Festival des Possibles

The Festival des Possibles: Cinema in the Service of the Coming World

Born in Sens in 2019 from the initiative of the association Des Possibles, the Festival des Possibles has quickly established itself as a major cultural event in the Yonne region. Its mission is clear: to use documentary cinema to raise collective awareness by showing that concrete solutions exist to address the environmental and societal emergencies of our time.

An Original Format: 10 Films, 10 Debates, 10 Solutions

The festival's formula is as simple as it is effective. Each edition presents a selection of 7 to 10 documentary films, all award-winners at international festivals or selected for the quality and relevance of the solutions they propose. Each screening is systematically followed by a debate with speakers—researchers, elected officials, association representatives, social entrepreneurs—who delve deeper into the themes addressed and consider local applications.

Themes at the Heart of Contemporary Issues

Each year, the Festival des Possibles explores a wide spectrum of environmental and societal issues:

• Biodiversity and ecosystem preservation
• Climate and the quality of air, water, and soil
• Circular and solidarity-based economy
• Environmental health
• Sustainable agriculture and food
• Oceans and aquatic environments
• Education and transmission of ecological knowledge

Awards to Highlight Solutions

The festival presents several awards at its closing ceremony, recognizing films based on their impact and the nature of the solutions they highlight:

• Grand Jury Prize
• Producing/Consuming Prize
• Restoring/Preserving Prize
• Educating/Entertaining Prize
• Helping/Sharing Prize
• Local Prize—rewarding a local initiative
• High School Students' Prize—involving the youth of Sens in the selection process

The High School Students' Prize: Training Tomorrow's Citizens

The involvement of Sens high school students in the jury is one of the most original features of the Festival des Possibles. Entire classes discover the films during school screenings, deliberate, and award their own prize. This educational dimension distinguishes the festival as a remarkable tool for awareness-raising and civic education.

A Festival Rooted in the Yonne Region

The Festival des Possibles takes place at the Confluences Cinema in Sens, a modern cultural venue in the heart of the Yonne capital. The festival benefits from the support of local and national partners and relies on a network of committed volunteers. Since 2019, it has helped make Sens a reference point for environmental culture in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region.