Films Tue 13 Oct at 18.00 Journey into the Desert "Vicky Krieps Shines in Margarethe von Trotta’s Lackluster Literary Biopic" The Hollywood Reporter Ingeborg Bachmann conquers the male-dominated bastion of German-language literature with her poetry.…
Course Workshops Thu 15 Oct Art in French What do you say in French when you want to describe a painting, explain what you see, or give your opinion about a work of…
Books & Ideas Kids & Families Sat 17 Oct at 10.00 Children’s Book Festival 2026 Calling all young readers, curious minds, and budding storytellers! Join us for a magical celebration of books, imagination, linguistic diversity and creativity at the Children’s…
Books & Ideas Kids & Families Sat 17 Oct at 14.00 Meet children’s author Michaela Morgan Join acclaimed children’s author Michaela Morgan for a lively and inspiring session celebrating the joy of stories, language and imagination. Suitable for children aged 6…
Books & Ideas Kids & Families Sat 17 Oct at 15.30 Ghosts, Smugglers and Vikings: Tales and Stories from the Past Join children’s authors Paula Andrews and Maura McRobbie as they open their magical Treasure Chest of Stories! Enjoy lively readings from their books, ask questions…
Kids & Families Sat 17 Oct at 10.00 Meet children’s author Alastair Chisholm Join award-winning author Alastair Chisholm for a special event celebrating the launch of his delightful new picture book, Sticky Mildred, perfect for children aged 2–6. Filled…
Books & Ideas Kids & Families Sat 17 Oct at 15.00 Un costume pour minuit: Meet creators Elodie Montagne and Victoria May Join Elodie Montagne and Victoria May for a special reading and discussion of their picture book Un costume pour minuit, a playful and imaginative story…
Books & Ideas Kids & Families Sat 17 Oct at 14.00 Halloween workshop with children’s author Clémentine Baudet Step into the enchanted forest of Lacrima and discover the art of witchcraft through words! In this creative writing workshop led by Clémentine Baudet, young participants…
Books & Ideas Kids & Families Sat 17 Oct at 13.15 Meet children’s book illustrator Kasia Matyjaszek Join award-winning children’s book illustrator Kasia Matyjaszek for a special multilingual session celebrating the imagination, creativity and visual storytelling at the heart of picture books.…
Kids & Families Performances Sat 17 Oct at 13.00 Peter and the Wolf Join us for a magical journey into the world of Peter and the Wolf, where music, storytelling, sound and light come together to bring this…
Dance Kids & Families Sat 17 Oct at 11.00 Couette-Couette, a show for kids from 2 years old Couette-couette (Duvet-Duvet) is a playful dance performance for children aged 2+ and their families. Through movement, imagination, and gentle humour, it explores fear, friendship, and…
Kids & Families Workshops Sat 17 Oct at 12.00 Live drawing and workshop with children’s author Grace Easton Step into the magical world of The House with the Little Red Door with author and illustrator Grace Easton! After a live drawing session, Grace will invite the…
Books & Ideas Kids & Families Sat 17 Oct at 11.40 Meet children’s author Madly Chatterjee Join us for a special reading with author and illustrator Madly Chatterjee, who will share the latest version of her bilingual picture book Les enfants…
Books & Ideas Tue 20 Oct at 12.30 Reading group “Madelaine avant l’aube” by Sandrine Collette Once a month, the reading group meets up to discuss a couple of books selected in advance (from classical to contemporary French literature) and discovers…
Films Wed 21 Oct at 14.00 & 18.00 Lads "A hard-hitting and authentic first feature film" Cineuropa Ethan, 20, becomes an apprentice jockey in a racing stable. He discovers a talent, a passion, and…
Films Wed 28 Oct at 14.00 & 18.00 Sois belle et tais-toi "Delphine Seyrig’s prescient and passionate 1981 documentary both critiques the cinema and seeks to change it." The New-Yorker In 1975 Delphine Seyrig recorded interviews…
Kids & Families Sat 31 Oct at 10.30 Storytime: Halloween Special Join us for a fun and spooky Halloween session filled with stories, creativity and a little bit of magic! Children will discover fun Halloween-themed stories and enjoy a…
Films Music Sat 31 Oct at 18.00 Cinetopia Salon Halloween special: Häxan (1922) + Live Score Performed By Jane Gardner & Hazel Morrison Come early for our apéritif hour with a drinks bar and complementary nibbles before the film - a chance to mingle, chat and start the…
Music Thu 5 Nov at 19.00 Piaf revisited: Christine Bovill in concert Christine Bovill cemented her reputation as “one of Europe’s finest interpreters of French song” with her acclaimed smash-hit Piaf. Last year, at the Famous Spiegeltent,…
Music Fri 6 Nov at 19.00 Jazz Concert with Levi Harvey Trio At just 23 years old, Franco-British pianist Levi Harvey is emerging as one of the most exciting young voices in European jazz. A graduate of…
Books & Ideas Fri 6 Nov at 16.00 Discover the story of the Institut français d’Écosse with Odile Hughson and Stéphane Pailler As the Institut français d’Écosse celebrates its 80th anniversary, join us for a fascinating exploration of its history, its predecessors and the other organisations that…
Performances Theatre Sat 7 Nov A theatrical journey through the Institut français d’Ecosse The Institut français d’Écosse is a home for French language and culture, where every room bears the name of a remarkable figure. Who were they,…
Films Tue 10 Nov at 18.00 That Summer in Paris / Le Rendez-vous de l’été As the title would suggest, That Summer in Paris is less a postcard from the Olympic Games than a snapshot of the City of Light…
Films Wed 11 Nov at 14.00 and 18.00 Bizarre, Bizarre / Drôle de drame The farcical plot, scripted by Jacques Prévert from a 1912 novel His First Offence by Orkney writer J Storer Clouston ranges from black humour to…
Books & Ideas Talks Thu 12 Nov at 16.00 Meet the author Jérôme Chantreau French novelist Jérôme Chantreau will present his latest novel, L’Affaire de la rue Transnonain, winner of the Grand Prix des Lectrices ELLE 2025. Born in…
Films Thu 12 Nov at 18.00 Lucio’s Tour de France / Autour de Lucio + Q&A with filmmaker Étienne Barrier With the Tour de France due to start off from Edinburgh next year we’re proud to present a film that highlights the uplifting value of…
Films Fri 13 Nov at 18.00 The Ties That Bind Us / L’Attachement Exploring the challenges of modern family structures, the film follows a single father, a feminist bookshop owner, and a child seeking a place to belong…
Films Sat 14 Nov at 12.00 Marcel Santa Claus (and the Little Pizza Delivery Boy) / Marcel le père Noël et le petit livreur de pizzas "A quirky little Christmas gem that surpasses everything done so far in terms of originality within the genre". CinéAnimation On the evening of 24…
Films Sat 14 Nov at 17.00 The Waste Commons/ De l’ordure à l’or dur + Q&A with director Rosalind Fredericks As cities around the world modernise, enclosing open-air dumps and outlawing waste-picking have become key strategies of urban reform. The Waste Commons explores the dramatic…
Films Sat 14 Nov at 19.30 Jacquot de Nantes Agnès Varda’s tender evocation of the childhood of her husband, Jacques Demy is a wonder-filled portrait of the artist as a young man and an…
Films Mon 16 Nov at 18.00 Construction Site / Le Chantier A fascinating documentary about the renovation of a legendary cinema in Paris (Gaumont now Pathé Palace) led by architect Renzo Piano. Filmed over three years,…
Films Tue 17 Nov at 18.00 The Sentinels of Forgetting / Les Sentinelles de l’oubli Introduction by Sue Harris (Professor Emerita of Film Studies at Queen Mary University of London and an internationally renowned specialist in French cinema) & Dr…
Films Wed 18 Nov at 14.00 & 18.00 Guess Who’s Calling! / Le répondeur "A French cinematic gem acclaimed by the critics of Le Masque" Radio France "Guess Who Is Calling is a genuine feel-good movie with its share…
Books & Ideas Tue 24 Nov at 12.30 Reading group “L’inconnue du portrait” by Camille de Peretti Once a month, the reading group meets up to discuss a couple of books selected in advance (from classical to contemporary French literature) and discovers…
Films Wed 25 Nov at 14.00 & 18.00 Marmaille "Grégory Lucilly's Marmaille is the first film from Reunion to be released in mainland France." Sortiraparis.com "A poignant portrait of siblings fighting to rebuild themselves…
Films Fri 27 Nov at 18.00 Le Samouraï “In a career-defining performance, Alain Delon plays a contract killer with samurai instincts. A razor-sharp cocktail of 1940s American-style gangster cinema and 1960s French pop…
Films Wed 2 Dec at 14.00 & 18.00 Monsieur Aznavour "Heartfelt, sumptuously good-looking tribute to the legendary French-Armenian singer Charles Aznavour." France Today From his poor childhood to his rise to fame, from his…
French Courses Networking Thu 1 Oct at 9.00 Coffee & French Conversation Want to practice your French in an informal setting? Join us at the Institut français d’Écosse for a relaxed morning chat – over a cup…
Special events Fri 4 Dec at 18.30 Quiz of the Institut français d’Ecosse You are a quiz fan? Come and test your knowledge about France and French language in a fun and relaxed atmosphere at the Institut français…
Arts Books & Ideas Kids & Families Sat 5 Dec at 10.30 Storytime Christmas Special Join us for a magical Christmas Storytime filled with festive tales and crafts! Gather around to listen to heartwarming stories that capture the spirit of…
Course Group Courses for Young Learners Mon 07 Dec Christmas Mini-Camp 4 days: “Vive Noël” Join us for a week of fun-filled indoor and outdoor autumn activities designed especially for children aged 3 to 5 years. Through art, games, songs,…
Course Workshops Fri 11 Dec French Regions Workshops Discover the diverse regions of France through a series of three-hour workshops exploring their unique cultural, geographical and economic characteristics. Join us for our next…
Performances Theatre 11 & 12 Dec at 18.00 “Astérix et Cléopâtre”, a theatrical adaptation by Stéphanie Goud Join us for a vibrant and hilarious theatrical adaptation, directed by Stéphanie Goud and inspired by the beloved comic book classic Astérix et Cléopâtre. Brought…
Arts Books & Ideas Tue 15 Dec at 16.00 Claude Monet and Paul Gauguin: Impressionism & Post-Impressionism Join us for a special art-historical event bringing together two Edinburgh authors to present their new books on two renowned French artists who were both…
Books & Ideas Tue 15 Dec at 12.30 Reading group “La reine du labyrinthe” by Camille Pascal Once a month, the reading group meets up to discuss a couple of books selected in advance (from classical to contemporary French literature) and discovers…
Films Wed 16 Dec at 14.00 & 18.00 Le secret de Khéops An archaeologist and his family hunt for Khufu's treasure in Paris, following clues he believes prove Napoleon's forces brought it from Egypt. His search spans…
Films Thu 17 Dec at 18.00 Àma Gloria Six-year-old Cléo loves her nanny Gloria more than anything. When Gloria must return to Cape Verde to care for her own children, the two must…
Films Fri 22 Jan 2027 at 18.00 Delicatessen A post-apocalyptic black comedy, set in an alternate Paris with serious food shortage where a former clown moves into a community of cannibals. “Endlessly creative.…
Books & Ideas Tue 26 Jan at 12.30 Reading group “L’allègement des vernis” by Paul Saint-Bris Once a month, the reading group meets up to discuss a couple of books selected in advance (from classical to contemporary French literature) and discovers…
Films Fri 19 Feb at 18.00 Casque d’Or In 1898 in the Parisian underworld, three gangsters and an ex-con carpenter all fall for the same beautiful golden-haired woman in Belle Époque France. “A…
Books & Ideas Tue 23 Feb at 12.30 Reading group “Les mangeurs de nuit” by Marie Charrel Once a month, the reading group meets up to discuss a couple of books selected in advance (from classical to contemporary French literature) and discovers…
Films Fri 19 March at 18.00 Lingui, The Sacred Bonds Amina lives with her daughter, 15-year-old Maria. When Amina learns Maria is pregnant and wants an abortion, they face an impossible situation in a country…
Books & Ideas Tue 30 March at 12.30 Reading group “Le fruit le plus rare” by Gaëlle Bélem Once a month, the reading group meets up to discuss a couple of books selected in advance (from classical to contemporary French literature) and discovers…
Books & Ideas Kids & Families Children’s Book Festival 2026 Next event : Couette-Couette, a show for kids from 2 years old Sat 17 Oct at 11:00
Films Music Networking Performances Cinetopia Salons Next event : Cinetopia Salon Halloween special: Häxan (1922) + Live Score Performed By Jane Gardner & Hazel Morrison Sat 31 Oct at 18:00
Books & Ideas Music Talks Theatre 80 Years of the Institut français d’Écosse Next event : Piaf revisited: Christine Bovill in concert Thu 05 Nov at 19:00
French Film Festival UK 2026 Next event : That Summer in Paris / Le Rendez-vous de l’été Tue 10 Nov at 18:00
