Cinemed - Mediterranean Film Festival Montpellier

Overview

Cinemed (Festival international du cinema mediterraneen de Montpellier) is a competitive festival dedicated to cinema from the Mediterranean basin. The 48th edition runs October 16 to 24, 2026, in Montpellier, France. The festival is the second most important cinema festival in the Mediterranean after Cannes, according to its Wikipedia entry. Cinemed programs feature fiction, feature documentaries, and short films from countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea states, Portugal, and Armenia. The festival's president is Leoluca Orlando, and its artistic director is Christophe Leparc.

The festival was established in 1979 by the Cine-club Jean-Vigo under the original name "Rencontres avec le cinema mediterraneen." In 1989, a competitive section was added and the festival was renamed Festival Cinema Mediterraneen Montpellier. The 2026 edition marks the 48th edition.

Montpellier's location on the French Mediterranean coast and its large student population give the festival natural connections to the cultures it programs. The city's ties to North Africa and the Middle East through immigration history align with the festival's geographic focus.

Submission Details

Submissions are made online through the Cinemed website. The festival accepts open submissions for all competition categories.

Submission fees:

• Feature fiction films: EUR 30 (VAT not included)
• Feature documentary films: EUR 30 (VAT not included)
• Short films: EUR 10 (VAT not included)
• Development Grant projects: EUR 30 (VAT not included)

Payment is made online via credit card only. All fees are non-refundable.

Deadlines for the 48th edition (2026):

• Short films: July 6, 2026
• Development Grant: July 10, 2026
• Feature documentary: July 17, 2026
• Feature fiction: August 21, 2026

Feature fiction eligibility:

• Films completed since July 1, 2025
• Director must be from one of the states in the Mediterranean Basin, the Black Sea states, Portugal, or Armenia
• Running time over 60 minutes
• Must not have been distributed in France (commercially, non-commercially, or on video)
• Accepted screening format: DCP
• Films presented at the 2025 Cinemed cannot be entered in 2026

Short film eligibility:

• Films completed since July 1, 2025
• Director must be from one of the Mediterranean Basin states, Portugal, Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia, or Armenia
• Maximum running time: 30 minutes
• Subject must relate to Mediterranean themes
• Accepted screening format: DCP

Selected films must provide:

• Artistic and technical sheets
• Director photo (minimum 750x1000 px, 300 dpi, .jpg)
• Film still (minimum 1500x1000 px, 300 dpi, .jpg)
• Synopsis (700 characters max)
• Director bio and filmography (700 characters max)
• Trailer
• DCP with French subtitles by October 2, 2026 (feature fiction) or October 1, 2026 (short films)

Key Sections

• Feature Fiction Competition - Mediterranean feature films competing for the Antigone d'Or
• Feature Documentary Competition - nonfiction films competing for the Prix Ulysse
• Short Film Competition - approximately 30 shorts (fiction, animation, experimental, documentary) in competition and panorama
• Development Grant (Bourse d'aide au developpement) - 36th edition in 2026, pitch sessions on October 20 and 21, 2026
• Country Focus - special programs dedicated to a specific Mediterranean nation each year
• Retrospectives - programs honoring Mediterranean filmmakers

What Filmmakers Should Know

Cinemed is the primary European competitive platform for filmmakers from Mediterranean countries. The Antigone d'Or, the festival's top prize, carries a EUR 15,000 award funded by Montpellier Mediterranee Metropole, with EUR 10,000 going to the French distributor and EUR 5,000 to the filmmaker. This distribution-focused prize structure means the award directly supports theatrical release in France.

The Development Grant (Bourse d'aide au developpement) is a distinct opportunity for filmmakers with projects in development. The 36th edition in 2026 awards grants after pitch sessions held October 20 and 21. The registration fee is EUR 30 (VAT not included), with a deadline of July 10, 2026.

Films selected for the Official Competition are provided to the festival free of charge. If a DCP is encrypted, a KDM set opening for the entire festival period must be sent to kdm@cinemed.tm.fr and regie@cinemed.tm.fr.

The festival does not accept films that were presented for selection at the previous year's edition.

Major Awards

Feature Fiction:

• Antigone d'Or de Montpellier Mediterranee Metropole - EUR 15,000 (EUR 10,000 to French distributor, EUR 5,000 to filmmaker)
• Prix de la Critique Credit Agricole Languedoc - EUR 2,000
• Prix du Public Midi Libre - EUR 2,000
• Prix Jeune Public des activites sociales de l'energie - distribution of winning film through social energy networks
• Prix JAM de la meilleure musique - EUR 1,200
• Prix etudiant de la premiere oeuvre CCU-Crous - EUR 1,500

Short Films:

• Grand prix du court metrage de Montpellier Mediterranee Metropole - EUR 4,000 to filmmaker + EUR 1,000 in post-production services
• Prix du public La Gazette - Titra Film - EUR 1,000 to filmmaker + EUR 500 in DCP services
• Prix Jeune Public Ville de Montpellier - EUR 2,000
• Prix Canal+ - purchase of winning film for broadcast on Canal+

Documentary:

• Prix Ulysse Decipro - Montpellier Mediterranee Metropole - EUR 2,500

2024 Antigone d'Or: To a Land Unknown by Mahdi Fleifel (France/UK/Greece/Germany/Netherlands/Palestine)

Festival History

Cinemed was established in 1979 by the Cine-club Jean-Vigo team under the name "Rencontres avec le cinema mediterraneen." The festival was non-competitive for its first decade. In 1989, a competitive section was inaugurated and the festival took its current name. The Antigone d'Or has been the festival's top prize since the competition was established.

Over 47 editions, Cinemed has built an archive of Mediterranean cinema that covers the film cultures of Italy, France, Spain, Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Portugal, Armenia, and the Black Sea states. The festival's competitive structure brings these traditions together in direct comparison, highlighting both shared concerns and distinct national approaches.

The Development Grant was created to support filmmakers with projects in development, not just finished films. The grant has run for 36 editions and has expanded beyond Montpellier to include international workshops.

See Also

To calculate the return on your festival submission spending, use the Festival ROI Calculator. For festival strategy guidance, see Film Festival Strategy. For international film markets and distribution, see International Film Markets.