Rencontres des Cinémas d’Europe in Aubenas

The latest Rencontres des cinémas d’Europe takes place every autumn in Aubenas in the southern Ardèche. Presentation, programme and practical links.

What are the Rencontres?

Organised by the Maison de l’image, the Rencontres des Cinémas d’Europe festival features over 80 European films to discover, heritage films to see again and again, as well as concerts and discussions with a host of guests.

For more than 25 years, during the month of November, the Rencontres des Cinémas d’Europe have presented a wide panorama of European film production, examples of cinema and exchanges with professionals in the field.

Inspiring new collaborative experiments, integrating projects around the still image and new digital practices, are also being showcased.

27th Rencontres des Cinémas d’Europe: a cinematic journey in Aubenas

From 15 to 23 November 2025, Aubenas, in the Ardèche region of France, will be the venue for the ^27th time for an exceptional event dedicated to European arthouse cinema. The Rencontres des Cinémas d’Europe, which will also be held in a number of neighbouring towns including Vals-les-Bains, Thueyts and Lussas, will offer nine days of screenings, exchanges, meetings, debates and artistic discoveries.

With a programme featuring 84 films (39 of them directed by women), 20 premieres, 12 documentaries, and a special selection dedicated to 15-25 year-olds, this 2025 edition invites you to take a plural, committed and sensitive look at the diversity of European cinema.

A festival based on the concept of encounters

At the heart of the 2025 edition is the very notion of an encounter, an idea that goes far beyond mere projection. An encounter is a contact, an exchange – sometimes fortuitous, sometimes deliberate – that can move, inspire or question. The festival is a place where these encounters take place between spectators and creators, between films and audiences, between cultures and generations. Each film screened is seen as an invitation to take the risk of a shared experience, an immersion in other universes and visions of the world.

Over the course of the nine days, audiences will also have the opportunity to meet some twenty prestigious guests, including French director Martin Jauvat, director and actress Romane Bohringer, Polish programmer Joanna Łapińska and Polish director Agnieszka Holland. The presence of these personalities adds to the intensity of the discussions, with panel debates shedding light on the works and fuelling collective reflection.

A rich and committed programme

The 2025 programme promises to be packed. The 84 films on offer include :

20 highly anticipatedpreviews,
12 documentaries on fascinating subjects,
27 films aimed at young audiences (selection for 15-25 year olds).

There is a special focus on Polish cinema, with a carte blanche by Joanna Łapińska, offering an insight into the richness and vitality of Eastern European cinema. It features such powerful films as Brother by Maciej Sobieszczański, Imago by Olga Chajdas, and Franz K. by Agnieszka Holland, among others. This focus on often little-known cinematographies opens up an essential dialogue on the historical, social and political issues at stake through cinematographic art.

At the same time, a retrospective is devoted to Margarethe von Trotta, a major feminist figure in German cinema, with several of her works programmed, including Rosa Luxemburg and The Years of Lead. Her filmography, which highlights the struggles of women and politics, is a source of inspiration and memory.

Highlights and events for all ages

In addition to the traditional screenings, the festival offers a number of original events:

Concerts, like the opening one with the group ClacSon, mixing funk and soul, which promises to get the Bistrot des Rencontres buzzing in a warm and festive atmosphere.
Workshops, speakers and demonstrations, particularly on the technical and artistic aspects of cinema (for example: intimacy coordination, a recent and essential profession on film shoots for the protection of actresses).
Exchanges with actors and directors, giving a lively perspective on filmmaking.
A carefully-curatedprogramme for young audiences, with animated and adventure films suitable from the age of 3, such as La Petite Fanfare de Noël and Antoine Lanciaux’s Le Secret des Mésanges, accompanied by meetings and book signings to introduce children and teenagers to the ^7th art.

A special event is also being organised around cinema and musical creation, with the presence of composers Estelle Harbulot and Nicolas Gouge, underlining the festival’s multidisciplinary dimension.

A strong commitment to responsible and socially responsible cinema

The Rencontres des Cinémas d’Europe is not just about showing films. They are also a space for committed dialogue. This year, the festival has forged new partnerships with associations such as Citoyen pour le Climat 07 and France Palestine Solidarité, demonstrating its desire to take part in societal struggles that resonate with the themes addressed in the films.

The festival also hosts intercultural and European cooperation projects, such as the Franco-Greek youth exchange project run by the reZonance association, which involves local and European young people in a dynamic process of audiovisual creation and expression.

A professional and European echo

On a professional level, the Rencontres are recognised as an important centre for exhibitors, distributors and professionals in the art house cinema sector. It is a partner of the Confédération Internationale des Cinémas d’Art et d’Essai (CICAE) and is supported by the MEDIA Creative Europe programme.

This year, the festival is co-organising the 10th Journée Art et Essai du cinéma européen, which is also celebrating 70 years of the Art et Essai movement in France. The day highlights the essential role of European cinema as a vehicle for tolerance, democracy and intercultural exchange.

An edition that combines tradition and modernity

The festival is a well-oiled machine, mixing :

Multiple cinemas, mainly in Aubenas (Le Navire cinema and Le Bournot centre),
Sessions in rural areas around Aubenas,
A diversity of formats and genres (fiction, documentary, animation, experimental),
A showcase for new voices in European cinema, particularly female directors.

This richness is supported by a dedicated team of volunteers and a community of local public and private partners, all committed to bringing this extraordinary event to life.

The 27th Rencontres des Cinémas d’Europe in Aubenas is once again proving to be a not-to-be-missed event for all those who love art-house cinema, want to open up to other viewpoints and take part in a vibrant intercultural dialogue.

With its outstanding screenings, passionate debates, discoveries for young audiences, original events and civic involvement, this festival embodies the European spirit of cinema, one that brings people together, raises questions and stirs the collective sensibilities. It’s a warm invitation to experience and share cinema in a different way, in a human and authentic setting in the heart of the Ardèche.