France Odeon – French Film Festival

The French film festival in Florence

France Odeon is Italy's most important event dedicated to contemporary French cinema. Born in Florence and rooted in Tuscany for over thirty-five years, the festival brings the best of transalpine production to the Tuscan capital: national premieres, award-winning titles from Cannes and the Venice Film Festival, debut works, and films yet to be released in Italy. The event is held primarily at the Cinema La Compagnia, on Via Cavour, and involves the Institut Français of Florence, with excursions to other city venues such as Palazzo Medici Riccardi.

More than just a film festival

France Odeon is not just a film review. The program weaves together book presentations, photographic exhibitions, bilateral Italian-French conferences, and meetings with industry professionals. Each edition welcomes exceptional guests—directors, actors, screenwriters, and figures from Francophone culture—who present their work exclusively to the Florentine public. A formula that makes the festival an authentic cultural bridge between Italy and France.

The Foglia d'Oro Awards

The most anticipated moment is the presentation of the Foglia d'Oro (Golden Leaf) awards, crafted by the historic Florentine jeweler Manetti Battiloro, assigned in the various competition categories. These are joined by the Sguardi Mediterranei / Regards Méditerranéens award, as well as recognition from the under-25 jury and the audience vote, making the festival a privileged observatory on the latest trends in French cinema.

At the heart of the '50 Days of Cinema'

France Odeon is a fundamental piece of the mosaic called '50 Days of International Cinema in Florence', the great autumn film marathon that enlivens the Cinema La Compagnia. Organized by the Fondazione Sistema Toscana under the direction of Francesco Ranieri Martinotti, the festival is now a landmark for French cinema lovers throughout Tuscany and beyond, capable of attracting both the public and the stars of the French big screen to Florence.

A tradition spanning over forty years

With the 2025 edition, the festival celebrated forty years of French cinema's presence in Florence, confirming its status as one of the longest-running and most prestigious monographic festivals in Italy. In the city of Florence, in the heart of Tuscany, France Odeon continues to showcase the vitality and richness of the seventh art of France every autumn.