Explore French Films at The Mill Valley Film Festival 

Recognized globally for its commitment to celebrating excellence in cinema, this distinguished event showcases a diverse range of new films. The festival has become a vital platform for the discovery of emerging filmmakers and groundbreaking works, while also honoring the finest in American independent and international cinema, alongside contenders for some of the industry’s most prestigious awards. 

Take a look at the 10 French films featured in this year’s festival below!

Emilia Pérez 

October 5, 2024  |  7:00 PM
Rafael 1 (Big Night: Outstanding Ensemble Performance Award) (Film Runtime: 130 minutes / Total Program Runtime: 155 minutes), artistic team present at screening 

October 7, 2024 |  3:45 PM Sequoia 1 (Film Runtime: 130 minutes) 

Jacques Audiard’s gangster trans musical explores the transformative journey of cartel boss Manitas del Monte, played by Karla Sofía Gascón, who hires lawyer Rita Moro Castro (Zoe Saldaña) to oversee her transition into Emilia Pérez. Featuring a standout ensemble cast including Selena Gomez and Adriana Paz, the film shifts focus to women in a traditionally male-dominated genre. Audiard enhances the crime narrative with expressive musical elements, blending song and dance to create a unique and compelling cinematic experience. The film was awarded Cannes’ Best Actress Jury Prize for its ensemble performance. 

Everybody Loves Touda 

October 6, 2024 |  7:00 PM Lark Theatre (Film Runtime: 102 minutes) 
October 8, 2024 | 4:00 PM Sequoia 2 (Film Runtime: 102 minutes).
Nisrine Erradi will be in attendance for this screening

Nisrin Erradi shines as Touda, a single mother striving to support herself by singing Bedouin Aita—poetry historically written by women who were once denied a voice. From the outset, her path is fraught with challenges, as men view her talent as something to exploit rather than appreciate. Despite these obstacles, the film follows her relentless pursuit, driven not only by her personal ambition but by her desire to provide a better life for her deaf son. Co-written by director Nabil Ayouch and Maryam Touzani, Everybody Loves Touda is a poignant and complex drama that, while avoiding sentimentality, celebrates resilience through Touda’s vibrant songs and spirit. 

Holy Cow 

October 6, 2024 |  7:30 PM Sequoia 1 (Film Runtime: 90 minutes) 
October 10, 2024 |  3:00 PM Rafael 1 (Film Runtime: 90 minutes) 

In Louise Courvoisier’s feature film debut, a teenager’s carefree life in the picturesque French countryside is upended when he must care for his 7-year-old sister and find a way to support them. His solution is to produce the finest Comté cheese and win €30,000 along with a prestigious gold medal at an agricultural competition. Holy Cow is a heartwarming coming-of-age story which celebrates youth, employment struggles, and the traditions of cheese-making while emphasizing the value of family and love. This winner of the Prix de la Jeunesse at Cannes is sure to captivate audiences with its engaging narrative and relatable characters. 

Wild Diamond (Mind the Gap) 

October 7, 2024 |  7:00 PM Rafael 2 (Film Runtime: 103 minutes / Total Program Runtime: 123 minutes) 
October 10, 2024 |  5:45 PM Rafael 3 (Film Runtime: 103 minutes) 

Wild Diamond follows Liane, a determined 19-year-old from the sun-drenched town of Fréjus, as she seeks to escape her harsh reality through fame. Living with a dysfunctional mother and caring for her younger sister, Liane believes that beauty and desirability are her keys to power and validation, leading her to audition for the reality show Miracle Island. Shot in an immersive 4:3 aspect ratio, the film, directed by Agathe Riedinger, captures Liane’s intense quest for superficial success and the painful reality beneath her Instagram-perfect facade. 

Dahomey 

October 11, 2024 |  5:00 PM Rafael 2 (Film Runtime: 68 minutes / Total Program Runtime: 88 minutes) 
October 12, 2024 |  4:30 PM BAMPFA (Film Runtime: 68 minutes) 

French-Senegalese filmmaker Mati Diop’s latest work, a hybrid documentary, earned the top prize at the 2024 Berlin Film Festival. Building on the success of her acclaimed debut Atlantics, Diop delves into artistic repatriation and colonialism through the return of 26 antiquities from France to Benin, the former Kingdom of Dahomey. The film vividly captures the intricate process of packing, shipping, and curating these cultural treasures, while reflecting on the emotional and historical significance of their return. Blending documentary and imaginative storytelling, Diop’s film raises important questions about cultural exchange, restitution, and the lasting impact of colonialism. 

All We Imagine As Light 

October 11, 2024 | 7:00 PM Rafael 1 (Big Night/Special Screening) (Film Runtime: 115 minutes / Total Program Runtime: 140 minutes) 
October 12, 2024 | 7:00 PM BAMPFA (Film Runtime: 115 minutes) 

This 2024 Cannes Film Festival Grand Prix winner follows the lives of three nurses navigating love and life in bustling Mumbai. Prabha, Anu, and Parvati form bonds of mutual support as they manage personal challenges and assist their female patients. Cinematographer Ranabir Das captures their world with striking beauty, especially in night scenes. As the story transitions from city to country, the women’s relationships evolve, revealing profound moments in their everyday lives. 

Bird 

October 4, 2024 | 7:00 PM BAMPFA (Film Runtime: 119 minutes) 
October 6, 2024 | 3:00 PM Lark Theatre (Film Runtime: 119 minutes) 

In her latest film, director Andrea Arnold returns to the gritty lives of British characters, focusing on 12-year-old Bailey (Nkyiya Adams), who is forced to grow up quickly due to neglectful parents. Her father is preoccupied with his wedding, while her mother lives with an abusive boyfriend. Bailey finds solace in filming animals, particularly birds, and forms a bond with a free-spirited drifter named Bird (Franz Rogowski). Arnold skillfully captures Bailey’s journey through adolescence, highlighting the need for guidance and connection. 

I’m Still Here 

October 11, 2024 | 3:00 PM Sequoia 2 (Film Runtime: 135 minutes / Total Program Runtime: 155 minutes) 
October 13, 2024 | 8:00 PM Rafael 1 (Film Runtime: 135 minutes) 

In 1970s Rio de Janeiro, a family’s idyllic life is shattered when Brazil’s military regime abducts former congressman Rubens Paiva (Shelton Mello), leaving his wife Eunice (a compelling Fernanda Torres) to care for their five children. As Rubens vanishes into the brutal penal system, Eunice relocates to São Paulo and emerges as a fierce advocate for justice, her voice becoming a crucial force against government atrocities. Based on Marcelo Paiva’s memoir, director Walter Salles (The Motorcycle Diaries; On the Road) delivers a haunting portrayal of a family’s tragic transformation under dictatorship. The film, featuring a distinguished cast including Fernanda Montenegro and Maeve Jinkings, vividly captures the enduring impact of forced disappearances and the relentless pursuit of truth. 

The Seed of The Sacred Fig 

October 5, 2024 | 7:00 PM BAMPFA (Film Runtime: 166 minutes) 
October 6, 2024 | 12:30 PM Sequoia 1 (Film Runtime: 166 minutes) 

Iranian writer-director Mohammad Rasoulof received the FIPRESCI prize and a special jury award at this year’s Cannes Film Festival for his gripping drama about the growing paranoia within a Tehran family. Misagh Zareh stars as Iman, a newly promoted investigating judge who gains a higher salary and a larger apartment for his family but soon finds himself trapped in a Faustian bargain, as his new role requires him to sign death warrants for protesters—a decision that deeply unsettles his wife and daughters. The film builds tension meticulously, evolving into a harrowing thriller and reflecting Rasoulof’s ongoing defiance against an oppressive regime, which has led to his multiple imprisonments and eventual flight from Iran before the film’s premiere. Sacred Fig is a powerful exploration of how authoritarianism devastates the human spirit, imbued with Rasoulof’s characteristic fury and sorrow. 

We Live in Time 

October 5, 2024 | 4:00 PM Rafael 1 (Film Runtime: 104 minutes) 
October 9, 2024 | 5:00 PM Sequoia 1 (Film Runtime: 104 minutes) 

An up-and-coming chef and a recent divorcée find their lives forever changed when a chance encounter brings them together, in a decade-spanning, deeply moving romance. 

Watch the trailer  
Read more here.