I’ve spent over 25 years in the French film industry as a lawyer for production companies, working with figures such as Pierre-Ange Le Pogam (former partner of Luc Besson at EuropaCorp) and actor-director Alain Chabat.

After moving to San Francisco in 2017, I began organizing French film screenings at the French High School theater (LFSF), welcoming up to 300 spectators per screening. These events quickly found their audience.

In January 2024, I launched French Premiere to answer a clear frustration within the French community abroad: being deeply connected to French culture, yet unable to watch new releases as they come out.

French Premiere offers a monthly screening of a recent French film, in original version with English subtitles, recreating the shared, memorable experience that only cinema can offer.

My goal is simple: bring French cinema back to the big screen - when people want to see it.

Arnaud de Fontenay, French Premiere Founder