Angoulême opens the Francophone film festival today: Cambodia is the guest country

In Angoulême, the capital of Charente, the 19th edition of the Festival du Film Francophone begins today, running from August 24 to 29, 2026.

The opening is set for tonight at 8pm, at the CGR and the Théâtre, with “Ni vue, ni connue” by Marc Fitoussi, distributed by Memento, whose cast includes Isabelle Huppert, Sandrine Kiberlain, Anne Marivin, Emmanuelle Bercot, Diane Kruger, Ana Girardot and Vincent Dedienne. The program is the one presented on July 9 and released by Ciné Alliance, AlloCiné, Boxoffice Pro and the official program.

What is in competition

Ten feature films are competing for the Valois awards. The Francophone jury is chaired by actor and comedian Franck Dubosc; the student jury by Sara Mortensen.

The selection is where the festival shows its geographic reach: among the titles in competition are “Ben’Imana” by Rwandan director Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo, a co-production between Rwanda and France, and “Congo Boy” by Central African filmmaker Rafiki Fariala. This is what sets this event apart from other French late-summer festivals: the admission criterion is linguistic, not national, and this brings to the lineup cinematographies that circulate little in the European circuit.

Nine films from Cambodia

This year’s guest country is Cambodia, present with nine films. Among these are four works by Rithy Panh, “Diamond Island” by Davy Chou and “White Building” by Kavich Neang. The selection was presented, not by chance, at the residence of the Cambodian ambassador in France.

Alongside the film program is a non-cinematic event: on August 28, a debate on genocide and democratic construction is scheduled at the Angoulême courthouse. It is a choice that links the retrospective to the guest country’s recent history rather than merely serving as a showcase.

Date	Event
August 24	Opening with “Ni vue, ni connue” by Marc Fitoussi
August 28	Debate at the courthouse on genocide and democratic construction
August 29	Closing with “Dix pour cent – le film” by Émilie Noblet

The tribute and the rest

Eleven titles chosen by Dominique Besnehard make up the retrospective dedicated to Nathalie Baye: a tribute of national scope to the actress, whose passing in April 2026 is reported by the organizers.

“she was always a loyal supporter of the festival” (transl. from French) — Dominique Besnehard, co-founder and general delegate of the Festival d’Angoulême

The closing, on August 29, is entrusted to “Dix pour cent – le film” by Émilie Noblet, written by Fanny Herrero and Lison Daniel, with the cast of the series it derives from. Among the novelties of this edition, an opening and closing ceremony theme composed by Benjamin Biolay.

The event was created in 2008 by Marie-France Brière, Dominique Besnehard and Patrick Mardikian. Over six days of programming, between the ten films in competition, the nine Cambodian titles and the eleven in the retrospective, this edition’s lineup counts at least thirty titles.