Festival of photography, cinema, nature and mountains in Saint-Martin-Vésubie
The Festival Images et Montagnes is an annual three-day event dedicated to mountain and nature imagery in all its forms: photography, documentary cinema, video, and literature. This event brings together photographers, filmmakers, authors, scientists, mountain stakeholders, and nature lovers for moments of discovery, exchange, and wonder.
The heart of the festival beats to the rhythm of its eight exhibitions of photographs and videos, displayed in the town halls (ground floor, first, and second floors) and in the chapel. These carefully selected exhibitions showcase diverse perspectives on mountains, wildlife, flora, and landscapes: spectacular images of snow-capped peaks, portraits of wild animals, documentaries about mountain peoples, and artistic explorations of light and natural elements.
The festival also embraces new forms of imagery, including reflections on artificial intelligence and the visual creation of the future, questioning the relationship between technology and nature.
Screenings are a highlight of the festival. Documentary films and photographic reports are presented during the day and evening in dedicated venues. Directors and photographers are present to engage with the public after each screening, fostering an atmosphere of intimacy and sharing rarely found at major festivals.
Conferences address various topics: protection of mountain environments, climate change, biodiversity, geology, and the history of mountain territories. Scientists, naturalists, and philosophers offer their complementary insights to the presented images.
The Festival Images et Montagnes offers a rich program of activities accessible to all audiences. Guided hikes allow participants to discover the surrounding landscapes with naturalists and photographers. Introduction to nature photography workshops are offered to amateurs. A climbing wall and mountain safety awareness activities, led by mountain rescue professionals, complete the program.
A festival village welcomes visitors with an information point, a bookstore specializing in mountain and nature books, and signing areas where authors and photographers share their passion with the public.
Beyond its artistic dimension, the Festival Images et Montagnes carries a message of awareness about the fragility of mountain ecosystems. Each edition is placed under a unifying theme: in 2025, the chosen theme was « The Forest », explored through multiple photographic, cinematic, and scientific approaches. The festival thus contributes to raising awareness of the beauty and vulnerability of mountain territories.
By combining aesthetic contemplation with ecological reflection, the Festival Images et Montagnes offers a unique experience that nourishes the gaze and the mind, in an exceptional mountain setting.
The 12th edition of the Images et Montagnes Festival will be held from July 17 to 19, 2026, in Saint-Martin-Vésubie, in the Mercantour massif (Alpes-Maritimes), around the theme « Voir Loin ». Organized by the Association Hervé Gourdel, in homage to the high-mountain guide and photographer assassinated in 2014, the festival offers its three-day format combining images, screenings, and meetings.
On the program: eight exhibitions of photographs and videos installed in the town hall rooms and the chapel, screenings of documentary and fiction films (daytime sessions at Salle Maurice Ricci, evening sessions at Salle Jean Grinda), as well as conferences, literary meetings, guided hikes, music, theater, and observation sessions. A festival village welcomes visitors between the town hall and Rue Cagnoli, with an information point.
Admission is free. The detailed program (films, exhibitions, schedules) is being finalized and will be published on the official website festival-images-montagnes.org.
Screenings of mountain and nature films: "L'Ascension de Lizzie Le Blond" (Sophie Chaffaut, 46 min), "Via Alpina, sur les pas des pionnières" (Zoé Lemaître, 52 min), "L'héritage Samivel" (Christophe Raylat, 26 min). Conferences on July 18 (Camille Audibert; John Thompson, Mercantour National Park). Photo exhibitions, photo workshops (5 €) and guided hike on July 19 (12 €). Daytime screenings and exhibitions with free access; paid evening events (7 €) at Espace Jean Grinda.
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Divers lieux à Saint-Martin-Vésubie (mairie, chapelle, Salle Maurice Ricci, Salle Jean Grinda)
06450 Saint-Martin-Vésubie, 06450 Saint-Martin-Vésubie