Festival International d'Autrans - Mountain, Cinema & Culture

The Festival International d'Autrans: Over 40 Years of Mountain Cinema

Since 1984, the Festival International d'Autrans has established itself as the French benchmark and one of the major global events for mountain cinema. Nestled in the heart of the Vercors massif, in the village of Autrans-Méaudre in Isère, this unique festival brings together mountain enthusiasts, filmmakers, adventurers, and an ever-growing audience every December for five days of total immersion in the world of mountains through the lens of the seventh art.

An Exceptional Film Program

Each edition offers a rigorous selection of approximately 90 films, more than half of which are in official competition. The films presented cover all facets of the mountains: mountaineering, high-altitude expeditions, great traverses, extreme skiing, climbing, trail running, as well as the lives of mountain peoples, ethnology, science, ecology, and environmental protection. Nearly 50% of the films are international, subtitled directly by the organization, making Autrans a true window onto the mountains of the world.

Prestigious Awards

The festival jury, composed of journalists, filmmakers, and mountain professionals, awards several highly coveted prizes each year:

• Grand Prize for Mountain Documentary Film
• Mountaineering Prize
• Nature and Environment Prize
• Life of Peoples Prize
• Prize for Best Technical Direction
• Mediadocs Prize
• First Film Prize (INA)
• Alpes Is(h)ère Prize
• Crazy Award — rewarding audacity in the feminine
• Audience Award (documentary, short fiction, animation)

Much More Than a Film Festival

Beyond the screenings, the Festival d'Autrans offers a rich and varied cultural program. Literary encounters allow for discussions with mountain literature authors. Exhibitions and activities take over the village throughout the week. Concerts and live performances punctuate the evenings, while professional debates bring together players from the world of mountains and documentaries.

The Festitrail, a trail running race organized on the Saturday of the festival, attracts many runners each year to the snowy trails of the Vercors, blending sport and culture in a friendly atmosphere. The podcast Résonances des Cimes extends the festival experience throughout the year.

Strong Territorial Roots

Established in the Vercors for over four decades, the Festival d'Autrans actively contributes to the cultural and tourist influence of the municipality of Autrans-Méaudre en Vercors and the entire massif. The event is supported by the Department of Isère, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region, and numerous institutional and private partners. The festival is a member of the International Alliance for Mountain Film, a global network of mountain film festivals.