L’Alliance New York Winter Programming

From January 21 through January 26, don’t miss the country’s largest animation film festival, Animation First! For the 8th edition, there will be a special focus on Swiss animation including an artist talk with Swiss filmmaker Georges Schwizgebel, as well as new and classics features and shorts from Switzerland. Connect with fellow animation enthusiasts at Animation Speak/Easy, see a special First–Look of an animated film project in development, and attend a professional panel. Discover the newest animated features and shorts with dozens of NY and US premieres, as well as new virtual reality programs. Stay tuned for the official Animation First announcement in early December.

On January 21, 2025, Animation First launches together with an exhibition of The New Yorker covers, curated by Françoise Mouly, the magazine’s legendary Art Director, as part of The New Yorker’s 100th anniversary celebration. On view through March 31, the exhibition will conclude with L’Alliance New York’s inaugural Comic Arts Festival.

Beginning on January 7, L’Alliance presents the second installment of the film series, “The Ballad of Patrick Dewaere,” continuing the tribute to the French actor who captivated audiences for just a few short years before his untimely and tragic death at age 35. Dewaere screenings this winter will include Andre Techine’s Hotel des Ameriques, with Catherine Deneuve, Bertrand Blier’s scandalous Beau-père, and F as in Fairbanks, opposite real-life partner Miou-Miou. Additionally, special one-night-only events include the New York premieres of Lisa Immordino Vreeland’s Jean Cocteau on February 6, and Moi-même, directed by Lee Breuer and Mojo Lorwin, on February 27. In March, we present a program of films adapted from the literary works of Guy de Maupassant, including Max Ophuls’ Le Plaisir and Alexandre Astruc’s Une Vie, both on 35mm.

Merging theatrical energy with classical rigor, L’Alliance New York presents three staged readings of French classic novels this winter. The series begins on February 17 with Red Bull Theater’s presentation of Molière’s The Misanthrope. This bold rewriting of Molière’s immortal satire brings the play into a modern London world of media celebrity, capturing the disappointed loves and poisonous intrigues lurking behind polite society. Continuing March 3, L’Alliance New York presents the incomparable Isabelle Huppert’s rendition of Maupassant’s short stories. Two of France’s most beloved artists come together in one spellbinding evening of language, as iconic actor Isabelle Huppert performs seven short stories by the 19th-century master of the form, Guy de Maupassant. The series concludes on March 17 with Molière in the Park’s The Miser. Molière’s most successful play shines in this re-envisioning by the artists of Molière in the Park, using non-traditional casting choices—casting women in male roles and swapping genders to deconstruct The Miser’s complex power dynamics.

From March 28 to March 30, L’Alliance New York will host its inaugural Comic Arts Fest, a vibrant three-day celebration of the finest French, francophone, and American graphic novels and comic books. Francophone bandes dessinées – comics or graphic novels – stand out for their exceptional blend of artistry and narrative depth. Pioneering creators such as Hergé, Moebius, and Joann Sfar have significantly influenced the genre with their individual styles and compelling stories. With a legacy of creative innovation, Francophone graphic novels continue to enchant readers around the globe. L’Alliance New York’s Comic Arts Fest will feature renowned artists and speakers, including Françoise Mouly, Art Director of The New Yorker; Frank Miller, creator of iconic works like Sin City and 300; Elizabeth Colomba, acclaimed painter and comic artist; and French-Canadian cartoonist Delaf for the return of Gaston Lagaffe, among others.