generation to rediscover the moral power of Valjean’s journey.

CLASSIFICATION – CONTENT WARNING

Schools considering the School Screening of JEAN VALJEAN are advised of the following content:

Mature themes: Social Injustice, Poverty, Stigma
Moderate violence (bloodied faces, beating) and violence against animals (short fight with a dog)
Moderately frightening scenes:murder (mauling), dead bodies
Mention of deadly disease (coughing blood) and hunger
Minimal swearing and use of alcohol

Date	Cinema	Time
Thu 5 March, 2026	Hayden Orpheum	10.00 am
Tue 10 March, 2026	Palace Moore Park	10.00 am
Wed 11 March, 2026	Palace Central	10.00 am
Tue 17 March, 2026	Palace Central	10.00 am
Wed 18 March, 2026	Palace Moore Park	10.00 am
Tue 24 March, 2026	Palace Central	10.00 am
Wed 1 April, 2026	Palace Norton	10.00 am
Thu 2 April, 2026	Palace Moore Park	10.00 am

THE MUSICIANS - LES MUSICIENS | FROM Y10

Director: Grégory Magne
Country: France
Cast: Valérie Donzell, Frédéric Pierrot, Mathieu Spinosi, Emma Ravier, Daniel Garlitzky
Run time: 1h42 – 102’ mins
Date of Release: 07/05/2025
Recommended: (15 – 17 years): Year 10 to Year 12
Genre: Comedy
Language: French with English subtitles
Classification: PG
Trailer: TBC

SYNOPSIS

Astrid Carson, heiress to her recently deceased father’s vast fortune, takes the helm of his foundation with one goal: to fulfill his lifelong dream of bringing together four Stradivarius violins to perform a quartet he commissioned 25 years earlier from the renowned composer Charlie Beaumont.
But assembling four extraordinary musicians for this once-in-a-lifetime concert proves far more challenging than she imagined. As rehearsals unfold, egos clash and tensions rise, turning the pursuit of perfection into a delicate balancing act.
In this intimate, music-filled drama, the world of classical music comes alive, revealing the intricate dynamics of creativity, ambition, and the human spirit.

CLASSIFICATION – CONTENT WARNING

Schools considering School Screening of THE MUSICIANS are advised of the following content:

3–4 scenes showing the composer smoking during breaks
2 scenes in which wine is served and consumed at dinner
1 brief scuffle/squabbling between two musicians
Artistic pressure, Professional rivalry, Creative frustration

Date	Cinema	Time
Wed 11 March, 2026	Palace Norton	10.00 am
Tue 17 March, 2026	Hayden Orpheum	10.00 am
Thu 26 March, 2026	Palace Moore Park	10.00 am
Wed 1 April, 2026	Palace Central	10.00 am

Register to receive information about school screenings.

Screening for Teachers

Let us treat you to a night off with a free, private advanced-screening of the Alliance Française French Film Festival. End of January, in conjunction with NSW Department of Education, Association of Independent Schools NSW and NAFT, this event is not to be missed.