The Boston French Film Festival

The Boston French Film Festival has a way of making a trip to the movies feel like a passport stamp. Celebrating its 30th anniversary, this year's festival brings more than a month of contemporary French cinema to the Museum of Fine Arts, with a lineup that stretches from mysteries and dramas to animated features and offbeat comedies. Many of the films are Boston premieres, offering a chance to catch acclaimed new releases long before they reach wider audiences. The selections explore everything from art and architecture to identity, family, and cultural memory, reflecting the breadth of modern French filmmaking rather than a single style or genre. Every screening is presented in its original language with English subtitles, making it just as welcoming for longtime Francophiles as curious newcomers. Whether you're there for one film or several, it's one of the city's best excuses to spend a summer evening at the movies.