Festival des Films du Social

A committed festival at the heart of social realities

Born in 2022, the Festival des Films du Social is a joint initiative of La Passerelle, a social and cultural center in Rixheim, and the École Supérieure de Praxis Sociale in Mulhouse. Organized each year around the World Day of Social Work (March 15th), this festival uses cinema as a vehicle for reflection and awareness of contemporary social issues: precariousness, exclusion, migration, violence against women, disability, ecology, and living together.

A demanding and accessible program

For a week, the cinema of La Passerelle — Le Trèfle hosts a rigorous selection of fiction, documentaries, and animated films that give a voice to those who live and support social realities daily. Each screening is followed by a debate with professionals, committed associations, and sometimes the directors themselves, transforming the cinema into a true space for dialogue and citizen co-construction.

Associative partnerships for debate

The festival relies on a dense network of associative and institutional partners in the region: Solidarité Femmes 68, CIDFF 68, La Cimade, ADOMA, LICRA, and many other structures committed to social action. These collaborations ensure the quality and relevance of the discussions, grounding the films in local lived realities. Social Practice students actively participate in organizing and facilitating debates, enriching the festival with a young and professional perspective.

A growing citizen event

Since its creation, the Festival des Films du Social has continued to grow, moving from a confidential event to an anticipated gathering for an ever-wider audience. Each edition explores a unifying theme that gives its color to the program: in 2026, the fifth edition invites us to "co-construct hope and harmony" through a call for Harambee — a Swahili word meaning "all together" — to unite a divided society. This common thread runs through the entire program and encounters.

Cinema as a tool for social transformation

More than just a film festival, the Festival des Films du Social carries a strong ambition: to make cinema a tool for social transformation, capable of raising awareness, questioning, and bringing people together. By offering a space for speech and listening in a friendly and accessible setting, the festival helps to strengthen social cohesion and highlight the importance of social work in today's society. An essential citizen event in the cultural landscape of the Haut-Rhin.