22nd Edition of the French Cinema Panorama
The French Cinema Panorama stands out as one of the main showcases of contemporary French cinema for the Chinese audience. For this 22nd edition, eleven recent films have been selected, ranging from drama to comedy, documentary to animation, road movies, and youth stories. The goal is to show the diversity of current French cinema, with several works that have been screened at major international festivals such as Cannes, Berlin, or Annecy.
At its launch on March 25, the Panorama hosted a press conference in Beijing with Sophie Marceau and Jiang Wen, the French and Chinese sponsors of this 2026 edition. Sophie Marceau highlighted the longstanding connection she has with China, summarizing the spirit of the event in a simple phrase: “It is cinema that brought me to China,” emphasizing that cinema allows for understanding beyond language. Jiang Wen shared a more personal memory: in 1986, during a shoot in Hunan, he kept a dictionary with Sophie Marceau’s image on the cover, reflecting the prominent place French cinema held in the minds of many Chinese film lovers at the time.
The Bedside Man showcased in China
In the evening, the official programming of the Panorama opened with several special screenings. The Bedside Man was showcased in the presence of Sophie Marceau and Christopher Lambert, the film’s main actors. The Summer Meeting was also presented with its director Valentine Cadic and sound designer Louis Beaufort. The Piano Accident was also part of these opening screenings, this time with Daniela Elstner, the general director of Unifrance. Her presence also highlighted the institutional dimension of this opening, bringing together figures from the film industry, film teams, and event organizers. It was a way to illustrate the Panorama’s aim to foster dialogue between creation, distribution, and cultural cooperation.
The idea behind Panorama is not only to screen films but also to create encounters. Organizers emphasize the opportunity given to the Chinese audience to discover recent French films while engaging with their creators. Unifrance also highlights that the films were selected with the support of Chinese distributors, signaling a cultural dialogue that goes both ways.
French Cinema Festival Program
For the Beijing audience, the Panorama will run until April 12 in two cinemas: the Palace Cinema (Dolby Cinema, CWTC) and the Broadway Cinemas (apm Plaza).
In Shanghai, the second phase of the edition will take place until April 19 at the MOViE MOViE Cinema (Qiantan Taikoo Li) and the Shanghai Premiere Cinema (Jing’an Kerry Centre).
The official Panorama page provides an overview of the events in Beijing and Shanghai, including schedules, venues, and guests. Information regarding other cities will be released gradually.
