Film Series: February Fantastique 2026

The Alliance Francaise Chicago and Stephanie “La Gialloholique” Sack are thrilled to announce the debut of February Fantastique 2026, a month-long film French film festival celebrating the strange, the spectacular, and the sublime.

Film Screening: February Fantastique—Les Yeux sans visage (Eyes Without a Face)

To kick off our February Fantastique Film Festival, we are delighted to announce our screening of the 1960 horror film Les Yeux sans visage (Eyes Without a Face). Outside of Paris, a corpse is found in a river and identified by Dr.

Film Screening: February Fantastique—Fahrenheit 451

Our second installment of our February Fantastique Film Festival is François Truffaut’s 1966 adaptation of the Ray Bradbury dystopian classic, Fahrenheit 451. In the future, a totalitarian will employ Firemen, a force to find and destroy all literature.

Film Screening: Cinémélodie—Kin Kiesse, Les États-Unis d'Afrique et La Vie est belle

Join us for the next installment in our 2025/2026 music-themed film series, Cinémélodie: a screening of three films from the African continent, in celebration of Mois de l’histoire des Noirs (Black History Month).

Film Screening: February Fantastique—Le Fantôme de la Liberté (The Phantom of Liberty)

Our February Fantastique Film Festival continues with Luis Buñuel’s surrealist satirical black-comedy* Le Fantôme de la Liberté (The Phantom of Liberty).* “Long live chains! Down with liberty!” shout a group of Spanish prisoners facing a French firing squad during Napoleon’s invasion of Spain in 1808.

Film Screening: Michèle Stephenson's True North

In celebration of Mois de l’histoire des Noirs (Black History Month), the Alliance is honored to partner with the Consulate General of Canada in Chicago and the Quebec Government Office for a screening of Haitian-Panamanian filmmaker Michèle Stephenson’s 2025 documentary True North.

Film Screening: February Fantastique—Fascination

For our last film in the February Fantastique Film Festival, we are delighted to announce our screening of the 1979 vampire horror film Fascination*,* directed by Jean Rollin. After a successful robbery in Paris, Marc betrays his four accomplices and plans to escape to London with the gold coins he has stolen.

Author Talk: Véronique Le Bris—Alice Guy, la plus audacieuse des pionners du cinéma

As part of Festival de la Francophonie 2026 and in partnership with Villa Albertine, the Alliance is honored to welcome French journalist Véronique Le Bris for a presentation of her book Alice Guy, la plus audacieuse des pionniers du cinéma : la biographie de la première femme réalisatrice au monde.

Film Screening: Cinémélodie—Félicité with Eliana Vagalau

Join us for a special installment of our 2025/2026 music-themed film series, Cinémélodie, as part of Festival de la Francophonie 2026: a screening of French-Senegalese filmmaker Alain Gomis’ 2017 drama Félicité.

Film Screening: Amélie & la métaphysique des tubes (Little Amélie or the Character of Rain

Calling all Amélie Nothomb fans! Join us for a screening of Malïys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han’s animated film 2025 Amélie et la métaphysique des tubes (Little Amélie or the Character of Rain), an adaptation of Belgian author Amélie Nothomb’s 2000 novel La métaphysique des tubes as part of Festival de la Francophonie 2026.

Film Screening: Cinémélodie—À peine j'ouvre les yeux (As I Open My Eyes)

Join us for the April installment of our 2025/2026 music-themed film series, Cinémélodie! In celebration of Arab American Heritage Month, we’re screening Tunisian screenwriter and filmmaker Leyla Bouzid’s 2015 drama À peine j’ouvre les yeux (As I Open My Eyes).

Film Screening: Cinémélodie—Dans la cuisine des Nguyen (In the Nguyen Kitchen)

Join us for the May installment of our 2025/2026 music-themed film series, Cinémélodie! In celebration of Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we’re screening French filmmaker Stéphane Ly-Cuong’s 2025 musical Dans la cuisine des Nguyen (In the Nguyen Kitchen).

Film Screening: Cinémélodie—Montréal New Wave

Join us for the June installment of our 2025/2026 music-themed film series, Cinémélodie: québécois filmmaker Erik Cimon’s 2016 documentary Montréal New Wave, which explores the ups and downs of new wave music from the late 1970s to the mid-1980s and its influence on today’s cultural scene.

Film Screening: Cinémélodie—Les parapluies de Cherbourg (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg)

JJoin us for the final installment of our 2025/2026 music-themed series, Cinémélodie: French director Jacques Demy 1964 musical romantic drama *Les parapluies de Cherbourg (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg)*! We kicked off Cinémélodie in September with a screening of Demy’s Les demoiselles de Rochefort, and so it’s only fitting that we bookend the series with the other musical for which he is best known.