Jean Carmet Film Festival

The Jean Carmet Festival: A tribute to the actors in the shadows

Since 1995, the Jean Carmet Film Festival has established itself as a unique event in the French film landscape. Created by the Ciné Bocage association, this festival is the only one in France entirely dedicated to actresses and actors, particularly those who play the supporting roles, those essential performers who give films their full depth.

Jean Carmet, an unforgettable actor

The festival is named after Jean Carmet (1920-1994), an iconic French actor, famous for his roles in Les Misérables (1983), Merci la vie (1992), and La Soupe aux choux (1981). A César award winner for Best Actor in 1993 for Germinal, Jean Carmet left his mark on French cinema with his talent, sensitivity, and humanity. A few months after receiving an Honorary César in February 1994, he passed away. The festival, created the following year, perpetuates his memory and celebrates the art he embodied so well.

Two competitions at the heart of the festival

The Jean Carmet Festival is distinguished by its two main competitions:

• Supporting Roles Competition: A selection of about eight recent feature films, presented as previews, in which an actor or actress stands out for a remarkable performance in a supporting role. Four acting awards are presented by a jury of film professionals and by the public.
• Young Talent Competition: About fifteen short films highlighting the young talents of French-speaking cinema. The awards recognize promising actors identified by the jury.

The Prisoners' Prize

For over ten years, the festival has involved the inmates of the Moulins-Yzeure central prison in the selection process. The Prisoners' Prize, awarded in the short film competition, demonstrates the festival's commitment to film education and access to culture for all audiences.

A friendly and accessible festival

Organized at the CGR cinema in Moulins, a nine-screen multiplex located near the train station, the festival takes place over a full week in October. Beyond screenings and competitions, the program includes Q&A sessions with directors and actors, gala screenings, debates, out-of-competition screenings, and film education activities. The warm atmosphere and the close proximity between the public and the artists make the Jean Carmet Festival a special event for film lovers.

Thirty years of cinema in Moulins

With over thirty editions under its belt, the Jean Carmet Festival has established itself as a benchmark for film professionals and enthusiasts. It has helped to discover many talents and to gain recognition for the work of supporting actors, who are often overlooked in awards. The festival is supported by the City of Moulins, the Department of Allier, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region, and the National Cinema Center (CNC).