Cinemed -- Mediterranean Film Festival Montpellier
The world's most comprehensive Mediterranean cinema festival, held annually in October in Montpellier, presenting competitive programming from all Mediterranean countries and celebrating the rich diversity of the region's filmmaking traditions.
Overview
Cinemed is the world's most comprehensive Mediterranean cinema festival. Founded in 1979 and held annually in October in Montpellier -- a city on the French Mediterranean coast with strong ties to the broader Mediterranean world -- the festival presents competitive programming from all countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea.
The Mediterranean basin encompasses some of the world's oldest and most distinct film cultures: Italian, French, Spanish, Greek, Turkish, Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian, Tunisian, Lebanese, and Israeli, among others. Cinemed celebrates this diversity by bringing these traditions together in a competitive context that highlights both their commonalities and their distinctions.
Montpellier's location on the French Mediterranean coast gives Cinemed natural connections with the cultures it programs. The city's large student population, its connections to North Africa and the Middle East through immigration, and its warm Mediterranean climate create an ideal festival environment.
Key Sections
- Mediterranean Feature Competition -- films from Mediterranean countries competing for the Zenith Award
- Mediterranean Documentary Competition -- nonfiction films from the region
- Short Film Competition -- Mediterranean short films
- Country Focus -- special programs dedicated to a specific Mediterranean nation each year
- Retrospectives -- programs honoring Mediterranean filmmakers
What Filmmakers Should Know
Cinemed accepts open submissions from filmmakers whose work is from or addresses Mediterranean countries. The Zenith Award is one of the most distinctive competitive prizes in European cinema. For filmmakers from Mediterranean countries, Cinemed provides a regional competitive context that reaches the entire Mediterranean film community.
Major Awards
- Zenith Award -- Best Film in the Mediterranean Competition
- Special Jury Prize
- Best Short Film
- Audience Award
Festival History
Cinemed was founded in 1979 and has operated continuously for over four decades, building the world's most comprehensive archive and platform for Mediterranean cinema.
See Also
For Mediterranean cinema, see International Film Markets. For festival strategy, see Film Festival Strategy.
