Rendez-Vous with French Cinema

What’s happening in French cinema right now?

For more than three decades, Film at Lincoln Center’s Rendez-Vous With French Cinema has served as the premier U.S. launchpad for new French films — often signaling which titles will break into the American market. Now in its 31st edition, this year’s program brings 22 features to the Walter Reade Theater from March 5–15, with many filmmakers and cast members in attendance.

For distributors, programmers, and serious cinephiles, Rendez-Vous is more than a festival — it’s an early look at the next wave of French filmmaking and a bellwether for potential U.S. acquisitions.

To unpack this year’s lineup, we sat down with Florence Almozini, Vice President of Programming for Film at Lincoln Center. In our conversation, we discuss the state of film production in France, the curatorial lens behind this year’s selections, and which titles may be poised for broader U.S. distribution following their New York premieres.

If you love international cinema, this episode offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at how French films find their way to American audiences.

Listen now to our conversation with Florence Almozini about Rendez-Vous With French Cinema — on INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE, starting now.

Florence Almozini is the Vice President of Programming for Film at Lincoln Center. She serves on selection committees for the New York Film Festival, New Directors/New Films, and Rendez-Vous with French Cinema; oversees all programming for FLC, including new releases, retrospectives, and educational initiatives; and manages the year-round programming team. She has organized numerous retrospectives at FLC, including recent programs on Edward Yang (2023), Denis Villeneuve (2024), and Frederick Wiseman (2025). Almozini was previously the Director of BAMcinématek, where she worked from 1999 to 2013. In 2009, she launched the venue’s first ever film festival, BAMcinemaFest, where she served as Festival Director. She was part of the Selection Committee for Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight in 2022 and has served on juries for the Berlinale, Mar del Plata, and Tribeca Film Festivals, as well as the Cinema Tropical and IFP Gotham Awards. She was awarded the Chevalier of Arts and Letters by the French Ministry of Culture in 2013.

Unifrance and Film at Lincoln Center present the 31st edition of Rendez-Vous with French Cinema. The 22-film program showcases the dynamism and range of contemporary French cinema, featuring works by emerging filmmakers and acclaimed auteurs. Spanning a wide variety of genres—including coming-of-age stories, historical dramas, procedurals, and contemporary social portraits—the selection highlights official entries from Cannes, Venice, and Locarno, and includes multiple nominees for top César Awards, France’s Academy Awards.

Organized by Florence Almozini and Madeline Whittle, in collaboration with Unifrance, Rendez-Vous with French Cinema is from March 5-15th at the Lincoln Center, NY.