Zemiro has been named the festival's first patron in its entire 25-year run, or ''the Godmother'' as the organisers are referring to her.

''In French if you say the word 'patron' it's really not a very beautiful word, so they call me the Godmother. I feel like I'm in the mafia,'' she said, laughing.

Zemiro was born in France to a French father and an Australian mother, and although she moved to Australia at the age of two, she has kept her love of French language and culture.

She said there was something about French movies which Australians seemed to love.

''This festival is the most popular festival of French movies outside of France itself,'' she said. ''[Australians] love watching people sitting in cafes drinking coffee, we like to see people having a champagne somewhere, we love to see people arguing in French … They love the French way of life.''

More than 125,000 people are expected to attend the festival as it travels to seven locations across Australia. It has grown exponentially each year, screening 46 French films this year compared to only 18 when it first began in 1989.

Zemiro said she was looking forward to seeing renowned French director Francois Truffaut's The 400 Blows, which hasn't been seen on the big screen in more than 50 years.

She said she knew people hated subtitles but it was worth it to experience another culture.

''Live a little, concentrate and enter another world … It's about learning that we're really all a bit the same, that there is this thing that universally binds us all,'' she said.

''We all want to be loved and we all want to love.''

Details for the Alliance Francaise French Film festival can be found at the website