Festival Confrontation - Institut Jean Vigo
Cinema facing history and the world - Euro-regional Film Archive of Perpignan
About Festival Confrontation
Festival Confrontation: Cinema in the Mirror of History
Since 1965, the Festival Confrontation has explored the intimate link between cinema and history. Founded by Marcel Oms, a Catalan film critic and historian, this festival is supported by the Institut Jean Vigo, a Euro-regional film archive located at the Arsenal in Perpignan.
A Thematic and Demanding Festival
Each edition is structured around a theme that guides the selection of about sixty films. The festival explores how cinema represents, questions, and reinvents history and the contemporary world. From documentaries to fiction films, from shorts to features, from classics to the most recent creations, the Festival Confrontation offers a rich and diverse panorama of engaged and reflective cinema.
Themes of Recent Editions
- 2025 (60th edition): "Animal Cinema" — Cinema facing the animal world
- 2026 (61st edition): "Our Futures" — How cinema represents the future we imagine
The Institut Jean Vigo: A Film Archive at the Heart of Perpignan
The Institut Jean Vigo is a Euro-regional film archive located at the Arsenal, 1 rue Jean Vielledent, in the historic center of Perpignan. Named in homage to filmmaker Jean Vigo, born in Paris but son of Catalan activist Miguel Almereyda, the Institute preserves, restores, and distributes a considerable cinematographic heritage, with a particular focus on Catalan, Spanish, and Mediterranean cinemas.
Massa Mare: The Professional Segment
Since its creation, Massa Mare has been the professional workshop of the Festival Confrontation. This professional meeting, organized during the first three days of the festival, brings together filmmakers, producers, distributors, and programmers around film projects in development.
An Ecological and Civic Commitment
The Festival Confrontation is committed to an eco-responsible approach and co-founded the écho(s) collective, bringing together associative festivals committed to environmental issues in the Pyrénées-Orientales, mobilizing 11 festivals in the department.
Festival Confrontation — edition 2026
The 61st edition of the Confrontation Festival was held from May 6 to 10, 2026, at the Arsenal in Perpignan, centered around the theme « Our Futures ». Organized by the Institut Jean Vigo, a Euro-regional cinematheque, this edition explored how cinema imagines the future, from the most striking utopias to dystopias, in the age of artificial intelligence. Approximately 50 films were screened in 35 mm, 16 mm, or DCP, accompanied by meetings, round tables, cinema lessons, a cine-concert, and young audience screenings. The 3rd edition of the Massa Mare professional workshop took place on May 6, 7, and 8.
61st Edition — May 6 to 10, 2026 · « Our Futures »
The 61st edition of the Confrontation Festival was held from May 6 to 10, 2026 at the Arsenal in Perpignan, centered around the theme « Our Futures ». The festival explored how cinema grapples with the future — utopias, dystopias, post-human imaginaries, anticipation fiction, and apocalypses — with about fifty films screened in 35 mm, 16 mm, or DCP, including restored classics and rarities from international cinematheques (Toulouse, Switzerland, CNC).
Several Venues at the Arsenal and in Perpignan
- Marcel Oms Hall (Arsenal) — 35 mm and 16 mm screenings
- Ephemeral Hall (Casa Musicale) — temporary cinema hall
- Église des Carmes — open-air screenings
- Cinéma Le Castillet — historical partner
- Ciné des Petits — young audience screenings and workshops
- La Boîte Noire — VR experience
Highlights
- Opening ceremony on May 6 in the early evening (Arsenal courtyard, tapas, wine, VR demonstration) with a screening of Chris Marker's La Jetée
- Cine-concert featuring Yakov Protazanov's Aelita (Saturday, May 9, Église des Carmes) — live accompaniment by Marie Grollier, Clément Ternisien, and Laurent Sales
- Dubbing Masterclass with Philippe Peythieu and Véronique Augereau (French voices of Homer and Marge Simpson)
- Meetings with filmmakers Bruno Samper and Giulio Callegari, historian Pierre Singaravélou, and critic Jean-Louis Bourget
- Massa Mare — 3rd edition of the professional workshop on May 6, 7, and 8 (filmmakers, producers, distributors around projects in development)
- "Cinematheque Breakfast" every morning at 9 am with guests
- Festival beer garden in the Arsenal courtyard in the evening
Eco-responsible Approach
The festival is labeled « Événement Détonnant » (Detonating Event) and participates in the écho(s) collective, which brings together eleven committed associative festivals from the Pyrénées-Orientales around environmental issues. Secure bicycle parking, electric bike rental on site, encouragement of carpooling and public transport (Sankéo, Lio).
Programme Festival Confrontation 2026
About fifty films programmed over five days, centered around the theme « Our Futures ». Selection from the official program:
Wednesday, May 6, 2026 — Opening
- 7 PM — Opening Ceremony · Arsenal Courtyard (tapas, wine, VR demonstration)
- La Jetée · Chris Marker
- Terminator
- The Wild Robot
- eXistenZ · David Cronenberg
Thursday, May 7, 2026
- 9:15 PM — 2001: A Space Odyssey · Stanley Kubrick · Église des Carmes (open air)
- Mars Express
- 12 Monkeys · Terry Gilliam
- Children of Men · Alfonso Cuarón
- Soylent Green
Friday, May 8, 2026
- 9:30 PM — Metropolis · Rintarō · Église des Carmes — presented by Jean-Loup Bourget
- Idiocracy
- Alphaville · Jean-Luc Godard
- Battle Royale
Saturday, May 9, 2026
- 9:15 PM — Cine-concert · Aelita · Yakov Protazanov · Église des Carmes · live accompaniment by Marie Grollier, Clément Ternisien, Laurent Sales
- 1984
- Ready Player One · Steven Spielberg
- The Stepford Wives
Sunday, May 10, 2026 — Closing
- Kin-Dza-Dza !
- Logan's Run
- Fairytale
- Grauzone
- L'Inconnu de Shandigor
- Croisières Sidérales
- Closing screening: No(s) future(s) vacance(s)
Young Audience Program
- Ciné des Petits: The Wild Robot, Wallace and Gromit, A Trip to the Moon (Méliès, 1902)
- Animation and early cinema workshops
- 50 free student passes for UPVD
Program from the official website of the Institut Jean Vigo (Confrontation 61 page). For the exhaustive list and detailed schedules, please see the downloadable official program.
Highlights Festival Confrontation 2026
- 61st edition · theme « Our Futures »
- Approximately 50 films in 35 mm, 16 mm, and DCP
- Classics: 2001, Metropolis, 1984, Terminator, Alphaville
- Cine-concert Aelita at the Église des Carmes
- Dubbing Masterclass with the French voices of The Simpsons
- Massa Mare · 3rd edition of the professional workshop
- Festival labeled « Événement Détonnant » (Detonating Event) · écho(s) collective
Prices Festival Confrontation 2026
Practical information — Festival Confrontation
Practical Information
Access and Transport
By car: The Arsenal is located in the historic center of Perpignan. Parking nearby: Wilson parking and République parking.
By train: Perpignan station is a 15-minute walk from the Arsenal.
Festival Venue
- Institut Jean Vigo - L'Arsenal: 1 rue Jean Vielledent, 66000 Perpignan
Ticketing
For all information on programming and prices: [email protected] or 04 68 34 09 39.
Accommodation
Perpignan has a varied hotel offer. The Tourist Office can assist you with your search at 04 68 66 30 30.
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Where does it take place — Festival Confrontation
Institut Jean Vigo - L'Arsenal
1 rue Jean Vielledent, 66000 Perpignan