États Généraux du Film Documentaire de Lussas

A unique festival dedicated to author documentary

The États Généraux du Film Documentaire were founded in 1989 in Lussas, a small village in southern Ardèche, at the initiative of the Bande à Lumière and the association Ardèche Images. Jean-Marie Barbe, originally from Lussas, had participated since 1983 in the creation of the Bande à Lumière to support documentary film, a genre then poorly supported by public cinema funding policies. The festival is a non-competitive event: there are no prizes, no jury, no awards, but a desire to showcase and discuss documentary cinema in all its diversity.

A week of cinema, reflection, and meetings

Every year in August, over 5,000 festival-goers converge on Lussas for a full week of screenings, seminars, professional meetings, and debates. The program features over 150 documentary films from around the world, divided into different sections: thematic selections, retrospectives, "fragment of a work" sessions, and the "Routes du Doc" which explore documentary creation by geographical area.

Lussas, documentary village

The festival is only the most visible part of a unique ecosystem dedicated to documentary film, animated year-round by the collective Ardèche Images. Lussas also hosts the École documentaire de Lussas, a leading professional training program, as well as the streaming platform Tënk, dedicated to author documentary film. This small village of a few hundred inhabitants has thus become a global hub for documentary cinema.

A commitment to independent cinema

Since its creation, the États Généraux have championed free and independent documentary cinema, far from standardized formats and commercial logic. Seminars and round tables address issues of creation, production, distribution, and cultural policy. The festival is a place for collective reflection on the role of documentary film in contemporary society, welcoming filmmakers, producers, distributors, and critics from around the world.

An international reference

After more than 35 editions, the États Généraux du Film Documentaire de Lussas have established themselves as one of the major global events for documentary cinema. The 2025 edition, the 37th, notably highlighted international conflicts through the lens of documentary film. The festival contributes to the cultural influence of Ardèche and attracts a passionate audience from all over France and abroad.