Saint-Jean de Luz Festival 2026: ask for the program!

Zar Amir will chair the jury of the highly contested competition of this festival bringing together ten first and second feature films from around the world, from October 3 to 9

The list is long of excellent films that have emerged there, from Little Jaffna to Red children passing through The Fantastic Three or his Grand Prix last year: The Daughters of Heaven by Bérangère McNeese. And this year again, the Saint-Jean de Luz International Film Festival seems rich in promise, given the selection concocted and revealed this Thursday by its artistic director Patrick Fabre.

In competition, ten feature films from all over the world will make their French premiere on this occasion. And will be decided by a jury chaired by Zar Amir (including the screening of her remarkable feature film as a director, Tatamiwill be followed by a debate on the situation in Iran). We will particularly watch out Green Eyesthe second feature by the duo Fanny Liatard-Jérémy Trouilh, six years after their magnificent Gagarin. This time they feature a family of refugees under the threat of expulsion which will directly impact their children. A film in which they once again rhyme politics and poetry.

Neither seen nor knownthe comedy about the world of cinema by Marc Fitoussi with Isabelle Huppert as an extra in search of roles, will open the event on October 3. And will therefore launch the program of previews rich in anticipated films: from Carmen, the rebel birdthe animated film by Sébastien Laudenbach (Linda wants chicken!) has That’s it, it’s over by Gustave Kervern (Valois de Diamant of the last Angoulême French-speaking film festival) via Fuel oil in the arteries by Pierre Le Gall, one of the highlights of the last Cannes Critics’ Week, A detour through Dianethe new film by the Brussels duo Ann Sirot-Raphaël Balboni (A crazy life), Malika by Mounia Meddour (Papicha) or even Gilles Unitedthe very first feature film directed by Grégoire Ludig who also plays the central role: a driving school instructor who decides to give up everything and try to realize his lifelong dream: to become a great football player… at 42!

Saint-Jean de Luz 2026 will also host numerous screenings followed by debates such as To lovea short documentary film by Djanis Bouzyani around multiple sclerosis and its impact on the family of actor Guillaume de Tonquédec and Top of the pilefilm on surrogacy by Louis-Julien Petit.

And it’s Michaël R. Roskam, rewarded in Saint-Jean de Luz in 2011 with the directing prize for Bullhead which will close this 13th edition with The False Evening. The true story of Belgian resistance fighters who in 1943 manufactured and published a fake issue of the daily newspaper in total clandestinity. The eveningpassed under German control. With a fantastic cast: Arieh Worthalter (The Goldman Trial), Mélanie Thierry, François Damiens, Karim Leklou and Bouli Lanners in the lead. Partner for the first time of the festival, First will follow it to you daily, from October 3 to 9.

Saint-Jean de Luz International Film Festival. From October 3 to 9, 2026. Information: https://www.fifsaintjeandeluz.com/