Paris Cinema International Film Festival

Overview

The Paris Cinema International Film Festival is Paris's most important dedicated international film festival. Founded in 2003 and held annually in June and July in Paris, the festival presents world premieres and European premieres of international films to the world's most cinema-literate city audience.

Paris's extraordinary cinema culture -- the cinephile tradition of the Cahiers du Cinema critics, the auteur theory, the New Wave -- gives it a unique claim to the title of the world's most cinema-conscious city. The Paris Cinema festival operates within this tradition, presenting work that engages seriously with cinema as an art form.

The festival takes place across Paris's network of independent cinemas and art house venues, bringing film culture to neighborhoods throughout the city rather than concentrating it in a single festival venue.

Key Sections

• International Competition -- films competing for jury prizes
• Premieres -- world and European premieres of major international films
• Rétrospectives -- programs honoring major filmmakers
• Paris Films -- films addressing Paris and French cinema
• Special Events -- outdoor screenings and community events

What Filmmakers Should Know

Paris Cinema accepts open submissions for its competition. For international filmmakers, a Paris premiere provides access to the world's most influential cinema culture. French critics and distributors who attend shape global critical reception of films.

Major Awards

• Grand Prix -- Best Film
• Special Jury Prize
• Audience Award -- the notoriously discerning Paris audience

Festival History

Paris Cinema was founded in 2003 as a platform for international cinema specifically within Paris's existing year-round film culture.

See Also

For French cinema, see International Film Markets. For festival strategy, see Film Festival Strategy.