MONACO PUTS A €40,000 PRICE TAG ON FOUR LETTERS

 

In Monaco, where multimillion-euro properties, supercars and extraordinary displays of wealth are part of everyday life, it appears that even the letters on the back of your car are about to become an exceptionally expensive status symbol. The Principality has introduced a new pricing structure for personalized vehicle registration numbers, with residents potentially paying as much as €40,000 simply to obtain a customized four-letter combination.

 

The new tariff structure was formalized through Ministerial Order No. 2026-605, signed on 5 November 2026 and published in the Journal de Monaco on 13 November 2026. It establishes specific charges for customized registration numbers, with prices ranging from €20,000 for two letters to €30,000 for three letters and €40,000 for four letters.

And that is not the end of the expense.

 

Anyone obtaining a customized registration number must also account for a €2,500 vehicle registration charge, followed by an annual renewal fee of €2,500. Transfers of customized numbers are also subject to a €2,500 charge, where a transfer is permitted under the applicable rules. Consequently, someone acquiring a four-letter personalized registration and registering a vehicle under it could face an initial bill of €42,500, followed by another €2,500 every year to maintain the registration.

 

For most motorists, the idea of spending tens of thousands of euros on a registration plate would seem absurd. In Monaco, however, where exclusivity is practically an industry in itself, the government appears to have identified another opportunity to monetize the appetite for luxury and individual distinction.

 

Until now, personalized registration numbers had traditionally been available to Monaco residents without an additional personalization fee, subject to availability and existing registration rules. Residents could request combinations reflecting their initials, birthdays, personal preferences or lucky numbers. It was an attractive privilege, particularly among owners of expensive vehicles who wanted their registration to reflect their personality, interests or automotive tastes.

 

That arrangement is now changing considerably.

 

The proposal to introduce charges for personalized registrations had already attracted attention in Monaco. Reporting by L’Observateur de Monaco in January 2025 described discussions about introducing fees and the possibility of generating additional revenue through a service that had traditionally been available without a separate personalization charge. The debate raised questions about whether the Principality should turn another longstanding privilege into a premium-priced service.

 

The new order brings that change into effect, placing an official price on something that was previously available without this level of financial commitment.

 

There is an obvious market for distinctive registration numbers among Monaco’s wealthy residents and international visitors. A Porsche enthusiast might want the number 911, while Ferrari and McLaren owners might prefer combinations associated with their favourite models. For someone who owns several luxury vehicles, a personalized registration can become another element of the image they wish to project.

 

But there is an important distinction between paying for a customized number and actually owning it.

 

Monaco’s registration plates remain the property of the State. Paying €40,000 does not give the purchaser an unrestricted asset that can subsequently be sold to another wealthy individual. Ministerial Order No. 2026-226, published in May 2026, establishes restrictions on transferring registration numbers, with limited exceptions involving certain family relationships, spouses or partners and specific company-related circumstances.

 

In other words, anyone paying €40,000 should not assume that the registration can later be treated as a private investment or resold at a profit. The payment secures access to a customized registration under the government’s rules, not unrestricted ownership of a valuable number.

 

Monaco is not the first wealthy jurisdiction to recognize the extraordinary market for prestigious vehicle registrations. Dubai has developed an international reputation for exclusive number-plate auctions, with wealthy bidders prepared to spend millions on particularly desirable combinations. 

 

In 2023, one Dubai registration number reportedly sold for approximately €13.7 million. The United Kingdom also has a substantial personalized registration market through the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, alongside private transactions involving eligible registrations.

 

However, Monaco’s approach is different. Rather than relying exclusively on competitive auctions, the Principality has established a government-controlled tariff for customized combinations. A four-letter registration has an official allocation price of €40,000, regardless of whether the individual requesting it is prepared to spend more.

 

The comparison with Belgium is also revealing. According to a report by L’Observateur de Monaco, Belgium introduced a personalization charge of €1,000 in 2014. Monaco’s €40,000 tariff for four letters places its new system in an entirely different financial category.

 

The decision also raises broader questions about the relationship between Monaco’s luxury image and the increasing cost of maintaining a lifestyle in the Principality. 

 

Monaco has always been an expensive place to live, but there is a difference between paying premium prices for property, restaurants, private services and luxury goods and being charged €40,000 for the privilege of choosing four letters for a vehicle registration.

 

For Monaco’s wealthiest residents, the amount may be little more than another discretionary expense. For others, it is an extraordinary sum for something that has no practical effect on the vehicle itself. The car drives exactly the same, whether it carries an ordinary registration or one costing €40,000.

 

There is also the question of the recurring annual charge. The €2,500 renewal fee means the financial commitment does not end once the customized number has been allocated. It becomes another continuing expense attached to maintaining that particular registration.

 

Perhaps that is precisely the point. Monaco has built much of its international identity around exclusivity, prestige and the concentration of extraordinary wealth. From luxury property and private banking to superyacht events and some of the world’s most expensive automobiles, the Principality has become synonymous with a lifestyle that is deliberately beyond the reach of most people.

 

Now, even a vehicle’s registration number has acquired a luxury price tag.

 

For a jurisdiction covering just over two square kilometres, where the distinction between ordinary and extraordinary is often measured in millions of euros, €40,000 for four letters may not seem entirely out of character. Nevertheless, it is a striking example of how far the commercialization of exclusivity can extend.

 

In Monaco, apparently, it is no longer enough to own the Ferrari. You may now have to pay €40,000 to make sure the registration plate looks the part, too.

The Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital: The Remarkable Forgotten Story of Nice’s Anglo-American Riviera

 

There are places along the French Riviera that have fascinating histories hiding just beneath the surface of today’s landscape. Buildings disappear, streets change, and entire chapters of local history gradually become forgotten as the region evolves.

Yet occasionally, a little digging reveals a story so remarkable that it deserves to be brought back into the spotlight. One such story belongs to the former Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital on the Cap de Nice, an extraordinary institution that once served the British and American communities of the French Riviera, treated wounded Allied servicemen during two world wars, and became the final resting place of one of the 20th century’s most celebrated literary figures.

Today, the hospital itself has disappeared, replaced by luxury residential development in one of the most desirable locations overlooking the Mediterranean. However, its history offers a fascinating glimpse into a very different Nice, when the city was one of Europe’s great winter destinations and its Anglo-American community was an influential part of Riviera society.

A Hospital Born From the Anglo-American Riviera

To understand why a hospital dedicated to Queen Victoria was established in Nice, it is necessary to look back at the extraordinary transformation of the city during the 19th century.

By the latter part of the Victorian era, Nice had become a fashionable winter retreat for Europe’s aristocracy, wealthy British families, American millionaires, diplomats, writers, artists and members of royal households. The mild Mediterranean climate, spectacular scenery and increasingly sophisticated infrastructure made the city particularly attractive to British visitors, many of whom began spending several months of the year on the Riviera.

Some eventually established permanent residences, building magnificent villas and becoming part of the social and cultural fabric of the city.

This growing expatriate population created a demand for services that catered specifically to English-speaking residents and visitors. British churches, schools, clubs, hotels, doctors and charitable organizations became part of the city’s landscape. The establishment of the Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital was a natural extension of that community.

Following Queen Victoria’s death in January 1901, the idea emerged to create a hospital in her memory that would provide medical care for British subjects and American citizens living in or visiting the region. An association was established in 1902 to bring the project to life, and the hospital was subsequently constructed between 1903 and 1906, with the architect identified in the historical records as Tiercelin.

The hospital was inaugurated in March 1906. Its association was formally recognized as being of public utility by a French decree dated 28 August 1906, establishing its charitable standing within the French system.

It was a remarkable undertaking, particularly when one considers that this was an institution established specifically to serve an international community in a French city more than a century ago.

A Charitable Institution, Not Simply a Hospital for the Wealthy

Although the British and American communities of Nice included some extraordinarily wealthy individuals, the Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital was not intended exclusively for the privileged.

Its founding principles included providing medical assistance regardless of religious denomination, and its original accommodation consisted of 36 beds. Of these, 24 were entirely free, while the remaining 12 were available to paying patients, with charges ranging from five to 50 francs per day.

The fees collected from paying patients helped support the running of the institution, while the free beds ensured that people without the financial means to afford private medical treatment could still receive care.

The hospital depended heavily on charitable donations, financial contributions, bequests and fundraising activities organized by members of the Anglo-American community. Charity balls and other social events were held in Nice and Monaco, bringing together wealthy residents and visitors who supported the institution financially.

This is an interesting reflection of the social structure of the Riviera during the Belle Époque. The same families who occupied grand villas, frequented the luxury hotels and participated in the fashionable winter social season were also helping to maintain a medical institution for less fortunate members of their community.

The hospital was therefore much more than a medical establishment. It was a charitable and social institution that reflected the strength, organization and influence of the British and American presence in Nice.

The First World War: A Hospital for Allied Servicemen

The outbreak of the First World War in 1914 transformed the role of the Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital.

What had originally been established to serve expatriates and international visitors increasingly became an important medical facility for wounded Allied servicemen. British military personnel were among those receiving treatment, and following the United States’ entry into the war in 1917, American servicemen also became patients.

Nice itself had an important role during the conflict, with its hotels and other buildings being adapted to accommodate military hospitals and wounded soldiers. The Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital became particularly valuable because it had English-speaking medical professionals and nursing staff who could communicate directly with British and American patients.

Historical material preserved by the Nice municipal archives documents the hospital’s wartime activities and its importance to the American presence in the city.

The institution’s charitable arrangements also continued to matter during this period. Wealthy patrons could sponsor beds, helping ensure that patients who could not afford treatment were not excluded from receiving medical attention.

It is a fascinating chapter in the history of the building. A hospital created in memory of a British monarch had become an important part of the medical response to a devastating international conflict.

The Hospital Between the Wars

Following the end of the First World War, the Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital returned to serving the Anglo-American community of the Riviera.

The institution continued to evolve, with alterations and improvements being undertaken to accommodate its medical activities and changing requirements. Archival correspondence records building work carried out between 1929 and 1931, including alterations to older buildings and additional work involving the nurses’ accommodation.

Its physical infrastructure was not without challenges. Records concerning its water supply, sewage arrangements, access through the Mont-Boron area and various building projects provide an interesting insight into the practical difficulties of maintaining a hospital in this elevated coastal location.

Nevertheless, it remained an important institution for the English-speaking population of Nice, which continued to include permanent residents, seasonal visitors and people who had made the Riviera their home.

The Second World War and a Long Interruption

The Second World War brought another dramatic interruption to the hospital’s activities.

Between 1940 and 1944, the building was occupied by Italian troops. This effectively brought its normal Anglo-American hospital operations to a halt during the occupation.

The post-war years required considerable rebuilding and reorganization, and the hospital did not officially reopen until November 1947.

Its reopening was marked by the presence of Duff Cooper, the British statesman and diplomat, an indication of the continued importance attached to the institution and its historical links with Britain.

However, the world that emerged after the war was very different from the one that had existed during the Belle Époque. The old tradition of wealthy British families spending the winter months in Nice was changing, international travel was evolving, and the social and economic foundations of the Anglo-American Riviera were no longer quite the same.

The hospital continued operating, but the community and circumstances that had originally made its establishment possible were gradually changing.

Somerset Maugham: The Famous Writer Who Died at the Hospital

Perhaps one of the most intriguing connections in the hospital’s history is its association with the celebrated British writer W. Somerset Maugham.

Maugham, whose literary works included Of Human Bondage, The Moon and Sixpence and The Razor’s Edge, was one of the most recognizable literary figures of his generation. His life and writing were closely associated with international travel, European society and the Mediterranean world.

He had a particularly strong connection with the French Riviera, where he spent many years and became part of the region’s international social landscape.

On 16 December 1965, Somerset Maugham died at the Anglo-American Hospital in Nice, the institution originally established as the Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital.

It is an extraordinary historical detail that deserves considerably more recognition. One of Britain’s most celebrated literary figures spent his final hours in a hospital created more than half a century earlier to serve the English-speaking community of the Riviera.

For anyone interested in the literary and cultural history of Nice, this connection alone makes the former hospital an important part of the city’s past.

The Beginning of the End: When Real Estate Became More Valuable Than the Hospital

By the late 1960s, the Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital was experiencing increasingly serious financial difficulties.

The municipal archival records indicate that its financial position deteriorated from 1968 onwards, with the institution facing the possibility of closure on several occasions.

There were undoubtedly wider changes affecting the hospital. Medical care was evolving, the structure of the international community in Nice was changing, and maintaining a specialized charitable institution was becoming increasingly difficult.

However, there was another consideration that would ultimately prove decisive: the extraordinary value of the land on which the hospital stood.

The Cap de Nice had become one of the most desirable residential locations in the city. Its elevated position, spectacular Mediterranean views, proximity to the centre of Nice and exclusive surroundings made it exceptionally attractive to property developers.

The hospital occupied a substantial and increasingly valuable piece of real estate.

In 1972, authorization was granted for the demolition of the hospital buildings, and the property was subsequently redeveloped as luxury residential accommodation.

It was a rather symbolic ending for an institution that had once represented the charitable ambitions and collective identity of Nice’s Anglo-American community. After approximately seven decades of operation, the hospital disappeared, and its former grounds became part of the luxury residential landscape for which the Cap de Nice is now so well known.

What Remains of the Hospital Today?

For anyone walking or driving along Boulevard Maurice Maeterlinck today, it is difficult to imagine that this beautiful stretch of the coastline was once home to a substantial charitable hospital.

The former Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital stood at approximately 31–33 Boulevard Maurice Maeterlinck, in the Cap de Nice area.

Its buildings have long since disappeared, and the site was transformed through redevelopment into luxury residential property. The landscape that visitors see today bears little obvious resemblance to the medical institution that once occupied it.

Yet the historical records remain remarkably extensive.

The Archives of Nice Côte d’Azur preserve a dedicated collection, identified as series 31 S, covering the hospital’s history from 1906 to 1975. The material includes founding documents, statutes, administrative correspondence, committee meetings, financial accounts, personnel records, medical activities, patient information, fundraising records, architectural material and documentation relating to the eventual sale and demolition.

There are also surviving plans, photographs and correspondence concerning the buildings and their development over the decades.

For historians, researchers and anyone interested in the history of the French Riviera, this is an extraordinary resource. Rather than relying solely on old postcards or passing references, it is possible to explore the institution through its own administrative and historical documentation.

A Forgotten Chapter in the History of the French Riviera

The story of the Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital is about considerably more than an old building that once stood on the Cap de Nice.

It tells us something important about the international character of Nice during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when the city was home to a thriving British and American community that had established its own institutions, traditions and charitable networks.

It also demonstrates how the Riviera has continually reinvented itself. The grand winter colony of the Belle Époque gradually gave way to a different era of tourism, international property investment and luxury residential development. Institutions that had once been central to the lives of expatriate communities eventually disappeared as the region changed around them.

There is something particularly poignant about the hospital’s ending. An institution created in memory of Queen Victoria, supported by charitable donations and designed to provide medical assistance to people regardless of their financial circumstances, ultimately occupied land that had become far more valuable for luxury residential development.

Today, the Cap de Nice is synonymous with spectacular properties, exclusive addresses and some of the most impressive sea views in the region. Yet beneath that modern image lies a history that includes wounded soldiers, charitable benefactors, British aristocrats, American visitors, dedicated doctors and nurses, and one of Britain’s most celebrated writers.

The next time you pass along Boulevard Maurice Maeterlinck, it is worth remembering that this corner of Nice was once home to something quite different from the luxury residences that now define it.

The Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital may have disappeared, but its story remains an extraordinary reminder of the people, institutions and international connections that helped shape the French Riviera we know today.

Laughter Takes Centre Stage in Monaco: Monte-Carlo Film Festival Returns for Its 23rd Edition

 

From November 11–14, Monaco welcomes the international film industry for four days celebrating comedy, cinematic talent and the people who make audiences laugh, culminating in a glamorous awards gala at the Grimaldi Forum.

Monaco is preparing to welcome filmmakers, actors, directors and entertainment personalities for the return of the Monte-Carlo Film Festival, an international event dedicated entirely to the art of comedy.

Taking place from November 11–14, 2026, at the prestigious Grimaldi Forum, the festival brings together the world of cinema to celebrate a genre that is sometimes underestimated but remains one of the most universally appreciated forms of storytelling.

Comedy has a remarkable ability to cross cultural and linguistic boundaries, bringing people together through shared experiences, humour and emotion. The Monte-Carlo Film Festival recognizes this contribution to cinema, providing an international platform for filmmakers and performers whose work entertains, challenges and connects audiences.

Over its four days, the festival will showcase films selected for its official competition, offering an opportunity to discover new cinematic talent and celebrate established names in the industry. Directors, actors and other professionals will come together in Monaco, reinforcing the Principality’s longstanding relationship with international cinema and entertainment.

The highlight of the event will be the Grand Gala and Awards Ceremony on Saturday, November 14, hosted by Italian actor, comedian and television personality Ezio Greggio. A familiar face in Italian entertainment, Greggio has long been associated with the festival and its celebration of comedy.

The closing evening promises the glamour expected of Monaco, with the red carpet opening at 7 pm ahead of the ceremony at 7:30 pm. Awards will recognize outstanding films from the official selection, alongside prestigious Lifetime Achievement Awards honouring individuals who have made significant contributions to cinema.

The gala will also be broadcast on Mediaset television channels and platforms, extending the festival’s reach beyond Monaco and bringing its celebration of comedy to an international television audience.

For visitors wishing to experience the closing night, tickets are priced at €50 for adults and €40 for children and young people under 25. The ceremony is expected to last approximately one hour and 40 minutes.

Events such as the Monte-Carlo Film Festival contribute to Monaco’s cultural identity, demonstrating that the Principality’s international appeal extends well beyond its reputation for luxury, sport and high-profile social occasions. Cinema remains an important part of that cultural landscape, and a festival devoted specifically to comedy offers something a little different from the more conventional film events found elsewhere.

Ultimately, comedy is about more than simply making people laugh. At its best, it reflects society, explores human relationships and allows audiences to see the world from different perspectives. By giving this genre its own international platform, the Monte-Carlo Film Festival continues to celebrate the creativity and talent behind some of cinema’s most entertaining work.

For four days this November, Monaco will once again put comedy in the spotlight, with the Grimaldi Forum providing the setting for an international gathering of cinematic talent and a suitably glamorous finale.

Event information

• Festival: Monte-Carlo Film Festival

• Dates: November 11–14, 2026

• Venue: Grimaldi Forum, 10 Avenue Princesse Grace, Monaco

• Grand Gala: Saturday, November 14

• Red carpet: 7 pm

• Awards ceremony: 7:30 pm

• Tickets: €50 adults; €40 under 25s

Further information and tickets: Grimaldi Forum – Monte-Carlo Film Festival

In&Out Cannes 2026: LGBTQIA+ Cinema Returns to the Croisette

 

November 14–21, 2026 — Cannes

 

There is something particularly fitting about LGBTQIA+ cinema returning to Cannes.

 

The city is internationally synonymous with film, glamour and the red carpet, but Cannes is also a place where cinema can challenge conventions, open conversations and give visibility to stories that might otherwise remain on the margins. This November, In&Out Cannes returns for its 15th edition, bringing another diverse collection of films to the Croisette from November 14 to 21.

 

The festival has become an important part of the LGBTQIA+ cultural calendar on the French Riviera, and this year’s edition continues its collaboration with the Rencontres cinématographiques de Cannes (RCC), now celebrating its 39th edition. Since last year, the RCC has hosted the majority of In&Out screenings, strengthening a relationship that brings queer cinema into the heart of Cannes’ established cinematic culture.

 

For 2026, the programme offers ten films that explore some of the questions running through LGBTQIA+ lives and imaginations: desire, identity, family, parenthood, social expectations, memory, political conviction and the complicated business of constructing a life that feels authentically your own.

 

Some of these films are intimate and deeply personal. Others look outward, examining society, history and the forces that shape the way people are allowed—or expected—to live.

 

Together, they demonstrate precisely why LGBTQIA+ cinema remains so important. These aren’t simply films about LGBTQIA+ people. They are stories about love, family, identity, prejudice, ambition, ageing, politics, belonging and the messy contradictions of being human.

 

And, as always with In&Out, audiences are invited not simply to watch, but to discover something unexpected.

 PROGRAM

 

Sat., Nov. 14 at 5:00 p.m. - L’Olympia Cinema

 

FORTY LOVE

 

France • 2026 • 1h34 • directed by Pierre-Ange Carlotti • starring Paul Kircher, Romeo Beckham, Guillaume Canet

 

Sacha Gallo is 21 years old and knows how to do only one thing: play tennis. Having been coached by his father his entire life, they dream together of winning their first major title in Paris. The arrival of a new rival will shake his convictions. Sacha will have to face another challenge: love. An unexpected opponent, as powerful as it is 

formidable.

 

TRAILER: 

TICKETS: https://www.cinemaolympia-cannes.fr/.../ D17946.../VF/271323/

 

Sun., Nov. 15 at 5:30 p.m. – Les Arcades Cinema

 

3670

 

South Korea • 2026 • 2h04 • original version with French subtitles • directed by Park Joon-ho • starring Cho Youhyun, Kim Hyeonmok, Cho Dae-Hae

 

Cheol-jun, 27, fled North Korea to live in the South. While waiting for his parents to join him, the young gay man tries to meet people, but his unique circumstances and natural shyness hold him back… until the day Yeong-jun, a warm-hearted young man, introduces him to his friends. A whole new world then opens up for Cheol-jun—one filled with friendships, crushes, wild parties… and sometimes, disillusionment.

 

TRAILER: 

TICKETS: https://cinemalesarcades.fr/tous-nos-evenements/

 

Mon., Nov. 16 at 1:00 p.m. – Espace Miramar
Tue., Nov. 17 at 9:00 a.m. – Les Arcades Cinéma

 

MÉLI-MÉLO

 

Canada • 2027 • 1h 42 • original version with French subtitles • directed by Leah Nelson • • starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Abbi Jacobson, Bryan Cranston • Jury Prize, Deauville American Film Festival

 

Sarah, an artist and activist in 1990s San Francisco, returns to her small hometown because her mother has Alzheimer’s, and finds herself caught up in a family whirlwind that is as tender as it is chaotic.

 

Juggling a budding romance, professional ambitions she refuses to give up, and relatives who are as whimsical as they are helpless in the face of the disease, she tries to stay the course.

 

Determined to push her family to finally face reality, she embarks with them on an unlikely journey to Mexico. Sarah will have to let go of the need to control everything, accept her mother’s decline, and learn to see her family in a new light. To become the daughter her family needs, she must first embrace their flaws, their contradictions, and all the imperfect beauty of the bonds that unite them.

 

TRAILER:

Tue., Nov. 17 at 6:30 p.m. – L’Olympia Cinema
Sat., Nov. 21 at 1:45 p.m. – L’Olympia Cinema

 

EN HAUT DE LA PILE (AT THE TOP OF THE PILE)

 

France • 2026 • 1h42 • directed by Louis-Julien Petit • starring Anthony Bajon, Aliocha Schneider, Alexandra Lamy

 

Arthur and Maxime dream of becoming parents, even if it means breaking the law. Their loved ones decide to get involved, each with their own convictions and ideas.... The problem is, not all of them are good ones.

 

TRAILER:

Tue., Nov. 17 at 9:00 p.m. – Les Arcades Cinema
Wed., Nov. 18 at 4:15 p.m. – Cinéum Cannes
Fri., Nov. 20 at 1:45 p.m. – L’Olympia Cinema

THE EDUCATION OF JANE CUMMING

Great Britain • 2026 • 1h54 • original version with French subtitles • directed by Sophie Heldman • starring Flora Nicholson, Clare Dunne, Mia Tharia

Edinburgh, 1810. Two teachers find themselves at the center of a scandal when a wealthy aristocrat enrolls her 15-year-old “illegitimate” granddaughter, who has just arrived from India, in their boarding school. Isolated, Jane Cumming makes an accusation whose consequences will turn everyone’s lives upside down. The two women must then confront prejudice and defend their reputations. Their legal battle will last for years and cause a scandal in Scottish high society.

TRAILER:

Wed., Nov. 18 at 1:30 p.m. – La Licorne
Wed., Nov. 18 at 4:15 p.m. – Cinéma L’Olympia
Wed., Nov. 18 at 6:45 p.m. – Cinéum Cannes

INSTINCT DE FAMILLE (FAMILY INSTINCT)

France • 2026 • 1h16 • directed by Maurice Hermet • starring Alice Dufour, Charlotte Gabris, Jeremy Lopez

Julie and Christel want to have a child. When Julie asks two of her former partners to be sperm donors, a dinner brings old wounds, jealousy, and hopes to the surface. An intense, intimate drama about family, parentage, and redemption.

Wed., Nov. 18 at 1:30 p.m. – Cinéum Cannes
Wed., Nov. 18 at 6:30 p.m. – Les Arcades

UN PEU AVANT MINUIT (JUST BEFORE MIDNIGHT)

France • 2026 • 1h50 • directed by Nicolas Pariser • starring Melvil Poupaud, Chiara Mastroianni, Golshifteh Farahan

On the verge of breaking up with his partner, with whom he lives in Nancy, 49-year-old Léo learns of the death of his biological father, whom he never knew. While waiting for an appointment with a notary in Italy, he spends a few days in Paris, where he lived when he was younger.

Through conversations with his activist daughter and encounters with ghosts from his past, he questions his relationship with the world and, above all, his relationships with women. Has he been fair, respectful, and loving?

TRAILER: 

Thu, Nov. 19 at 9:00 p.m. – Espace Miramar
Fri, Nov. 20 at 1:30 p.m. – Cinéma Les Arcades
Sun, Nov. 22 at 6:00 p.m. – Cinéma Les Arcades

 

LE PROCÈS (THE TRIAL)

 

Germany • 2026 • 2h02 • original version with French subtitles • directed by Kai Stänicke • starring Paul Boche, Emilia Schüle, Julika Jenkins

 

After 14 years, Hein returns to his island village, but the community does not recognize him and demands a trial to prove his identity.

 

TRAILER: 

Fri., Nov. 20 at 4:00 p.m. – Cinéum Cannes
Fri., Nov. 20 at 6:30 p.m. – Cinéma Les Arcades

 

UN DÉTOUR PAR DIANE (A DETOUR THROUGH DIANE)

 

Belgium • 2027 • 1h32 • directed by Ann Sirot • starring Ninon Borsei, Sandrine Blancke, Lucas Meister, Peter Van Den Begin

 

Diane hates men as much as she desires them. Her mother was raped three years before she was born. When Diane learns this, she has only one thing on her mind: avenging her mother. But her mother wants only one thing: to finally become the woman she should have been. Between the one who wants to be remembered and the one who wants to be forgotten, tensions run high.

 

TRAILER: 

Sat., Nov. 21 at 6 p.m. – Théâtre Croisette

BADINTER

France • 2027 • 1h46 • directed by Pierre Godeau • starring Bastien Bouillon, Georgia Scalliet, Yoann Blanc

In 1972, Robert Badinter’s life was turned upside down when he agreed to defend a man sentenced to death for a murder he did not commit. Despite a relentless defense, his client was guillotined. Deeply scarred by the experience, he embarked on a historic fight that would make him the man who abolished the death penalty in France.

What makes the 2026 In&Out Cannes programme particularly interesting is the breadth of its stories.

There are films about love and desire, but also films about ageing parents, family, parenthood, identity, historical prejudice, political conviction, memory and justice.

Some are explicitly connected to LGBTQIA+ experiences. Others approach those experiences through wider questions about what it means to belong, to love, to create a family or to challenge the expectations imposed upon us.

LGBTQIA+ cinema should never be confined to one narrow definition of what a “queer story” looks like. Our lives contain comedy, tragedy, politics, romance, family drama, history, sexuality, friendship, ambition, disappointment and everything in between.

That is exactly where In&Out has always found its strength.

For its 15th edition, the festival once again turns cinema into a place for freedom, encounters, discussion and discovery—bringing stories from LGBTQIA+ communities and perspectives to one of the world’s great cinema cities.

And perhaps the best reason to attend is also the simplest:

You never quite know which film is going to stay with you long after the credits have rolled.

In&Out Cannes 2026

November 14–21, 2026

Screenings take place at venues throughout Cannes, including L’Olympia, Les Arcades, Cinéum Cannes, Espace Miramar, La Licorne and Théâtre Croisette.

The full RCC programme and festival information can be found through the Rencontres cinématographiques de Cannes.

Programme: https://www.cannes-cinema.com/.../programme-des-rcc-2026/

Individual films and ticket information are available through the respective cinema websites.

Please check the cinema or festival website before attending, as screening times and programme details can change.