Paris-based festival Cinéma du reel is inviting submissions for its 49th edition, running March 19-27 2027.
The entry criteria are as follows:
- Films submitted must have been completed after 15 January 2026.
- Only films never screened publicly in France (French premieres) are eligible for the International Selection.
- Only French films that have never screened anywhere else (ie world premieres) are eligible for the French Selection.
- The call for films will be closed after 1800 films have been received and on November 3rd at the latest.
Deadlines
- For completed films, the deadline for online registration and submission of the screening material is 1 November 2026.
- For films in post-production, the deadline for online registration is 1 November 2026. The deadline for submission of the screening material is 9 November 2026.
Comments Catherine Bizern, Artistic director and General Delegate (pictured above): “Cinéma du réel competition is a selection of international documentary films of all durations which choose to begin their career at Cinéma du réel, and French documentary films of all durations which choose to launch themselves on the road to world festivals at Cinéma du réel. That represents around thirty short and feature films.”
“Such a carefully curated selection of international and French documentary films within the production of an entire year commits us, and we thank all the professionals who entrust us with their films and trust us to defend them,” she adds.
“Alongside this competition, films that have not yet been released in French and that we feel are important to show to the Cinéma du réel audience are featured in the festival’s other sections. We can’t wait to discover your new films!”
48th Cinéma du réel
In 2026, the Grand Prix Cinéma du réel 2 was won by Sebastian Brameshuber for London. The Cinéma du réel International Award 2026 went to Levers by Rhayne Vermette, while the Cnap Award for French Films was won for A Blind Song by Stefano Canapa and Natacha Muslera.
Click here to see all 2026 winners.
