Celebrating its 30th anniversary, this year’s Boston French Film Festival presents a wide-ranging selection of contemporary cinema from France focused on art, identity, and cultural memory. A playful strand of mystery runs through several titles, from Hitchcock-tinged mischief in Bazaar and A Private Life to the psychoanalytic intrigue of Case 137. Other films explore artistic expression and creative spirit, including Colors of Time, a  warm and somewhat surreal tale that jumps between the present day and the age of Impressionism; The Great Arch, an architectural fable about the making of a Parisian landmark;  and Leave One Day, which celebrates the culinary arts through fizzy musical interludes. Across the films, questions of belonging and transformation appear repeatedly—in Promised Sky, The Little Sister, and Nino—shaping a festival defined by creativity, curiosity, and the pleasures of a good story told well.

The festival runs from July 24 through August 23. The first part of the lineup is announced June 16 and tickets go on sale June 23; additional films are added July 7, with tickets going on sale July 14.