Le Petit Septième is pleased to once again serve as a media partner for Cinefranco, helping to introduce francophone cinema to as many non-francophones as possible.
Cinéfranco invites Toronto film lovers on a ten-day journey where fiction intersects with reality, where great stories meet local voices, and where several films will make their first contact with Canadian or Torontonian audiences.
Under the George Orwell-inspired theme “2 + 2 = 5”: Could fiction become reality?, the 29th edition features over 30 films, including 17 premieres, Q&As with artists, and a selection that takes the audience on a journey from international creations to local francophone cinema.
Opening Night
The 29th edition will kick off on Friday, November 6 at 7:00 PM with Imelda contre-attaque, making its Ontario premiere in the presence of director Martin Villeneuve.
An opening film featuring an impressive cast including Martin Villeneuve in the title role, Robert Lepage, Michel Barrette, Anne-Marie Cadieux, Benoit Brière, and Louise Forestier, which will set the tone right away for an edition dedicated to fiction, imagination, and our sometimes surprising relationship with reality!
Closing Night
Cinéfranco closes on Saturday, November 14 at 7:30 PM with Pauline Julien Femme Pays, by Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette.
Presented as an English Canada premiere, this film offers a fitting conclusion to a festival celebrating the voices, journeys, and figures that have shaped francophone culture. Featuring a masterful performance by Suzanne Clément.
The Premieres
Between the opening and closing nights, premieres take center stage in the programming. Cinéfranco offers the Toronto public the opportunity to discover works in world, North American, Canadian, Ontario, or English Canada premieres.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7
1:30 PM –La Maison des femmes– English Canada Premiere – in partnership with Oasis Centre des femmes.
A film that places women and their reality at the heart of the story, presented in collaboration with a Toronto organization committed to women.
4:00 PM –Classe Moyenne– English Canada Premiere – presented with Français du monde – FDM.
A comedy-drama selected at Cannes for the Directors’ Fortnight, starring Laurent Lafitte and Élodie Bouchez, which promises to prompt reflection on social relations and the realities hidden behind that familiar phrase: “middle class.”
6:00 PM –125, rue des Malaises– English Canada Premiere – with director Louis Bélanger in attendance.
A special opportunity to meet director Louis Bélanger and discover his new film, one of Quebec cinema’s biggest box-office hits, starring Rémi Girard and Guylaine Tremblay. English Canada premiere.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8
2:30 PM –Jean Valjean– English Canada Premiere.
A new foray into the world of a mythical character from Victor Hugo’s work, presented here in a film still unseen by English Canadian audiences.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9
6:30 PM –La Vénus électrique– English Canada Premiere.
A film arriving in Toronto crowned by its international festival run, allowing film lovers to discover a work hitherto unreleased here. Starring Gilles Lellouche.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10
6:30 PM –Le Crime du 3e étage– Canadian Premiere.
A Canadian premiere that offers Toronto filmgoers the chance to discover the film on the big screen before its wider Canadian release. A nod to the master of suspense, Hitchcock, starring Laetitia Casta and Gilles Lellouche.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11 — REMEMBRANCE DAY
6:30 PM –Le Faux Soir– presented with TO.BE Belgian Social Club.
Presented on Remembrance Day, this film offers a special opportunity to revisit World War II through cinema, with a narrative inviting reflection on memory and human choices in times of war.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12
6:30 PM –Jupiter– English Canada Premiere.
Selected at the Venice Film Festival, a Toronto premiere that plunges the audience into a narrative marked by political themes and suspense. Starring André Dussollier.
8:30 PM –De la Comédie Française– English Canada Premiere – in partnership with TfT (Théâtre français de Toronto).
A privileged look into the world of the prestigious Comédie-Française, presented in collaboration with the Théâtre français de Toronto.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13
6:30 PM –François.e– in partnership with FrancoQueer – English Canada Premiere – screenplay by Gabrielle Boulianne-Tremblay.
Photo credit: Danny Taillon
A film by Jean-François Asselin starring Louis Morissette that humorously addresses identity, the body, and its representation.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14
3:00 PM –Amir mon petit prince– in partnership with RACCORD.
This documentary paints a moving portrait of a radiant little boy and a resilient mother who transforms hardships into adventures. In 2025 – La Vague Léonard-Forest Award for Best Acadian Work (Medium or Feature-Length Documentary), FICFA.
5:30 PM –Une affaire turque– North American Premiere.
A contemporary thriller starring Charles Berling where corruption, AI, integration, and power intersect.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15
10:00 AM –Les Rayons et les Ombres– in partnership with La Société d’histoire de Toronto – English Canada Premiere.
A film starring Jean Dujardin that resonates particularly well with the section dedicated to memory: a work that allows history and conflicts to be approached through a different lens.
2:30 PM –La Troisième Nuit– North American Premiere – in partnership with the Toronto Jewish Film Festival.
A film given a standing ovation at Cannes, directed by and starring Daniel Auteuil, which extends the festival’s dialogue with history and memory, intended for audiences aged 14 and up. Based on a true story.
4:30 PM –Derrière les palmiers– presented with the Moroccan Association of Toronto – North American Premiere.
A premiere opening a window onto another francophone cinema, in partnership with Toronto’s Moroccan community.
Guests
Once again this year, Cinéfranco focuses on direct encounters between creators and the audience.
Martin Villeneuve will open the festival on November 6 with Imelda contre-attaque.
Louis Bélanger will be present on November 7 for 125, rue des Malaises.
Louis Godbout will be present for La Place on Sunday, November 8 at 5:00 PM.
