‘Alice: Pioneer of Cinema’ wins the audience award for television as the festival celebrates its 30th anniversary in Los Angeles.
De Gaulle earned the top audience honor and La Gradiva received the Critics Award for Best Film at the 2026 American French Film Festival, which marked its 30th anniversary with more than 18,000 attendees at the DGA Theater Complex in Los Angeles.
Alice: Pioneer of Cinema won the Audience Series Award, while Swapped took the Jury Series Award. The winners were recognized at the festival’s closing ceremony on November 8 and announced by the Franco-American Cultural Fund and the festival’s Program Committee.
The anniversary edition showcased 61 films and series, with 59 eligible for awards across cinema, television and short-film categories. Winners were selected by festival audiences, members of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, a jury of entertainment professionals and a student jury drawn from the festival’s High School Screenings Program.
The event brought together actors, directors, writers, producers, critics and French-cinema enthusiasts, with numerous screenings selling out, including the opening- and closing-night presentations.
Cinema Awards
De Gaulle received the festival’s Audience Award for Best Film. Directed by Antonin Baudry and written by Baudry and Bérénice Vila, the film stars Niels Schneider, Benoît Magimel and Anamaria Vartolomei. Samuel Goldwyn Films is its U.S. distributor.
La Gradiva won the Critics Award for Best Film, presented in association with the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. Directed by Marine Atlan from a screenplay she co-wrote with Anne Brouillet, the film stars Colas Quignard, Antonia Buresi, Mitia Capellier-Audat and Suzanne Gerin. Its U.S. distributor is 1-2 Special.
The First Feature Award went to A Place for Her, directed by Mélisa Godet and written by Godet and Catherine Paillé. The cast includes Laetitia Dosch, Eye Haïdara, Oulaya Amamra, Pierre Deladonchamps, Juliette Armanet and Karin Viard. Pathé Films handles international sales.
Whispers in the Woods, written and directed by wildlife photographer Vincent Munier, received the Documentary Film Award. Le Bureau Films handles international sales.
The American Students Award went to The Green Eyes, written and directed by Fanny Liatard and Jérémy Trouilh. The film stars Douae Butarbuch M’Zaouki, Sayyid El Alami, Anamaria Vartolomei, Arcadi Radeff and Omar Al Jbaai. International sales are handled by Kinology.
Television Awards
Alice: Pioneer of Cinema earned the Audience Series Award. Written by Tim Loane, Claire LeMaréchal and André Gulluni, the series is directed by Virginie Verrier and Guillaume Lonergan and stars Bérénice Bejo, Thibaut Evrard and Oscar Lesage. SND Groupe M6 handles international sales.
Swapped received the Jury Series Award. Written by Alexandra Echkenazi and Vincent Robert and directed by Vania Leturcq and Savina Dellicour, the series stars Lula Cotton-Frapier, Barbara Probst and Jonathan Zaccaï. France TV Distribution handles international sales.
Short Film Awards
Diego won the Audience Short Film Award. Written and directed by Melissa Silveira, it stars Sofian Bises, Malou Khebizi, David Ayala and Darya Sheizaf.
The Jury Short Film Award went to God Is Shy, written and directed by Jocelyn Charles, with voice performances by Danièle Evenou, Alba Gaïa Bellugi and Anthony Bajon. Manifest handles international sales for both shorts.
The American French Film Festival is presented and produced by the Franco-American Cultural Fund, a collaboration among the Directors Guild of America, the Motion Picture Association, France’s Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music, and the Writers Guild of America West, in association with France’s CNC.
Featured Photo: De Gaulle | Photos courtesy of TAFFF
