Orange Film Society is inviting audiences to experience the best of contemporary French cinema when it presents its French Film Festival from Friday, July 31, to Sunday, August 2.

Held over three days, the festival features five acclaimed French-language films spanning drama, mystery and comedy, offering local audiences the opportunity to enjoy outstanding international cinema on the big screen.

Orange Film Society President Karen Schultz says the festival reflects the Society's ongoing commitment to bringing outstanding international cinema to the Central West.

"French cinema has a well-earned reputation for exceptional storytelling, memorable characters and beautiful cinematography. We've selected five outstanding films that we believe Orange audiences will thoroughly enjoy, whether they're lifelong fans of French films or discovering French cinema for the first time."

The festival program showcases a diverse range of stories - from gripping mysteries and historical dramas to heartfelt comedies and compelling character studies - demonstrating why France continues to be one of the world's most celebrated filmmaking nations.

Long-time member of the Orange Film Society, Robert Bruce, says bringing festivals like this to the Central West is exactly why the society was founded more than 40 years ago.

"The Travelling Film Festival introduced us to a whole new world," recalls Bruce of the film festival founded by the late David Stratton in 1974. "There was no streaming, no SBS; we just didn't have access to any of that, and the Travelling Film Festival arrived initially, and all of a sudden we could see just how amazing these films were!

"We got together a group of 10 or 15 of us and decided to organise the Orange Film Society, which started to bring these types of films up every month."

These days, people have access to a world of entertainment from their living rooms, but Bruce encouraged people to open themselves up to something new and maybe discover a new favourite film or director at the French Film Festival.

The festival gets underway on Friday, July 31 and runs until August 2

Friday, July 31

Saturday, August 1- Maigret and the Dead Lover and The Richest Woman in the World

Sunday, August 2- Jean Valjean and The Stranger

Tickets are now available, with audiences encouraged to book early as seating is limited.

The full program is available at: www.orangefilmsociety.com/july-2026