How many times have you heard someone say they learnt English, Japanese or even Cantonese by watching television? Since the invention of the so-called “idiot box” — which it really isn’t — TV has been a springboard into language learning around the world, though its efficacy is debatable.
So has film. The Alliance Française de Hong Kong, formally established in 1953, has used film alongside radio, library services and social gatherings to extend its language teaching beyond the classroom. “Language and culture go hand in hand,” says Alliance Française executive director Julia Liotard-Vogt.
Along with the Goethe-Institut and the British Council, the Alliance Française has become a Hong Kong institution since opening formally in 1953. In November that year, it held its first film event at the Queen’s Theatre, featuring Jacques Tati’s Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot (Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday) among four films. In 1967, it opened a 150-seat cinema at its centre in the Realty Building in Central, which became a regular haunt for film buffs. The festival became an annual event in 1972, when French Cinepanorama was established with the local government. The Hong Kong International Film Festival followed in 1977.
“I believe one of our most meaningful contributions has been broadening Hong Kong audiences’ exposure to different cinematic traditions and ways of storytelling,” says Liotard-Vogt. “French cinema has always been known for its creativity, artistic freedom and willingness to challenge conventions, and through the Festival, we have sought to bring these perspectives to local audiences.”
That’s not an exaggeration. Hong Kong filmmakers including Wong Kar-wai and Mary Stephen have drawn on French cinema, particularly the Nouvelle Vague. The Annecy International Animation Film Festival has also been a platform for regional animation, including Hong Kong’s Another World and Odium Zero, and the Philippines–France co-production Zsazsa Zaturnnah. Five animated films appear at HKFFF this year: Iron Boy, Jim Queen, Asterix – The Kingdom of Nubia, Viva Carmen and Little Vampire.
Not just France
“Wow!” says Alliance Française culture and events manager Thibault Paris, asked whether he agrees about the festival’s lasting impact on Hong Kong film culture. “I think it would be quite arrogant to say, ‘Yes,’ because HKIFF started just a few years later, but part of AF’s mandate is to make French culture accessible, of which cinema is a huge part. [We have] a long presence here; we’re implanted locally, and I think maybe from a Hongkongers’ point of view France is part of the history of cinema, it’s identified as the birthplace of cinema. So a little bit?”
Paris is preparing his sixth festival, which begins on 11 November. It is not limited to films from France: productions from Switzerland, Belgium, Quebec, Algeria, Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal can also appear on the programme. This year’s adaptations of French literary classics include Alexandre Castagnetti’s The Phantom of the Opera and Fred Cavayé’s Les Misérables; last year’s programme featured The Count of Monte Cristo. “When I look at the list, [it’s] a lot of social drama. It’s not only French cinema that’s doing this, but I think that’s what’s interesting right now,” says Paris.
The 2026 edition features more than 50 films across eight venues, including the Hong Kong debut of Directors’ Fortnight Extended. Its artistic director, Julien Rejl, will introduce a selection of six films from the Cannes sidebar: four from its 2026 programme and two classics. There are also tributes to Brigitte Bardot and Nathalie Baye, and a visit from director Jean-Pierre Jeunet, who will “present his new film Violette, lead masterclasses and meet audiences,” says Liotard-Vogt. On 17 November, he will take part in a Q&A after a screening of Amélie.
What has kept that film in the spotlight for 25 years? “It presents the Paris that people fantasise about,” says Paris. “It’s a classic.”
The most fun section this year could be “French Frames in Hong Kong”, a series of five films spanning five decades that feature the city — a trickier task than it appears. Paris recalls one from childhood fondly: “I watched it probably 10 times, The Guardian Angels. It’s with Gerard Depardieu but it’s very Hong Kong style.” He pauses before adding, “There were plenty I saw from the 1960s and the 1970s, that we could screen in Hong Kong, but would demand a very specific presentation. They’re a bit outdated,” he says diplomatically. The selection includes Chinese Adventures in China (Philippe de Broca, 1965), starring Jean-Paul Belmondo and Ursula Andress, Banzaï (Claude Zidi, 1983), The Guardian Angels (Jean-Marie Poiré, 1995), La Moustache (Emmanuel Carrère, 2005) and Largo Winch (Jérôme Salle, 2008).
Paris also wants HKFFF to reach more people and cultivate the next generation of cinema-goers. With more resources, he would add Chinese subtitles to every film and involve more local talent. For now, he has collaborated with former Broadway Cinematheque programmer, critic and academic Clarence Tsui on “On va au ciné – Let’s Go to the Movies!”, a series of free screenings for primary, secondary and university students, as well as teachers. The outreach programme complements screenings at other locations, including the Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre’s Black Box Theatre in Shek Kip Mei.
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- Still, Gabin, film directed by Maxence Voiseux
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- Still, Iron Boy, animation directed by Louis Clichy
Must-sees
Asked for must-sees, Paris names Maxence Voiseux’s Gabin: “A documentary that follows a French boy from the countryside from eight years old to 18. I think it’s great, and [Rejl] introducing the film will connect people to it.” Another pick is Louis Clichy’s Iron Boy: “Because in the era of AI, it’s quite refreshing to see the style, the ink strokes. It’s not perfect and that’s what makes it beautiful.”
He also recommends Karine Silla’s A Dangerous Game, based on Qui ne dit mot consent, a novel by Hong Kong-based writer Alma Brahmi. Paris values the film’s nuanced portrayal of psychological abuse: “People imagine it’s easy to get out of a toxic relationship, but do you notice if you’re being abused? This is very subtle, and there is no physical violence. But the husband is abusing his wife in different ways psychologically, and I think [the film] helps us understand how difficult it is to notice – and how the person being abused can come to defend the abuser.” Brahmi will attend a Q&A on 25 November.
The festival opens on 11 November at Hong Kong City Hall with De Gaulle: Résistance, the first part of Antonin Baudry’s historical biopic about Second World War general and future French president Charles de Gaulle. The second film, De Gaulle: Liberté, screens at City Hall on 13 November.
“Our partnership with the LCSD since 1972 has also helped make the Festival a fixture of the city’s cultural calendar,” says Liotard-Vogt. “Some Hong Kong artists and filmmakers have said that they first discovered French cinema through the Festival, which is perhaps the most rewarding part of our work.”
The 55th Hong Kong French Film Festival runs from 11 November to 9 December 2026. Visit our What’s On page for more information.