What is love? French comedy, Laurent Lafitte and Laure Calamy crowned at L'Alpe d'Huez (winners)

The 29th Alpe d’Huez Festival crowns What Is Love?, while De la Comédie-Française multiplies the distinctions and asserts itself as the other great moment of a particularly rich edition.

The 2026 Alpe d’Huez Festival was marked by three films which, each in their own way, embodied the energy, audacity and current metamorphoses of French comedy. In the middle of the week, From the Comédie-Française established itself as one of the very nice surprises of this 29th edition (and one of the editorial staff’s favorite films).

Carried by a fantastic Pauline Clément, crossing the corridors and backstage of the great Parisian theater in a choreographed whirlwind, the film by Bertrand Usclat and Martin Darondeau immediately conquered the festival, between joyful satire and vibrant homage to the institution. The duo’s first feature film, From the Comédie-Française won four prizes this evening, including those of the public and the jury, confirming its rare ability to combine fine writing and real popular power.

In a more intimate register, What is love? by Fabien Gorgeart confirmed the filmmaker’s talent for capturing the complexity of contemporary families but this time with a little more humor than usual. The duo formed by Laure Calamy (crowned best actress this evening) and Vincent Macaigne finds a beautiful playground, between awkwardness, turmoil and emotional truths, offering the festival one of its most sensitive stories.

Finally, in Alter Ego we saw Laurent Lafitte (male performance prize) literally playing with his doubles, in an absurd mechanism constructed by Nicolas and Bruno. The film was one of the most delightful and unbridled entries in the competition, confirming a particularly rich 2026 selection, ranging from surrealist choral comedy to sentimental fable and mockumentary.