# How the American French Film Festival Is Bringing French Cinema to 3,000 Los Angeles High School Students With Packed Screenings of ‘In Waves’

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/how-the-american-french-film-festival-is-bringing-french-cinema-to-3000-los-angeles-high-school-students-with-packed-screenings-of-in-waves/
- Published: 2026-11-10T02:11:22+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-10T05:42:35+00:00
- Original publisher: Variety
- Original article: https://variety.com/2026/film/global/american-french-film-festival-high-school-students-in-waves-1236943707/
- Topics: Americas, Entertainment, Europe, Film, World

## Key points

- About 3,000 students attended five screenings of “In Waves”.
- More than 60 schools joined the festival programme.
- The initiative connects students with cinema and filmmakers.

## Summary

The American French Film Festival brought about 3,000 Los Angeles high school students to five screenings of animated feature “In Waves”, followed by discussions with members of its creative team. The programme aims to introduce young audiences to French and international cinema, while giving students access to filmmaker conversations that many have not experienced before.

More than 60 schools take part over five days, with roughly equal numbers of public and private schools. Each screening hosts about 600 students, and around 1,500 places are booked within a week of the first invitations being sent. The film, directed by Phuong Mai Nguyen and adapted from AJ Dungo’s graphic novel set in Southern California, tells a love story shaped by cancer; teachers also receive detailed study guides in French and English.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.