Festival de Cine Europeo: An Archipelago of Stories
Festival, Film, Film Festival
Presented by the Alliance Française Puerto Rico, the 17th Puerto Rico European Film Festival explores the theme of the archipelago, with a special focus on Pacific cinema and a closing screening of In Waves by former Villa Albertine resident Phuong Mai Nguyen.
This year’s program brings together contemporary cinema from more than 15 countries and territories. Across fiction and documentary, established filmmakers and emerging voices, these films explore questions of memory, identity, family, youth, migration, love, power, community, and resistance, offering distinct perspectives on the complexities of our shared world. Several French films will be featured, including Nino by Pauline Loquès and L’épreuve du feu by Aurélien Peyre.
In keeping with the cultural mission of the Festival and the Alliance Française of Puerto Rico, the program celebrates the cinematic voices of French Polynesia and New Caledonia, alongside filmmakers exploring the region’s rich cultural heritage.
“Pacific Visions – From Island to Island” brings together a selection of films that journey across the Pacific, from Tahiti to New Caledonia. The program features Te Puna Ora by Virginie Tetoofa and Motu Haka by Raynald Mérienne, alongside a series of short films: Aito Hine by Krysten Resnick, Kui by Kahu Kaiha, 1878 by Aurélia Raoull, and La Naissance d’un guerrier by Gina Pitarch. Together, these works offer a compelling glimpse into the stories, identities, and cultural traditions that shape the Pacific’s diverse island communities.
In parallel, the festival features several outreach initiatives, including Festinema Junior 2026, bringing together hundreds of students for screenings of French-language films; CineConexión, the festival’s industry forum connecting film professionals from Europe, Puerto Rico, and the Caribbean; and Cortadito, a short film competition open to Puerto Rican filmmakers.
The festival will culminate with In Waves, a Franco-Belgian animated feature directed by Phuong Mai Nguyen, who took part in Villa Albertine’s residency program in 2023. The film premiered at the 2026 Cannes Critics’ Week (Semaine de la Critique), bringing a celebrated work by a Villa Albertine alumna to Puerto Rican audiences.
In partnership with
Alliance Française Puerto Rico
Present in Puerto Rico since 1937, the Alliance Française is a non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening Franco–Puerto Rican cultural dialogue and fostering ties of friendship between both countries. Each year, it welcomes more than 1,100 students of all ages through French courses offered at every level, while also maintaining a strong presence in schools and universities across Puerto Rico. Believing that language learning goes hand in hand with cultural discovery, the Alliance Française also serves as a vibrant cultural center, offering year-round public programming and welcoming French artists and intellectuals through performances, lectures, screenings, and artistic events.
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