In Waves to open 30th American French Film Festival in Los Angeles
In Waves, an animated romance by director Phuong Mai Nguyen, will open the 30th American French Film Festival in Los Angeles, as reported by Deadline on 24 September.
The festival runs from 3 to 8 November at the Directors Guild of America, according to the festival website. It is the first time an animated feature has opened the Los Angeles event.
It is also a Cannes first. In Waves had its world premiere in May as the opening film of Critics' Week, a Cannes sidebar devoted to first and second features. It was the first animated film to open that section in its 65th edition, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
In Waves is Nguyen's debut feature. It is adapted from Los Angeles illustrator AJ Dungo's 2019 graphic novel of the same name. The English-language voice cast features Will Sharpe as AJ and Stephanie Hsu as Kristen.
Netflix acquired global rights outside France after the Cannes debut, Deadline reported. The Los Angeles opening-night screening will be presented in association with Netflix.
Set in Los Angeles, the story centres on AJ, a shy teenager who meets Kristen. She surfs. He skates and draws. Their love story between a young skater and a young surfer is put to the test by illness, with friends at their side, according to notes from La Semaine de la Critique. The festival lists the 2026 film as a romance with a runtime of 95 minutes, according to the festival listing.
For audiences in Los Angeles, this means a big-screen outing before a wider digital bow. The festival listing gives a digital opening on 11 December.
Beyond the opener, the festival has laid out its November shape. The Series Competition runs from 4 to 8 November in DGA theatres in Hollywood. The free programme, shown with English subtitles, includes 12 selected series, with two international premieres and six North American premieres. The full programme, including the Cinema Competition, will be announced on 6 October, with box office and individual ticket sales starting on 8 October. The festival is presented by the Franco-American Cultural Fund.
