Deauville American Film Festival
The only European festival of this scale open to the general public
2026
About Deauville Film Festival
Established in 1975 by Lionel Chouchan and André Halimi, with the support of Michel d'Ornano, then mayor of Deauville, and Lucien Barrière, the Deauville American Film Festival is the only European festival of its size that is open to the public. Every September, more than a hundred screenings take place across three city venues: the Centre International de Deauville, the Casino Barrière cinema, and the Morny cinema. The festival showcases everything from major Hollywood productions to independent films.
Deauville Film Festival — edition 2026
The 52nd Deauville American Film Festival takes place from Friday, September 4th to Sunday, September 13th, 2026, at the Centre International de Deauville, the Casino cinema, and the Morny cinema. Thirteen films are in competition, including six debut features, judged by a jury presided over by Roschdy Zem. Ethan Hawke and Brendan Fraser will each receive a Deauville Talent Award, while Sophie Thatcher will be honored with the Deauville Rising-Star Award.
52nd Edition — September 4th to 13th, 2026
The Deauville American Film Festival hosts its 52nd edition from Friday, September 4th to Sunday, September 13th, 2026, across three walkable venues: the Centre International de Deauville (C.I.D), the Casino Barrière cinema, and the Morny cinema. On Sunday the 13th, screenings will be held exclusively at the Casino and Morny cinemas. The festival pass grants access to over 80 films.
The Competition
Thirteen feature films are in competition, including six debut features and ten French premieres. Festival director Aude Hesbert describes the selection as a competition "with ambitious artistic and ethical stakes, flirting with love and death, cruelty and tenderness, and engaging with the most active genres of contemporary independent cinema (from animation to westerns, as well as comedy and coming-of-age movies)."
Tributes
Ethan Hawke will receive a Deauville Talent Award during the opening ceremony on September 4th and will present the premiere of Les Contrebandiers by Padraic McKinley. On September 5th, Brendan Fraser will receive a Deauville Talent Award ahead of the premiere of Pressure by Anthony Maras, and Sophie Thatcher will receive a Deauville Rising-Star Award before the screening of Her Private Hell by Nicolas Winding Refn, with the filmmaker in attendance. Several iconic films from both actors will be screened throughout the festival.
Juries and Awards
Roschdy Zem chairs the Competition jury, which consists of nine members; Lio chairs the Revelation Jury, composed of five artists. The awards will be presented during the closing ceremony on September 12th.
Highlights Deauville Film Festival 2026
- Ethan Hawke, Deauville Talent Award, at the opening ceremony on Friday, September 4th, before Les Contrebandiers by Padraic McKinley
- Brendan Fraser, Deauville Talent Award on Saturday, September 5th, before the premiere of Pressure by Anthony Maras
- Sophie Thatcher, Deauville Rising-Star Award on Saturday, September 5th, before Her Private Hell by Nicolas Winding Refn
- Roschdy Zem as jury president, Lio as Revelation Jury president
- 13 films in competition, including 6 debut features and 10 French premieres
- Casey Affleck in French premiere with Company, his third film as director
- 2026 Ornano-Valenti Prize to La Gradiva by Marine Atlan, presented on September 12th
- Encounter with Siri Hustvedt, winner of the 2026 Lucien-Barrière American Novel Prize, on Wednesday, September 9th at 4:00 PM at Les Franciscaines
Programme Deauville Film Festival 2026
Friday, September 4th — Opening Ceremony
- Presentation of the Deauville Talent Award to Ethan Hawke during the opening ceremony.
- Premiere screening of Les Contrebandiers by Padraic McKinley, starring Ethan Hawke (theatrical release September 16th, 2026, SND).
- Inauguration of a beach cabin in Ethan Hawke's name during a public ceremony.
- Festival welcome desk at the C.I.D from 2:00 PM to 8:00 PM.
Saturday, September 5th
- Presentation of the Deauville Rising-Star Award to Sophie Thatcher, followed by a screening of Her Private Hell by Nicolas Winding Refn, attended by the actress and director. Thatcher plays Elle, a rising young actress whose best friend marries her father, while a serial killer terrorizes a futuristic metropolis. The film was previously presented at the Cannes Film Festival.
- Presentation of the Deauville Talent Award to Brendan Fraser, followed by the premiere of Pressure by Anthony Maras, attended by the actor and director. The film, written by David Haig and Anthony Maras based on Haig's play, recounts the three days leading up to D-Day (French theatrical release September 9th, 2026, StudioCanal).
Wednesday, September 9th
- 4:00 PM — Encounter with Siri Hustvedt, winner of the 2026 Lucien-Barrière American Novel Prize for "Ghost Stories" (Gallimard, translated from English by Frédéric Joly). The event will be in English with translation by Tiffany Gassouk, moderated by Bruno Corty, followed by a book signing at Les Franciscaines, 145b avenue de la République, Deauville.
Saturday, September 12th — Awards Ceremony
- Presentation of festival awards: Grand Prix, Jury Prize, Revelation Prize, Critics' Prize, CANAL+ Prize, and the Deauville City Audience Prize.
- Presentation of the 2026 Ornano-Valenti Prize to La Gradiva by Marine Atlan, starring Colas Quignard, Suzanne Gerin Henry, Mitia Capellier Audat, and Antonia Buresi. A group of French high school students goes on a school trip to Naples to discover the ruins of Pompeii; they are overcome by vertigo and succumb to desire and anger (theatrical release October 21st, 2026, distributed by Tandem).
Sunday, September 13th
- Final day of screenings, held only at the Casino and Morny cinemas.
The Competition — 13 Films
- A PRAYER FOR THE DYING — Dara Van Dusen · Debut film · French premiere
- CLUB KID — Jordan Firstman · Debut film
- COMPANY — Casey Affleck · French premiere
- EVERYBODY DIGS BILL EVANS — Grant Gee · Debut film · French premiere
- HERE I'M ALIVE — Joshua Z. Weinstein · French premiere
- I'LL BE GONE IN JUNE — Katharina Rivilis · Debut film
- IF I GO WILL THEY MISS ME — Walter Thompson-Hernández · French premiere
- MÉLI-MÉLO — Leah Nelson · Debut film
- MOUSE — Kelly O'Sullivan · French premiere
- PARTY USA — Jared Sprouse · French premiere
- QUEEN AT SEA — Lance Hammer · French premiere
- TEST — Sam McConnell · Debut film · French premiere
- THE LIBERATION OF RITA COOPER — Guy Nattiv · French premiere
The 52nd Edition Jury
- Roschdy Zem, President — actor, director, and screenwriter
- Simon Abkarian — actor, playwright, and director
- Camille Chamoux — actress, author, and screenwriter
- Cécile de France — actress
- Euzhan Palcy — director, screenwriter, and producer
- Raphaël Personnaz — actor
- Lola Quivoron — director and screenwriter
- Mohamed Mbougar Sarr — writer
- Laura Smet — actress, director, and screenwriter
The Revelation Jury
- Lio, President
- Noée Abita — actress, nominated for the César for Most Promising Actress for Slalom
- Marion Barbeau — principal dancer at the Paris Opera Ballet and actress
- Manon Clavel — actress, nominated for the César for Most Promising Actress for Kika
- Sayyid El Alami — actor
Étoile Screenings ★
Étoile screenings are scheduled for early evening at the C.I.D and are preceded by a red carpet walk for invited guests. Access is granted upon presentation of an Étoile Screening Pass, with assigned seating and limited capacity. Festival pass or day pass holders may try the "last minute" queue (blue entrance) between Sunday, September 6th and Thursday, September 10th, subject to availability. No last-minute entry on Friday the 4th, Saturday the 5th, Friday the 11th, or Saturday the 12th.
Venues and Hours
- From Saturday, September 5th to Saturday, September 12th: C.I.D, Casino cinema, Morny cinema. Sunday the 13th: Casino and Morny cinemas only.
- Festival opening hours: Friday the 4th from 2:00 PM to 8:00 PM; from Saturday the 5th to Saturday the 12th from 8:30 AM to 8:00 PM.
- Festival Terraces (fast food and bar): from Saturday the 5th to Saturday the 12th from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM. The O2 Sofa Bar at the Casino Barrière opens at 5:00 PM, with ID checks starting at 7:30 PM.
- Films are restricted to those 12 and older, except for children's screenings and specific exceptions. All films are subtitled, excluding children's screenings.
Upcoming Announcements
As of mid-August 2026, the festival has announced the Competition, the two juries, the tributes, and the literary awards. The film-by-film schedule and details for non-competition sections (Tributes, New Hollywood, American Doc Stories, premieres) are not yet online.
Prices Deauville Film Festival 2026
Festival pass: €170 (reduced rate €102) — access to over 80 films throughout the festival, excluding Étoile screenings.
Étoile Screening Pass: from €17 — one early evening screening at the C.I.D, reserved seating, limited capacity.
Culture Pass available for 15-18 year olds.
Reduced rate for students under 26 and job seekers, upon presentation of valid proof.
Passes are non-exchangeable and non-refundable, unless cancellation insurance is purchased.
Online ticketing at www.festival-deauville.com.
Practical information — Deauville Film Festival
Practical Information
Venues
Three screening sites within walking distance in Deauville (14800): the Centre International de Deauville (C.I.D), 1 avenue Lucien Barrière, the Casino Barrière cinema, and the Morny cinema. Phone: 02 31 14 14 14.
Access
- By train: Trouville-Deauville station, then a 15-minute walk to the festival. This is the recommended mode of transport by the organizers.
- By car: The festival encourages carpooling. Paid parking is available nearby.
In the theaters
- Films are restricted to ages 12 and up, except for children's screenings and specific exceptions.
- All films are subtitled, excluding children's screenings. Opening and award ceremonies are also subtitled, depending on materials provided by honorees and presenters.
- Please arrive 45 minutes before a screening and one hour before an 'Étoile' session for security checks and metal detectors.
- Backpacks and suitcases are prohibited; only handbags are allowed. No food or drink is permitted inside the theaters.
- Filming and photography are strictly forbidden inside the theaters; phones must be turned off during screenings. Theaters are cleared after each session, and exiting is final.
Accessibility
The Morny and Casino cinemas are accessible to people with reduced mobility, as are the screening rooms, with the exception of Morny 3. The festival reception can be reached via the entrance on rue SEM, opposite the thalassotherapy center. Please contact the festival for accessible seating arrangements. For deaf and hard-of-hearing guests, smartphone use is permitted in the theater for transcription apps.
Dining
Fast food and a bar are available on the Festival Terraces. The O2 Sofa Bar at the Casino Barrière opens at 5:00 PM, with ID checks starting at 7:30 PM.
Ticketing and contact
Book online at www.festival-deauville.com. Passes are non-exchangeable and non-refundable, unless cancellation insurance is purchased. Contact: [email protected], 02 31 14 14 14.
A festival open to the public since 1975
The Deauville American Film Festival was founded in 1975 by Lionel Chouchan and André Halimi, under the initiative of Michel d'Ornano, the city's mayor at the time, and Lucien Barrière, then president of the eponymous group. The City of Deauville delegates co-organization to Hopscotch Cinéma, which oversees artistic direction, and the Centre International de Deauville, which provides event management expertise.
Each edition features over a hundred screenings across three venues: the Centre International de Deauville (C.I.D), the Casino Barrière cinema, and the Morny cinema.
Official Selection sections
- The Competition, reserved for American independent films.
- Tributes, honoring American cinema icons who attend in person.
- New Hollywood, showcasing the rising stars of tomorrow's cinema.
- American Doc Stories, dedicated to documentaries about American society.
Awards
Six awards are presented during the closing ceremony: the Grand Prix and the Jury Prize; the Revelation Prize; the Critics' Prize, awarded by journalists and critics; the CANAL+ Prize, decided by five subscribers selected via a contest; the City of Deauville Audience Award, created in 2013; and the d'Ornano-Valenti Prize, established in 1991 by Motion Picture Association member studios and supported since 2009 by the Franco-American Cultural Fund, which rewards a French debut film to help boost its recognition and international distribution.
Films discovered in Deauville
The festival has showcased films such as Little Odessa by James Gray, Pi by Darren Aronofsky, Living in Oblivion by Tom DiCillo, Being John Malkovich by Spike Jonze, Memento by Christopher Nolan, Welcome to the Dollhouse by Todd Solondz, Crash by Paul Haggis, Hedwig and the Angry Inch by John Cameron Mitchell, Little Miss Sunshine by Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton, Take Shelter by Jeff Nichols, Whiplash by Damien Chazelle, Captain Fantastic by Matt Ross, Beasts of the Southern Wild by Benh Zeitlin, and A Ghost Story by David Lowery.
Where does it take place — Deauville Film Festival
Deauville Film Festival in brief
Other festivals near Deauville
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