The 2026 La Rochelle Cinema Festival took place from June 26 to July 4, 2026, in La Rochelle, France.
The following shared activities were presented to a French and international audience:
AFFN Presents
A curated selection of heritage films, showcased at member festivals and centered on the shared theme of a specific decade of cinema—in 2026, the 1950s.
Stella
by Michael Cacoyannis
With an introduction by Marc Olry (Lost Films)
Pather Panchali (Song of the Little Road)
by Satyajit Ray
Merry-Go-Round
by Zoltán Fábri
Desire
by Vojtěch Jasný
With an introduction by Marketa Hodouskova (Czech-in Festival)
Mr. Hulot’s Holiday
by Jacques Tati
With introductions by Jérôme Deschamps (Les Films de mon Oncle) on June 27 and Stéphane Goudet
(critic, film historian) on July 4
Cairo Station
by Youssef Chahine
With an introduction by Jan Jilek (Summer Film School)
https://festival-larochelle.org/edition/2026/programmation/archive-film-network
AFFN Film
The film Drifting Clouds was screened during the festival. It will be accompanied by a tour (6 cinemas, 6 cities) in the autumn of 2026. Presented at Fema by Victor Dalmont (La Fémis)
AFFN Education
Radio Box Workshop
Come discover and try out the “Radio Box”—a mobile studio that makes radio production accessible to everyone! Create a podcast based on a Jacques Tati film with Alexis Demeyer, a journalist from Radio France.
Educational sheet:
https://festival-larochelle.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Atelier-radiobox.pdf
Tati Workshop: Cinema, Drawing, Dance, and Theater
Immerse yourself in the slapstick world of Jacques Tati in a workshop led by Louise Deschamps—filmmaker, author, and illustrator. Participants will explore visual arts set to music, dance, and theatrical improvisation based on film clips.
Educational sheet:
https://festival-larochelle.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Fiche-Peda-Louise-Deschamps.pdf
https://festival-larochelle.org/le-fema/le-fema-des-enfants
https://festival-larochelle.org/le-fema/le-fema-des-enfants
AFFN Industry
Roundtable: Repertory cinema seeking to renew its audience—what strategies can attract and retain young viewers?
How can we cultivate an appreciation for heritage films and spark interest among 15-to-30-year-olds? Distributors, exhibitors, film festivals, and content creators will join forces to explore new approaches and innovative tools.
Topics include programming and cinema appeal strategies, featuring Mikaël Muller (Dulac Distribution), Clara Dietrich (ADRC Festival Coordinator), Alix Ménard (General Delegate of the CINA cinema network), and Monté de Linguisticae (Romain Filstroff, YouTube and Twitch creator). Festivals and young
audiences, featuring Céline Roche (Communications Manager, Arras Film Festival); Bruno Deloye (Curator, Il Cinema Ritrovato); Silvie Jílková Suchnová (Marketing Director, Summer Film School, Czech Republic); and Victoire Delprat (Flowers Vivi – videographer, community manager for cultural institutions,
and content creator on YouTube and Instagram).
Moderator: Chloé Caye (Film critic, theorist, and educator)
Co-organized with the ADRC as part of their professional events and the Archive Film Festival Network – Industry.
https://festival-larochelle.org/edition/2026/professionnels/les-evenements-professionnels-au-fema/
Photo Credits: Philippe Lebruman and Jean-Yves Julian
