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Join us from October 2 to 4, 2025, for the inaugural San Diego French Literature and Arts Festival—a vibrant three-day celebration of Francophone literature, film, and the arts. Organized by the Alliance Française San Diego in collaboration with partners including Villa Albertine, the Athenaeum, Clotilde French Bookstore and Gallimard, this cultural event promises inspiration and discovery.
Open to all, the festival brings together Francophone authors, educators, artists, and students for a rich, immersive experience across San Diego.
We are proud to welcome acclaimed author Éric Fottorino as our Literary Guest of Honor, and Ann Craig as our Honorary Patron alongside a distinguished lineup of local and international voices.
Festival Highlights
Saturday, October 4:
Literary Guest of Honor:
Éric Fottorino is an acclaimed French journalist, novelist, and co-founder of some of France’s most innovative literary publications. A former reporter, editor-in-chief, and publisher at Le Monde, he is the author of over forty books, including sixteen novels published by Gallimard. His work has earned him numerous literary awards, including the Prix Femina, the Prix François Mauriac of the French Academy and the France Télévisions Prize. Passionate about cycling, storytelling, and the power of the written word, Fottorino brings a singular voice to contemporary French literature. He is also the co-creator of "Le 1", "America", "Zadig", and "Légende"—print magazines that champion in-depth journalism and creative expression.
We are honored to welcome Éric Fottorino as our Literary Guest of Honor. His presence celebrates the enduring connections between journalism, literature, and the arts, and offers our community a unique opportunity to engage with one of France’s most respected literary figures.
Meet the participating authors who will be joining us to share their work through interviews, book signings, and in-person conversations. A unique opportunity to gain insights into their creative process and connect directly with the writers.
Adama Sissoko, Alain Rolland, Alexandra Marchant, Cara Carmina, Catherine Goldschmidt, Charlotte Attry, Claire Stride,
Corinne Cotereau, Dana Ziyasheva, Delphine Arbo Pariente, Elsa Peny-Etienne, Jean Monnier, Julie du Chemin, Karin Warin,
Marion Billet, Philippe Labarre, Sophie Faucher, Sylvie Joseph-Julien, Vanina Joulin-Batejat.
Festival Program
Thursday, October 2
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6:00 PM
📍Lycée Français de San Diego - 8401 Aero Dr, San Diego, CA 92123
🎭 Theater Night: “Stupeur et tremblements” (Fear and trembling)
Gripping stage performance based on Amélie Nothomb’s bestselling novel
Grand Prix du Roman de l'Académie Française 1999 – Éditions Albin Michel
Adapted, Staged and Interpreted by Layla Metssitane
Play in French with English subtitles. (75 min)
Connect around light refreshments after the play, meet the actress and purchase the book!
Event with ticket
AFSD Members and LFSD families: $15
Non-members: $25
Free for AFSD Students
6:00 PM Theater Night: “Stupeur et tremblements” (Fear and trembling)
📍Lycée Français de San Diego - 8401 Aero Dr, San Diego, CA 92123
Play in French with English subtitles. (75 min)
About the “Stupeur et tremblements” (Fear and trembling)
Winter 1990. In Brussels, Amélie Nothomb has finished her studies in medieval roman philology. She decides to travel back to Japan in order to work, a country she knows since she was born there. She gets a one year work contract for the Yumimoto company. This job, more than she hope for, will bring her many surprises, from which she will learn various lessons... The main character is, of course, Amélie Nothomb herself, who writes autobiographically.
Fear and trembling is a humble, funny and intelligent point of view from a young woman confronted to a new world. The message it carries could be : Let’s observe and listen carefully, before we hastily judge the Other.
About Layla Metssitane
Layla Metssitane is a Moroccan-born director, actress, and writer whose work centers on women’s rights, cultural identity, and social justice. She began acting at 15 and has performed in major classical and contemporary plays.
Her most acclaimed work is Stupeur et tremblements, adapted from Amélie Nothomb’s novel, which she directed, adapted, and performed as a one-woman show. The play explores gender roles and cultural clashes in a Japanese workplace and has toured nearly 30 countries to critical acclaim.
She also created Vivre!, inspired by the poetry of feminist writer Taslima Nasreen, performed in French, Arabic, and sign language.
As a director, she’s known for Palabre en Négritude (on Aimé Césaire), Où on va, Papa? (Jean-Louis Fournier), and Haute surveillance (Jean Genet). She has contributed to international film and TV projects, including the BBC series Never Let Me Go.
In 2024, she launched Des Fissures et des Mots, a photographic and writing project celebrating diversity, disability, and inclusion. A committed advocate, she is active in cultural and educational organizations and is a member of a UNESCO Club.
Friday, October 3
10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
📍Various schools: UC San Diego, Language Academy, LFSD, SDFAS, The Bishop's School, Au Clair de Lune
📝 Workshops with Authors
Inspiring writing workshops, led by guest authors.
Poetry competition (in some schools) with the“Prix Antidote du concours de poésie”
Events reserved to the students of each participating school.
6:30 PM
📍San Diego French-American School
6550 Soledad Mountain Rd, La Jolla, CA 92037
🎬 From Book to Screen: “Hola Frida!”
Animation Movie in French with English subtitles.
In presence of the writers of the book Hola Frida
Connect around light refreshments before the screening
with the support of Ingrid Pasco
Event with ticket
AFSD Members and SDFAS families: $10
Youth (-12): $5
Non-members: $15
Free for AFSD Students
The tickets include the movie and refreshments
6:30 PM Light refreshments
7:00 PM Movie
Hola Frida (1h22)
in French with English subtitles
Recommended for ages 7 and up
📍San Diego French-American School
6550 Soledad Mountain Rd, La Jolla, CA 92037
Hola Frida is a vibrant animated film directed by André Kadi and Karine Vézina, released in 2024. Adapted from the children’s book "Frida, c’est moi" by Sophie Faucher and Cara Carmina, it offers a poetic and touching look at the childhood of iconic artist Frida Kahlo, blending biography, imagination, and Mexican folklore.
The film is a co-production between Canada and France, and premiered at the Morelia International Film Festival in Mexico in October 2024, followed by a theatrical release in France on February 12, 2025, and in Quebec on April 4, 2025.
Featuring the voices of Olivia Ruiz, Emma Rodriguez, Rebeca Gonzales, Léo Coté, Sophie Faucher, and Manuel Tadros, "Hola Frida" takes viewers of all ages—on a colorful and emotional journey, where imagination becomes both a refuge and a powerful force to overcome life’s challenges.
Saturday, October 4
📍 Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, 1008 Wall St, La Jolla, CA 92037
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📚 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM:
Meet Francophone Authors: Book signings, panel discussions and interviews
Connect with authors and discover new works.
Free and open to all
You can RSVP to help us prepare for the event and to receive reminders.
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📍 Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, 1008 Wall St, La Jolla, CA 92037
🎹 6:00 PM : Piano Concert:
“A French Emotional Journey” starring Aleck Karis
🥂 7:00 PM: Closing Reception
After the concert, mingle with festival guests and participants in a welcoming and elegant setting.
Event with ticket:
AFSD Members and Athenaeum Members: $30
Non-members: $45
The tickets include the concert and the reception
Aleck Karis has performed recitals, chamber music, and concertos across the Americas, Europe, Japan, and China. As the pianist of the new music ensemble Speculum Musicae he has participated in over a hundred premieres and performed at major American and European festivals. His appearances with orchestra have ranged from concertos by Beethoven and Chopin to those of Stravinsky and Carter. His ten solo discs cover repertoire from Mozart to the present, most recently Debussy’s Études and Children’s Corner suite on Bridge, and Beethoven’s sonatas Opus 2, no. 1 and Opus 106 (Hammerklavier), on Roméo. He is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of the UC San Diego music department.
His newest recording is available on Romeo Records, featuring Beethoven’s sonatas Opus 2 no 1 and Opus106.
The Alliance Française San Diego is supported by a team of volunteers
Ann Craig, Honorary Patron
Ann Rea Craig studied at the Sorbonne during her Junior Year Abroad, sparking a lifelong love of French language and culture. She earned a Master’s in Education from Boston University and taught French for over 30 years in Boston and Washington, D.C. With her late husband, Roger, she spent summers in the Dordogne, welcoming friends and family. Now living in La Jolla, Ann participates in a weekly French conversation group and returns regularly to France, nurturing her enduring passion for the language and culture.
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Vanina Joulin-Batejat, Chair
Vanina Joulin-Batejat, a jurist with two master’s degrees in law and ABD doctoral studies, worked as an international lawyer before moving to the U.S. in 2007. She founded a business supporting the French-speaking community with immigration, entrepreneurship, and professional integration. Since 2023, she has published literary and practical works exploring identity, resilience, and transformation. Her books include À la recherche du sens perdu and Réussir aux USA (Éditions Gereso), plus contributions to fiction and poetry collections. She is also a proud mother of two teenagers.
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Catherine Goldschmidt, Co-Chair
A passionate traveler and devoted mother, Catherine lives between France, Quebec, and California, her home since 2013. For 20 years, she worked as a writer, journalist, and consultant specializing in games and family topics for various Quebec media. She now focuses entirely on writing children’s books and novels.
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SPONSORS
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PARTNERS
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