Montpellier Film Festival
{{Infobox film or theatre festival
| name =Festival Cinema Mediterranéen Montpellier
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| location =Montpellier
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| established =1979
| awards =Antigone d'Or
| films =
| directors = Leoluca Orlando (incumbent president)
| artistic_director = Christophe Leparc (incumbent)
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| website =https://www.cinemed.tm.fr/
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Montpellier International Mediterranean Film Festival (Cinemed) is the second most important cinema festival in the Mediterranean after the Cannes Film Festival. Cinemed aims to promote the cinema from the Mediterranean basin, the Black Sea, Portugal, and Armenia. It was inaugurated in 1979.{{cite web
| url =https://www.cinemadureel.org/en/cinemed-montpellier-international-mediterranean-film-festival-2024/
| title =Cinemed – Montpellier International Mediterranean Film Festival, 2024
| publisher =Cinéma du réel
| access-date =2025-02-22}}
The festival's main prize is the Antigone d'Or.{{cite web
| url =https://cineuropa.org/newsdetail/467988
| title =The staggering diversity of Mediterranean cinema is set for the showcase at the Cinemed Festival
| last =Lemercier
| first =Fabien
| date =2024-10-04
| publisher = Cineuropa
| access-date =2025-02-22}}
Profile
The festival under the original name Rencontres avec le cinéma méditerranéen was established in 1979 by the team of the Ciné-club Jean-Vigo. In 1989, the festival inaugurated a competitive section and was renamed Festival Cinema Mediterranéen Montpellier.{{cite web
| url =https://www.lecourrierdelatlas.com/cinemed-le-festival-du-cinema-mediterraneen-de-montpellier-du-21-au-29-octobre-2022/
| title =Cinemed, le Festival du cinéma méditerranéen de Montpellier rouvre ses portes
| last =Gharbi
| first =Mishka
| date =2022-10-12
| publisher = Le Courrier de L’Atlas
| access-date =2025-02-24}}
Henri Talvat, one of Cinemed's co-founders, was the festival's president for many years{{cite web
| url =https://www.levante-emv.com/cultura/2008/10/26/festival-montpellier-homenajea-camino-cineasta-13374141.html
| title =El Festival de Montpellier homenajea a Camino, "cineasta español de la memoria"
| date =2008-10-26
| publisher = Levante
| access-date =2025-03-01}} one of the event co-founders,{{cite web
| url =https://www.midilibre.fr/2014/11/02/une-cloture-electrique,1074728.php
| title =36th edition of the Cinemed in Montpellier: an electric fence
| last =Bernde
| first =Jeremy
| date =2014-02-11
| publisher =Midi Libre
| access-date =2025-03-01}} flanked by the director Jean-François Bourgeot.{{cite web
| url =https://www.rfi.fr/es/cultura/20101021-el-cine-mediterraneo-se-da-cita-en-montpellier
| title =El cine mediterráneo se da cita en Montpellier
| publisher =RFI
| access-date =2025-03-01}}{{cite web
| url =https://www.midilibre.fr/2014/11/03/je-veux-du-changement-a-la-tete-de-cinemed,1075431.php
| title =Montpellier: Philippe Saurel wants "from the change to the head of Cinemed"
| last =Lorfevre
| first =Gil
| date =2014-11-04
| publisher = Midi Libre
| access-date =2025-02-27}} In October 2014 Philippe Saurel, the mayor of the Montpellier Métropole, announced forthcoming changes in the Cinemed's management.{{cite web
| url =https://www.midilibre.fr/2016/02/22/cinemed-de-montpellier-aurelie-filippetti-presidente-surprise,1289885.php
| title =L'ex-ministre a été choisie par Philippe Saurel. Christophe Leparc devient directeur général
| last =Bernede
| first =Jeremy
| date =2016-02-22
| publisher = Midi Libre
| access-date =2025-03-01}} Jean-François Bourgeot resigned in 2015. In 2016, Christophe Leparc became the director of Cinemed (he is also the general secretary of the Directors' Fortnight of the Cannes Film Festival), while Aurélie Filippetti was appointed its president.{{cite web
| url =https://www.nouvelhay.com/en/2016/02/cinemed-une-nouvelle-presidente-et-un-nouveau-directeur/?print=print
| title =CINEMED – Une nouvelle présidente et un nouveau directeur
| publisher =Nouvel Hay
| access-date =2025-03-01}}{{cite web
| url =https://cineuropa.org/en/interview/468722/
| title =Christophe Leparc Director, Cinemed
| last =Lemercier
| first =Fabien
| date =2024-10-17
| publisher =Cineuropa
| access-date =2025-02-22}}{{cite web
| url =https://cineuropa.org/en/interview/451565/
| title =Christophe Leparc Director, Cinemed
| last =Lemercier
| first =Fabien
| date =2023-10-20
| publisher =Cineuropa
| access-date =2025-02-22}} In 2019, Filippetti was replaced by Leoluca Orlando, the mayor of Palermo.{{cite web
| url =https://www.midilibre.fr/2019/05/11/montpellier-la-presidence-du-cinemed-confiee-au-maire-de-palerme,8193437.php
| title =Montpellier : la présidence du Cinemed confiée au maire de Palerme
| last =Bernede
| first =Jeremy
| date =2019-05-11
| publisher = Midi Libre
| access-date =2025-03-01}}
= Location and programme =
Cinemed's line-up features 200 films annually. The festival puts emphasis on its spirit of tolerance, its programme reflects the drama of the region, caught up in the conflicts.{{cite web
| url =https://www.lemonde.fr/en/culture/article/2024/10/25/cinemed-festival-in-montpellier-echoes-middle-east-s-conflicts_6730481_30.html
| title =Cinemed festival in Montpellier echoes Middle East's conflicts
| last = Macheretand | first =Mathieu
|last2=Mandelbaum
|first2=Jacques
| date =2024-10-25
| publisher = Le Monde
| access-date =2025-02-22}}{{cite web
| url =https://havc.hr/eng/info-centre/news/croatian-films-at-42nd-cinemed
| title =Croatian films at 42nd Cinemed
| date =2020-10-07
| publisher =Croatian Audiovisual Centre
| access-date =2025-02-22}}{{cite web
| url =https://filmint.nu/a-revolutionary-festival-33rd-international-festival-of-mediterranean-cinema-at-montpellier-october-21-29-2011/
| title =A Revolutionary Festival: 33rd International Festival of Mediterranean Cinema at Montpellier (October 21-29, 2011)
| last =Passevant
| first =Christiane
| date =2011-12-21
| publisher = Film INternational
| access-date =2025-02-27}} The screenings take place in various locations across the city, including Opéra Berlioz, Centre Rabelais, Maison pour tous Louis-Feuillade, etc.{{cite web
| url =https://www.montpellier.fr/en/daily-life/living-here/culture/festivals-and-events/cinemed
| title =Cinemed
| publisher =Métropole de Montpellier
| access-date =2025-02-22}}
= Awards and sections =
In feature film competition, the Antigone d'Or for the Best Film goes with a €15,000 prize where €9,000 go to the French distributor company. Other awards are the Filmgoers', the Critics', JAM award for best music, Social Energy Activities award, and CMCAS Young People award.{{cite web
| url =https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/469239/
| title =To a Land Unknown triumphs at the Cinemed
| last =Lemercier
| first =Fabien
| date =2024-10-28
| publisher =Cineuropa
| access-date =2025-02-24}} In short films competition the distributed prizes are: the Grand Prix for Short Films, the Filmgoers' Award, the Young People's award, Canal+ award. In the Documentaries Competition, the Ulysses Prize is given for the best French international documentary film.{{cite web
| url =https://festagent.com/en/festivals/cinemed
| title =Cinemed
| publisher = Fest Agent
| access-date =2025-02-22}}
Non-competitive sections include retrospectives and special screenings. Along with the abovementioned, Cinemed hosts Young audience festival, middle schools screenings; Flying fish short film workshop for under 15 directors; Fais ton reportage workshop where emerging journalists from 12 to 18 years old create reports on the festival.
= Industry section =
Cinemed Meetings, an industry section, is a three days long professional event, dedicated to emerging filmmakers and their projects. Along with multiple professional and educational events, the section hosts pitching sessions where winners are offered development grants.{{cite web
| url =https://variety.com/2022/film/global/cinemed-festival-arab-world-1235403536/
| title =France's Cinemed Festival to Showcase Projects From Arab World With Aflamuna / Beirut DC (EXCLUSIVE)
| last =Keslassy
| first =Elsa
| date =2022-10-14
| publisher =Variety
| access-date =2025-02-22}}{{cite web
| url =https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/468930/#cm
| title =REPORT: Cinemed Meetings 2024
| last =Lemercier
| first =Fabien
| date =2024-10-22
| publisher =Cineuropa
| access-date =2025-02-24}} Established in 2022, Cinemed & Aflamuna programme chooses 10 projects from the Arab world.{{cite web
| url =https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/468930/
| title =REPORT: Cinemed Meetings 2024
| last =Lemercier
| first =Fabien
| date =2024-10-22
| publisher = Cineuropa
| access-date =2025-02-22}}
The industry section is supported by France's National Film Board CNC.{{cite web
| url =https://variety.com/2024/film/global/montpellier-film-festival-arab-films-industry-1236155398/
| title =Arab Films and Docs to Be Showcased at Montpellier Film Festival's Industry Strand (EXCLUSIVE)
| last =Vivarelli
| first =Nick
| date =2024-09-25
| publisher =Variety
| access-date =2025-02-22}}