Cinéma du Réel

Cinéma du réel (Lit. "Cinema of the Real") is an international documentary annual film festival held in Paris, France, since 1978. It is organised by the Bibliothèque publique d'information (BPI), and screenings take place at the Pompidou Centre in Paris as well as partner cinemas in the city. The 47th edition of the festival takes place in March 2025.

Cinéma du réel

2024 Festival poster
Location	Paris, France
Founded	1978
Most recent	2024
Awards	Real Cinema Grand Prize
Hosted by	Bibliothèque publique d'information (BPI) The association Les Amis du Cinéma du Réel
Festival date	Opening: 22 March 2025 (2025-03-22) Closing: 29 March 2025 (2025-03-29)
Website	www.cinemadureel.org

History

The festival was founded in 1977 by Jean-Michel Arnold and Jean Rouch^[1] and the first festival was held in 1978.^[2] It was originally called the “L’homme regarde l’homme”. ^[3]

The 47th edition of the festival takes place in March 2025.^[4]

Description

The Cinéma du Réel is organised by the Bibliothèque publique d'information (Bpi; Public Information Library) which is the Pompidou Centre in Paris, and screenings take place at the Bpi as well as other cinemas. The festival presents about 200 films per year in several sections by experienced documentary directors as well as emerging filmmakers.

The event has developed into one of the major documentary film festivals, where public attendees view hundreds of documentaries. It also includes workshops, seminars, and a retrospective program highlighting the best of documentary cinema history.^[5]

Prizes

As of 2025^[update] the prizes awarded at the Cinéma du Réel are:^[6][7]

Feature films

• Grand Prix Cinéma du réel / Cinéma du réel Grand Prize: funded by the BPI (€5,000) and Procirep [fr]^[a] (€ 3,000); awarded to a feature film in Competition.
• Prix international Cinéma du réel / Cinéma du réel International Award: funded by the association Les Amis du Cinéma du réel (€5,000); awarded to an international feature film from the Competition
• Prix Cnap du film français / Cnap Award for French films: funded by the Centre national des arts plastiques (€5,000); awarded to a French feature-length film, "to support and promote contemporary artistic production coming from a wide variety of fields and professional backgrounds"
• Prix Sacem / Sacem Award: funded by La Sacem (€1,000); awarded to the composer of original music of a feature film

First and short films

These prizes are awarded by the short film and first films jury:

• Prix du premier film Loridan-Ivens / First Film Loridan-Ivens Award: funded by Capi Films (€3,500); awarded to a first film with a 50+-minute runtime, featured in competition category. The Loridan-Ivens Award was initiated by Marceline Loridan-Ivens to support emerging committed filmmakers "casting a sharp eye on the state of the world". It is given in honour of filmmaker Joris Ivens, husband of Loridan-Ivens and an early supporter of the project.

This prize was formerly known as the Joris Ivens Prize for a Young Filmmaker, referred to as the Joris Ivens Award.^[5] In 2011 the award was worth €7,500, jointly funded by Loridan-Ivens, the Les Amis du Cinéma du réel, and the Joris Ivens European Foundation (Europese Stichting Joris Ivens).^[9]

• Prix du court métrage / Short Film Award: funded by the BPI (€2,500)
• Prix Tënk / Tënk Award: funded by Tënk (€500 and acquisition of SVOD broadcasting rights on the Tënk platform); awarded to a short film

Parisdoc Awards

• Coup de cœur Orlando
• Prix Préludes / Préludes Award
• Prix Route One/DOC / Route One/DOC Award

Other prizes

• Prix des jeunes – Ciné+ festival / Ciné+ Festival Young Jury Award: funded by Ciné+ Festival and awarded to a feature film; guarantees that the film is bought by the channel for €15,000 and broadcast on Ciné+ Festival (conditions apply)
• Prix des bibliothèques / Library Award: funded by the Direction générale des médias et des industries culturelles of the Ministry of Culture (€2,500); awarded to an international film 50+ minutes long; the film is purchased by the BPI for inclusion in its national catalogue, Les Yeux Doc.
• Prix du patrimoine culturel immatériel / Intangible Cultural Heritage Award
• Prix Clarens du Documentaire Humaniste / Clarens Award for Humanist Documentary Filmmaking
• Prix des Détenus / Inmate Award; created in collaboration with the Fresnes Prison in 2013 and with the Bois D'Arcy Prison in 2017; awarded by a jury of incarcerated people to a short film featured either in competition or in the Première Fenêtre / First Window category
• Prix du Public Première Fenêtre / "First Window" Audience Award

Past Grand Prix winners

• 2024: Direct Action^[10]
• 2023:
  • Coconut Head Generation, Alain Kassanda
  • Up the River with Acid, Harald Hutter ^[11]

See also

• Cinéma Vérité (film festival), an Iranian documentary film festival

Footnotes

1. PROCIREP (Société des producteurs de cinéma et de télévision) is an organisation dedicated to the collective management of rights, founded by film and television producers.^[8]